Universal's WICKED Films - News & Discussion Thread- Page 70

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 5:56pm

degrassifan said: "Also, 6-10 minutes of this are probably credits, so the movie's runtime is probably actually 2 hours and 30 minutes."

That’s a relief it will only be one hour longer than it needs to be, instead of 70 minutes ;)

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 6:45pm

degrassifan said: "Epic movie musicals with long runtimes? We're so back! Haven't been this excited since WSS 2021. :)

Also, 6-10 minutes of this are probably credits, so the movie's runtime is probably actually 2 hours and 30 minutes."

The entire Broadway musical on stage runs about 2 hours 45 minutes - the length of just Part 1 of this WICKED film adaptation. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 7:01pm

To be fair, the stage libretto is kind of a mess. It’s badly paced and the relationships are comically underdeveloped. Maybe expanding into two movies will be an improvement on the story and not just a shameless cash grab. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 7:15pm

I read the book right before the show opened and I saw it. It's been so long I don't remember where the end of Act 1 of the musical is in the book. I have been flipping through my copy trying to find it. Can anyone tell me? I would like to re-read it up to that point before seeing the movie.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 7:23pm

uncageg said: "I read the book right before the show opened and I saw it. It's been so long I don't remember where the end of Act 1 of the musical is in the book. I have been flipping through my copy trying to find it. Can anyone tell me? I would like to re-read it up to that point before seeing the movie."

The stage show is pretty loosely based on the novel, but Act 1 ends with the Gillikin section of the book. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 7:58pm

NOWaWarning said: "uncageg said: "I read the book right before the show opened and I saw it. It's been so long I don't remember where the end of Act 1 of the musical is in the book. I have been flipping through my copy trying to find it. Can anyone tell me? I would like to re-read it up to that point before seeing the movie."

The stage show is pretty loosely based on the novel, but Act 1 ends with the Gillikin section of the book."

Yeah, I know it is loosely based on the novel. Just forgot where end of Act 1 was in the book. Thanks for your response! I will start reading tomorrow.

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 9/28/24 at 12:55pm

I love the stage adaptation of Wicked despite its flaws. Its strength lies in the music—not the book. Relationships are grossly underdeveloped, and without the powerful score, those shortcomings would be even more apparent. There are also several bizarre plot holes that are never explained.

While we don’t know if the film adaptation will succeed in addressing these issues, there is significant potential to build relationships more fully in Part 1, making Part 2 even more touching and heartbreaking. I hope we witness the full evolution of Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship, from enemies to best friends. Additionally, there’s room to explore Elphaba’s growth from a misunderstood child to the college-aged version we meet in the stage show. I’m also excited at the possibility of seeing Elphaba’s bond with Nessa further developed.

If done well, I believe many will agree that splitting the story into two films was the right decision.

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 10/1/24 at 12:41am

I'm an optimist, at least about stuff I like, and I was hoping they weren't bullsh!tting us about this "needing" to be two films to tell the story they want to, but I always thought Elphaba and Fiyero's relationship should have been more fleshed out, so, yeah, if that and all the relationships are done well, I'd say the movie split was justified.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/1/24 at 9:22am

Have we gotten confirmation as to how many new songs are being added and if any existing numbers are cut? As it stands, act 1 of Wicked has 11 musical numbers, which over the course of an over 2.5 hour run time would mean there will be a lot of time without songs. 

[degrassifan]

Posted: 10/1/24 at 5:00pm

Nothing official, but apparently no songs from Act One have been cut, and the new songs are allegedly for Act Two. 

[marytylermoore]

Posted: 10/1/24 at 6:59pm

I saw Wicked in approx. 2004/2005 and then didn't revisit it until a friend won the lottery in 2019 and took me on a date to the theater (somewhere in those years I read the novel). I was quite shocked at how political the show is (reminding me of how much the novel is about American politics), and how it's very much a piece of theatre born out out of reaction to the Bush administration. It sounds absolutely insane (I know), but I remember walking out of the Gershwin and saying something like "Ah, Morrible and The Wizard are absolutely supposed to be Cheney and W. Bush.

If anything, I'm hoping they really explore and expand upon the political nature of the plot that, to me, seems to get buried under all of the other themes. Updated On: 10/1/24 at 06:59 PM

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 12:59am

Two things:

So is Elphaba like Snowden?!

Does anyone think Fiyero should have been Black like in the book? I don't think he had to be  Black, but I would have liked if he was, especially with the blue tattoos, too.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 2:02am

MagicalMusical said: "Two things:

So is Elphaba like Snowden?!

Does anyone think Fiyero should have been Black like in the book? I don't think hehadto be Black, but I would have liked if he was, especially with the blue tattoos, too."

I actually expected a POC actor to be cast as Fiyero and I remember being shocked that it was Jonathan Bailey; however, Bailey is a great actor, and I've been told he's REALLY good in Wicked by a trusted friend who has seen it twice already. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 6:32am

degrassifan said: "MagicalMusical said: "Two things:

So is Elphaba like Snowden?!

Does anyone think Fiyero should have been Black like in the book? I don't think hehadto be Black, but I would have liked if he was, especially with the blue tattoos, too."

