Universal's WICKED Films - News & Discussion Thread- Page 88

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 5:08pm

The shot that mimics the Broadway version as Elphaba ascends into the sky above and lets out her battle cry took my breath away. 

The look of fright and sadness on Glinda's face as she watches and realizes the choice her friend has made just moved me. 

 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 5:23pm

Variety is now predicting that the film will score at least 12 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a lot of technical categories. They are predicting a Best Picture win, and a win for Grande for Best Supporting Actress, along with tech wins for Production Design, Hair & Makeup, and others. 

[singer234]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 5:27pm

I thought the image of Elphaba suspended in the air was amazing-it reminded me a lot of the way the alien looked in its full form in "nope".

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 5:54pm

Anyone notice the screenplay credit? If you were confused, as my friend was, here's an explanation:

This credit (Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox) was likely arrived upon by WGA arbitration. Usually means that Winnie Holzman did the first draft, and then she worked on a second draft as a writing team collaborating alongside Dana Fox (hence the ampersand).

Which is different than a credit of "Holzman and Fox" (implying that each worked on it separately and different times) or "Holzman & Fox" (which implies that they worked on it together from the start).

The credit is arrived upon by an "unbiased" jury of writers who pore through various script drafts to make the determination.

One of those weird Hollywood quirks that Broadway doesn't have (because playwrights own their own work).

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 6:43pm

No, this is actually a unique situation in which there was a finished and approved draft of the script and then the script was adapted a second time when it was decided to expand it into two films.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 8:38pm

As an interesting aside, Goldblum is giving me a lot of the same performance that Robert Morse was giving in the pre-Broadway San Francisco run.  I like it a lot.

Morse was immediately strange, a little off-kilter, even sinister from the get-go.

Really enjoyed Goldblum's take.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 9:09pm

Absolute perfection. 

[luvbrdway]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 9:35pm

Question: Can Part 2 be nominated for the same awards Part 1 was nominated for? Is it possible for it to win Best Picture two years in a row? Cynthia Best Sctress two years in a row, etc?

Updated On: 11/22/24 at 09:35 PM

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 9:40pm

luvbrdway said: "Question: Can Part 2 be nominated for the same awards Part 1 was nominated for?"

Yes.

"Is it possible for it to win Best Picture two years in a row?"

It'd probably be similar to the awards run of the Lord of the Rings trilogy where they waited until the final installment to award the saga as a whole.

[RW3]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 10:13pm

I just got home from my first showing this weekend and my heart is truly leaping in a giddy whirl. WHAT. A . FILM. The extended Defying Gravity was thrilling.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 10:20pm

Of course that depends on Part 2 being as well-received, which having just seen the show for the first time in many years, I'd say is not a sure thing unless they really take advantage of the expanded runtime to make more substantial narrative improvements. I remember when they announced splitting the film thinking that at least will get one movie with a strong ending out of it. Curious to see what Chu will do.

I thought this was good, other than the color grading and the CG animal characters. Cast was mostly great where it mattered. Nice costumes and sets. The animal storyline didn't get much more clarity or thematic strength despite there being more of it, but the best things about the show--like the central friendship--are arguably better served than ever. 

 

As to the animals...Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes is a bad movie, but I kept thinking about Rick Baker's incredible ape makeup in that and wished they'd done prosthetic/practical animal characters here. It would feel like a nod to The Wizard of Oz, just updated. The monkey transformation and subsequent mayhem just wasn't impactful to me in a way it could have been in particular. There's just a pathos to something a bit more theatrical *and* more tangible. 

[Voter]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 10:31pm

Haven't seen much but praise here, but I for one really couldn't stand this. Constantly busy, with hideously bright visuals, and a complete bombardment to the senses. Doesn't justify its endless running length, which adds little to the plot except long dance breaks, overly pregnant "this moment is important" pauses, and boring shots like one where we have to watch Glinda and Elphaba walk the ENTIRE hall to the Wizard. Ariana sounds genuinely awful trying to sing operatically in the higher notes. Breathy, and unflattering. Cynthia sounds great, but adds so many inappropriate riffs. Everyone acted well, sure, but I can't stand what Jon M Chu did to this (Jeff Goldblum as a sort of Mount Rushmore at Shiz is only one of the endless cringy choices) and I can't stand modern movie musicals mixing the songs so completely into pop music. The saving grace is that Schwartz is a phenomenal composer, so the songs still hit. Idina and Kristen's cameos were the highlight, but they also ruined the movie because with their incredible voices they reminded me just how much better they were. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 10:31pm

Curious to see what Chu will do.

Did. WICKED was filmed as one film so both parts filmed simultaneously. If editing is complete, they literally can release it next week on Thanksgiving Day 2024.  

