Any news on the 'Wicked' Film?

[Boredathome]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 2:17pm

Haven't heard anything in a while, and a search didn't turn up anything recently. Any news out there?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 2:51pm

This is in pre-production. It is likely to stay there for quite some time. Don't expect the movie any time soon.

[yeah]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 6:52pm

There is, however, a new "group" on facebook for Eden Espinosa to be cast in said film. I'm going to start a group facebook group suggesting the "week" be Sat. and Sun. and the "weekend" be Mon.-Fri.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 7:55pm

I thought Meredith Baxter and Jacqulyn Smith were doing it as a Lifetime movie.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 8:05pm

I thought they already cast Betty White as Elphie?

[wendilin622]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 8:55pm

No Lupone is Elphie. Betty is Glinda. Fiyero will be played by Justin Bieber.

[angelxschunard]

Posted: 5/29/10 at 10:20pm

Bahaha I'd love to see that!

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 1:21am

Unfortunately they will use the same, lousy score as in the Broadway show. Bland, 70s Stephen Schwartz shmatlz.

Ie ... Crap.

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 1:27am

i couldn't disagree more, i think schwartz's score is absolutely gorgeous. and regarding the movie, according to the guys who run the behind the emerald curtain tour, producers will wait to start a movie production until ticket sales of the broadway show start to decline. and since that doesn't show signs of occurring anytime soon, neither does the movie. but they did assure everyone that a movie will be made eventually.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 11:13am

I heard the Jonas Brothers are playing all the roles.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 11:50am

now being serious here It would be mzmorizing to see white as morrible.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 12:00pm

How many times are people going to ask this?

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 12:49pm

A lot more times. Face it- WICKED is the most culturally significant musical in the world, not for any social message it has, but for its cult of personality that is spearheading the return of Broadway to pop culture. Without Wicked, there would be no GLEE, no eruption of the Broadway fanbase, and no other pop musicals. Granted, many of those are considerably worse than Wicked, and there has been some complete crap put out to jump on the post-Wicked Broadway bandwagon, but at the same time, it's keeping the business alive and vital. Without it, we might be seeing the new incarnation of Road Show in an empty theater somewhere on the Great White Way.

[THDavis]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 3:02pm

Thank you darquegk. Regardless of whether you like it or not, it's obviously doing something right so maybe some of us should stop whining about why it's terrible and credit as a significant contribution to Broadway and how it seems to be one of the only threads that's reeling the theatre back in as a significant media. If you have a gripe about it and have an actual reason as to why you don't like Wicked, I'm not saying you should be able to post it but just to say you hate Wicked because everyone is always talking about it and asking the same questions just shows that you don't like how Wicked is hooking people back into the theatre world. Wicked was my first true Broadway production (though it was touring) and I've been to New York five times in the past three years because of it.

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 3:50pm

amen, i really hate the stigma that has arisen in the theatre fan community that you are somehow lesser if you love Wicked just because it has such an ardent fan base. to quote Mean Girls "I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me... but I can't help it that I'm so popular"

:) The more people that love ANYTHING on Broadway, the better!!!

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 4:08pm

No offense THD, I just found your signature amusing after reading your post.

I have actually seen the show 3 times. Didn't expect to. Saw the original cast when I was a little bit obsessed with the music. I was kind of over it the second time, didn't care for the touring cast, and enjoyed it the 3rd time simply because the cast was good. I still listen to the OBCR from time to time.

I was out last night at a country bar here in Denver and was wearing my Wicked t-shirt. I had several people walk up to me to ask if I had seen the show. It has been running on Broadway for over 6 years now and we have had 3 tours come through Denver. The last time it was here I was going to another show at the DCPA and walked past the Buell on my way to the other theater, which has an earlier curtain time, and Wicked was doing their lottery. There had to be about 150 people there trying to win. The show sells out solid every time it is here. So like the show or not, it is reaching a lot of people. I don't plan to see it again but never say never. I didn't expect to see it 3 times. Granted, the 3rd time I went as press. Had I not been invited, I probably would not have gone to see it.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 10:21pm

It is happening...
This picture was taken at the Universal Studios lot last month:

Updated On: 5/30/10 at 10:21 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 11:45pm

That's not a movie ad- that's an ad for the Broadway cast recording (and the show at large). Universal owns some stake in the show, I believe.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/30/10 at 11:50pm

and regarding the movie, according to the guys who run the behind the emerald curtain tour, producers will wait to start a movie production until ticket sales of the broadway show start to decline. and since that doesn't show signs of occurring anytime soon, neither does the movie.

Hot damn! That isn't news we've heard a thousand times. I'm lying.

Wishing, the poster is OLLLLD. It still lists the Chicago & LA productions. Also, Universal is their biggest backer.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/31/10 at 8:03pm

"A lot more times. Face it- WICKED is the most culturally significant musical in the world, not for any social message it has, but for its cult of personality that is spearheading the return of Broadway to pop culture."

You're absolutely correct - it just seems as if this topic repeatedly comes up on this message board. If there were any updates to the movie, believe me, we'd hear about it here.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 2:23pm

Face it- WICKED is the most culturally significant musical in the world, not for any social message it has, but for its cult of personality that is spearheading the return of Broadway to pop culture.

In what way was it more effective than the Chicago revival? After which, there have been continuous successful international productions of The Producers, Hairspray and Mamma Mia. Wicked may be a sensation, but I'm not sold that it is "the most culturally significant musical in the world". The one thing it has accomplished better than any musical in the last 30 years is tapping into a demographic that hasn't been as wildly enthusiastic about musical theatre since Annie.

And I'm confused as to which part of the Wicked score sounds particularly 70s. The only other Schwartz score it really resembles is Children of Eden, which was produced in the 90s. I've never heard anything in Wicked with the sound of Godspell, Pippin or The Magic Show, all of which were written specifically to provide a current modern sound in their respective years. Perhaps you can hear a little of Meadowlark from The Baker's Wife, but that doesn't sound distinctly 70s and more than Losing My Mind from Follies.

[Urban]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 2:38pm

That picture at Universal has been there for YEARS. I did the backlot tour in 2004 and it was there then!

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 2:46pm

Either way, all that is certain is that to Wicked fans, the movie will be full of flaws and totally disspointing.

I'm sure it will be for me anyways... ALL movie versions of stage shows have dissapointed me in so many ways (except for Chicago)

They will cast some name that shreaks through it, cut out the most memorable moments from the stage version, and probably bumb it down more (if even possible) for the youngins out there.

[steven22]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 2:54pm

I hope they do it soon enough so that Lea can be Elphaba...makes so much sense for her to play the role...

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/1/10 at 3:34pm

Yup, cant wait to see her struggle with that score and have it auto tuned all over the place, Oh wait, didn't Glee do that already?