I actually expecteda POC actor to be cast as Fiyero and I remember being shocked that it was Jonathan Bailey; however, Bailey is a great actor, and I've been told he's REALLY good in Wicked by a trusted friend who has seen it twice already."

For what it’s worth I also expected a POC Fiyero but I imagined Chu would chose a Henry Golding or Charles Melton type so was very surprised when Bailey was announced. I’m not 100% sold on him, and I adore him in everything else. 
 

I know I’m rehashing old conversations with this next comment but I’m all for the Part One and Part Two idea because I can’t wait for the time when in two years I’ll be lying in bed full of the cold and I’ll have a five-hour Wicked film to keep me company. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 7:40am

degrassifan said: "Bailey is a great actor, and I've been told he's REALLY good in Wicked by a trusted friend who has seen it twice already."

What did your friend think of the rest of the movie?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 10:21am

Can't wait to finally watch it. Honestly, this is the first time since West Side Story 2021 where I'm highly anticipating a film adaptation of a Broadway musical. Here's to hoping that splitting the show into two films and the long running time of this one (and possibly Part Two) will be justified.

[StylishCynic]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 10:55am

degrassifan said: "Nothing official, but apparently no songsfrom Act One havebeen cut, and the new songs are allegedly for Act Two."

This was reported in this thread earlier this year. The new songs composed for Wicked Part 2 are:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

The Girl in the Bubble - Glinda (a snippet of this leaked but was quickly pulled)

No Place Like Home - Elphaba

[BwayLB]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 10:57am

Musical Master said: "Can't wait to finally watch it.Honestly, this is the first time since West Side Story 2021 where I'm highly anticipating a film adaptation of a Broadway musical. Here's to hoping that splitting the show into two films and the long running time of this one (and possibly Part Two) will be justified."

I agree about WSS. Although I was hyped for The Color Purple last year mainly for the cast. But it ended up being below what I expected.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 11:15am

Sometimes it's a sign that an actor really has the goods in an upcoming movie if the studio casts them in another movie before the first one is released: Bailey has been cast by Universal as the male lead of the new JURASSIC reboot, alongside Scarlett Johansson & Mahershala Ali. See also:

• Austin Butler cast in DUNE 2 before ELVIS came out (both Warner Bros)
• Rachel Zegler cast in SNOW WHITE before WEST SIDE came out (both Disney)
• Andrew Garfield cast as SPIDER MAN before SOCIAL NETWORK was released (both Sony)
• Rooney Mara cast in DRAGON TATTOO before SOCIAL NETWORK was released (both directed by David Fincher, produced by Scott Rudin, & released by Sony)
• Beanie was cast in DOLLY off the dailies for LADY BIRD (both produced by Rudin)

(Not that the dailies are the exclusive reason for their casting –– they likely had impressive auditions, too, and some of these folks had been working steadily for a while. But it's a way of "buying stock" in an actor before their asking price really rises.)

Updated On: 10/2/24 at 11:15 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 11:50am

Very good points above.

Also of note, Julie Andrews was cast in THE SOUND OF MUSIC based on the dailies of MARY POPPINS, and Natalie Wood was cast in WEST SIDE STORY based on the dailies of SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (they were there to watch the dailies of Warren Beatty, a Tony consideration, but ended up being blown away with Natalie). 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 11:57am

Though Natalie Wood was an established star who had a nearly 20 year career by the time she did both Splendor in the Grass and West Side Story

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 12:02pm

AEA AGMA SM said: "Though Natalie Wood was an established star who had a nearly 20 year career by the time she did both Splendor in the Grass and West Side Story"

Indeed. Even Oscar nominated but they never had her under any consideration at any time. When they viewed Beatty’s dailies the idea of her as Maria popped into their heads and offered her the role, which she accepted. 

[degrassifan]

Posted: 10/2/24 at 3:18pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "degrassifan said: "Bailey is a great actor, and I've been told he's REALLY good in Wicked by a trusted friend who has seen it twice already."

What did your friend think of the rest of the movie?"

My friend is a big fan of Wicked and said they think if you're a fan of the show, you will love the movie. The real test is what people who know nothing about it will think. They also said it will make sense why it's split into two films once you've seen part one. Characters and plots have been expanded, and certain relationships have been delved into deeper. Dancing Through Life was a highlight for them. 

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 10/3/24 at 1:07am

I, personally, wanted someone with really dark skin and blue tattoos to be more book faithful. But if Bailey is really good in the film as we have heard, alright.

Haha, true, to watch the films back to back may be a real treat, Plannietink08.

Thanks for the info, degrassifan!

[jonbush123]

Posted: 10/4/24 at 6:27am

Does anybody know about the film "This Little Light of Mine"? It is a powerful documentary that explores the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, a prominent civil rights activist and leader during the 1960s. The film captures her fight for racial equality and voting rights for Black Americans in the segregated South, showcasing her courage and determination in standing up against systemic oppression. Hamer's passion and resilience are highlighted through historical footage, personal stories, and her inspiring speeches, which continue to resonate today. The film serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for social justice and the importance of using one's voice to demand change.

Updated On: 11/1/24 at 06:27 AM