Maybe Their Will Be A Wicked Movie?

Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:33am

From JimHillMedia.com on a Harry Potter/Disney article:

"Now I know (based on reader response to last Friday's "Why For") that a lot of you JHM readers were hoping that this new addition to Islands of Adventure would be tied to the "Wizard of Oz" characters. But -- based on what company insiders told me this weekend -- those L. Frank Baum characters will eventually appear in the stateside Universal theme parks. But only after the movie version of "Wicked" is produced. And given that the Broadway musical version of this Gregory Maguire book is still going strong ... It could be years yet before that movie finally goes into production."

So there WILL be a movie.

EDIT: This is good news that I found because I love Disneyland and this site is very popular with disney folks.

PS: Does anyone have videos from the Japaneese theme park version of Wicked? I had it once, but I lost it.

Updated On: 2/5/07 at 10:33 AM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:00am

"So there WILL be a movie. This is good news that i find because I love Disneyland."

What does Wicked have to do with Disneyland?

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:01am

That show is at Universal, not Disney

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:02am

your spelling makes me cry

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:02am

can you imagine Wicked characters walking around Universal?

"Hey look mommy, i want to take a picture with the green girl and the one in the wheelchair!"

haha

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:05am

I know, but this site is geared torward Disney, but also general theme-parks.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:09am

lightguy06222, that reminds me of the time i went to see Wicked and this girl in a wheelchair was getting on the elevator and i hollered out "Oh my god, it's Nessa Rose!" hahaha

[winston89]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:25am

There won't be a wicked movie at all. Universal got the rights for the book to turn it into a movie but they realized that it would work better as a musical. There is a 30 min version of the musical presented as theme park show that is playing in universal tokyo. And, there is a universal studios singapor sp? in the works and they are trying to get the same show that is playing in tokyo.

I found a video of the universal studios tokyo show. the glinda is played by a japanese girl whereas the elphaba is rotated by either an american actress or an asutrialian sp? actress. I think that universal studios orlando was thinking about bringing the same stage show to that park. However, they realized that the national tour stops nearby orlando sothey saw no reason to do so.

Universal studios Tokyo has a section of the park called The emerled city or oz. I forget which one exactly. But, there they have a wizard of oz atraction and the wicked musical.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:55am

I don't think it would work as a movie at all.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:08pm

Based if only on the fact that it's about the only musical running that could be done in the MOULIN/CHICAGO vein, Universal would have to be dimmer than a 15watt lightbulb *not* to make a film of it. It has a built in audience of both the gayboy Judy Garland fans *and* the family demographic, two very, *very* devoted groups to have for any movie.

Technically, it could be done a la SKY CAPTAIN, all green screen work, and it would succeed beautifully. If Universal doesnt film this, they should fire the leadership there for utter business incompetence.

And this comes from someone who isnt a huge fan of the show but sees the tons of marketability sitting there for it. This is a PR man's dream.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:09pm

wut an intrestng though!

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=920243

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=908018

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=903412

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=903048

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=895433

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=895044

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=890199

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=887593

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=869619

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=865626

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=863749

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=856531

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=856482

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=846639

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=778048

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=772752

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=698197

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=638274

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=426992

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=310076

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=235827

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=162493

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=144903

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:29pm

If you think it'd work, tell me how Defying Gravity would work on screen? It would come off as the cheesiest thing.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:33pm

John Travolta should play Elphaba.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:36pm

WBAF, L-O-L!

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:39pm

I'd imagine Defying Gravity could work a lot better on screen than it does on stage. Maybe on screen she wouldn't fly straight up with the broom in her hand.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:43pm

But imagine Elphaba riding around on her broom singing this song, c'mon, I can't take that seriously.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 12:47pm

But you take it seriously when the broom flies her arm with her body dangling below it?

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:06pm

Not only that, but while Universal might have bought the right to the Wicked characters, The Wizard of Oz is firmly in the power of MGM, who is partnered with Disney.

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:10pm

Not anymore. Disney and MGM broke of in 2005. Now the park is called Disey Studios and many re-theming and MGM-related things will ber happening well into 2008.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:41pm

I thing logically speaking, Wicked could work as a NON-musical movie, and only then if they went back to the novel

[landryjames2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:43pm

I believe that The Wizard of Oz actually now belongs to Warner Bros.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:46pm

How can a musical film that is mostly based on one of, if not the most succesful MUSICAL films of all times not work? If there is a musical movie that would make sene for everyone to have singing characters is Wicked. Everyone relates Oz to a musical.

Updated On: 2/5/07 at 01:46 PM

[Piercemn]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 1:59pm

Rather than a movie of the musical, I'd much rather see a miniseries based on the book. The book goes much deeper and is so full of history that the musical skips over. They could expand it and include Son of a Witch, too.

They already filmed Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and my hope is that they will film Mirror, Mirror as well.

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 2:17pm

Yes, but the musical is too popular by now to go that way, and it would be WAY more profitable.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 2:39pm

I said on another thread about this

Universal own the rights to turn Wicked in to a film and they are already looking in to it.

When a director comes in to universal after a succesfull film they are given a sheet of paper with a list of films that are hunting for a director and then they can pick a project.

Wicked has been on this list ever since the london production opened and universal are wanting to have this out by 2008.