And The Director Of Wicked (Movie) Will Be... — Page 4

Amy Adams as Glinda.

Can you say "perfect?"

Menzel and Chenoweth should stay far away from this.

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As is evident from the harsh monster in ENCHANTED, Menzel does not work well on film. And Chenoweth is simply too mature for this.

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Hate Romeo + Juliet, really like Australia, love Moulin Rouge, and Strictly Ballroom is one of my favorite movies ever made. If Luhrman is directing it, you have got one ticket from me and one from the friend going with me. Otherwise, I don't know...

I would want Cheno and Menzel to make a appearance, but as something else, like one of them be Morrible. I think that's fun and a great way to pay homage to those great ladies that helped bring these characters to life.

I'm really warming to the idea of Menzel and Adams leading the movie, however, if they don't release it in the next 5 years, both will be too old, Cheno would definitely be too old for the part.

I have no problem with Elphaba being played by an unknown but extremely talented actress, but the fact they will almost certainly go for a 'name' that isn't right for it - vocally, most likely - i do have a problem with. Alas, that's Hollywood.

I'm interested to see what Baz's incredibly talented wife, Catherine Martin, will do with the costumes. She always works with him on his film projects, and she's a genius.

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Her Defying Gravity is legendary. She riffs that **** up.

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I don't honestly think Wicked needs stars as the two leads, especially with Baz at the helm, and assuming they will use "known" film actors in the supporting roles.

However ... Baz LOVES working with stars, so he'll probably cast well-knowns as the two leads.

I'm still thinking Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams have the best shot at it.

The one thing they need to be careful about is probably something they're not even concerned about.

"Oz" is a decidedly American fairy tale. Baz is a decidedly non-American film director.

If his "Wicked" or his Oz end up being some sort of Euro-Grimm-Potterish hybrid, it won't work.

Even though I suggested Broadbent as the Wizard in another thread, the more I think about it, that would be a mistake.

It would be like casting American actors in the Harry Potter movies. One of the great appeals of Potter is the whole British feel. Again, it's not something you think much about, but if the setting is wrong, you will notice it.

Same thing with Oz and Wicked. It's roots are found the biggest American fairy tale our country has ever produced. That's part of its appeal, and its fundamental fabric.

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Wizard of Oz isn't that "American". And Wicked is even less so. A Euro-Grimm-Potterish version would actually be cool.

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You're listing all things that effected the selling of the novel and subsequent film before its success.

Suffice it to say, the film's an international success and has been translated in to countless languages. Judy Garland as Dorothy is probably one of the most recognizable images of cinema, not only American but world cinema.

On top of all of that, Wicked is not The Wizard of Oz and aside from a few visual cues really looks nothing like the original film other than the deliberate recreation of the cornfield/post-tornado scene. It stands as its own entity with productions in Japan, Australia, London and Japan with many more international productions in the work.

Updated On: 11/29/08 at 11:02 AM

If anyone knows about the world of Oz it's Besty.

It stands as its own entity with productions in Japan, Australia, London and Japan with many more international productions in the work.

You're forgetting that these productions all use the American design as they all are carbon copies of the Broadway production.
HARRY POTTER is an international success as well, it has been translated into countless of languages, loved and adored by millions of people, and it stands as one of the most successful movie franchises today. Yet, it still is as British as the Queen and the films (from casting to the look to the dialogue, of course) are incredibly British.
Besty is not saying that only Americans would see or appreciate WICKED or THE WIZARD OF OZ, for that matter. What I think he is saying (don't want to disrespect by putting words in his mouth) is that the world of Oz is a very American world, with cues, influences, and motifs firmly based on turn-of-the-century American standards.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence, ray!

That's exactly what I'm saying.



Maguire's "Wicked" and its stage show adaptation aren't set in America. Anymore than Lord of the Rings is set in Great Britain. Or Narnia, for that matter. But their fabric is decidedly British. It's part of what gives those stories character and charm. It's their foundation.

Same thing with Wicked. And The Wizard of Oz. It's not America. But it's American.

I hope Baz recognizes that. He did pretty well with Romeo + Juliet. That was close. It felt like an American-Euro hybrid.

He'll have to get closer with Wicked (which I think he can do, if he tries). I'm not talking about the physical locations of the movie, although that's part of it. I'm talking about the overall approach, from casting to costumes.

I'm talking about the basic sensibility.


EDIT: For somebody like Spielberg, who was originally rumored to be directing this movie, it would be second-nature.

For Baz? Not so much. I'm not saying he can't do it. I'm just saying he'll need to work at finding that "voice." It's not something he'll "get" right away.

And Chris Columbus wasn't British. You can argue that his Potter films are/were the least successful of the bunch, but I don't think that had to do with his being American. Well, come to think of it, maybe it DID. They're very "Hallmark family movie." And that's the warm-and-fuzzy American approach to children's entertainment. Once you handed the movies over to international directors, they added a much-needed missing "flavor." They suddenly felt "Euro," in a most appealing way. You have to remember, too, that they were considering many Hollywood names for roles in Potter. Including Haley Joel Osment as Harry. It was Rowling who urged them (not demanded) that they keep the British flavor. It made Warner Bros. nervous, and they were worried that American movie audiences might not take to it. But with the success of Potter and Rings, we now have TONS of Euro screen fairy tales coming at us in the cinema.

That's where "Wicked" can stand apart from them.

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Updated On: 11/29/08 at 11:54 AM

Logan, I think it has been said repeatedly that it's not a matter of "location," but a matter of American sensitivity and just an overall American atmosphere.

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