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 11:14pm

Luminaire2 said: "I’m going to come out and say this, and draw the line in the sand now.

anyonewho says they killed the momentum in defying gravity, or messed it up, is objectively wrong. WRONG.

They nailed it, they did it brilliantly. It was so thrilling, so moving, they gave it room to breathe, and space for Cynthia to really show growth, character, and vulnerability.


I don’t make the rules, but in this case… there is a wrong opinion. I said what I said!"

Toward the beginng I thought they deflated the tension a bit by drawing it out....but it really just set up an even bigger payoff. 

 

The most stunning moment of the film is when Elphaba jumps out the window and loses the broom and sees her childhood self in her reflection. It quite literally took my breathe away. 

 

The Defying Gravity sequence was perfection. I wish I could just watch and rewatch that part of the movie--I felt like a little kid when I saw the show on Broadway for the first time. 

[orlikethecolorpurple]

Posted: 11/22/24 at 11:17pm

Voter said: "Haven't seen much but praise here, but I for one really couldn't stand this. Constantly busy, with hideously bright visuals, and a completebombardment to the senses. Doesn't justify its endless running length, which adds little to the plot except long dance breaks,overly pregnant "this moment is important" pauses,and boring shots likeone where we have to watch Glinda and Elphaba walk the ENTIRE hall to the Wizard. Ariana sounds genuinely awful trying to sing operatically in the higher notes. Breathy, and unflattering. Cynthia sounds great, but adds so many inappropriate riffs. Everyone acted well, sure, but I can't stand what Jon M Chu did to this (Jeff Goldblum as a sort of Mount Rushmore at Shiz is only one of the endless cringy choices) and I can't stand modern movie musicals mixing the songs so completely into pop music. The saving grace is that Schwartz is a phenomenal composer, so the songs still hit.Idina and Kristen's cameos were the highlight, but they also ruined the movie because with their incredible voices they reminded me just how much better they were."

 

well, it seems the artichoke is steamed. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 12:27am

As someone who is not a big Wicked fan, I think this is the best possible version of Wicked. Enchanting, rich, emotional, perfectly cast, endlessly charming. Still not convinced it needs to be two full-length films, particularly with a weaker second half coming up, but absolutely willing to be persuaded.

Grande is truly a revelation, which feels weird to say about somebody who’s been famous for a while and who I know can sing, act, and be funny. But she truly is MVP here for me.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 12:29am

Voter said: "Haven't seen much but praise here, but I for one really couldn't stand this. Constantly busy, with hideously bright visuals, and a completebombardment to the senses. Doesn't justify its endless running length, which adds little to the plot except long dance breaks,overly pregnant "this moment is important" pauses,and boring shots likeone where we have to watch Glinda and Elphaba walk the ENTIRE hall to the Wizard. Ariana sounds genuinely awful trying to sing operatically in the higher notes. Breathy, and unflattering. Cynthia sounds great, but adds so many inappropriate riffs. Everyone acted well, sure, but I can't stand what Jon M Chu did to this (Jeff Goldblum as a sort of Mount Rushmore at Shiz is only one of the endless cringy choices) and I can't stand modern movie musicals mixing the songs so completely into pop music. The saving grace is that Schwartz is a phenomenal composer, so the songs still hit.Idina and Kristen's cameos were the highlight, but they also ruined the movie because with their incredible voices they reminded me just how much better they were."

Wicked has always been a pop score. The updates to the orchestrations were appropriate to me. In fact, Ariana rejected a plan to make "Popular" more contemporary.

"Greg Wells, our producer, wanted to refresh the rhythmic feel of "Popular" and make it a little more contemporary. Greg came up with something which was really fun, and we played for Ariana. And she said, "Absolutely not. I want to be Glinda. I don't want people to think that I'm Ariana Grande playing Glinda. If they hear this kind of different rhythm, they're going to think you changed it because of me, and I don't want to do that." So then we went back to the original."

https://www.grammy.com/news/wicked-composer-stephen-schwartz-interview-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo

Updated On: 11/23/24 at 12:29 AM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 1:11am

I don’t say this lightly, and, admittedly, not a devotee of Wicked (haven’t seen it since Idena left), but that was a GD musical masterpiece and I can’t wait to see it again!

[Luminaire2]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 1:24am

Voter said: "Haven't seen much but praise here, but I for one really couldn't stand this. Constantly busy, with hideously bright visuals, and a completebombardment to the senses. Doesn't justify its endless running length, which adds little to the plot except long dance breaks,overly pregnant "this moment is important" pauses,and boring shots likeone where we have to watch Glinda and Elphaba walk the ENTIRE hall to the Wizard. Ariana sounds genuinely awful trying to sing operatically in the higher notes. Breathy, and unflattering. Cynthia sounds great, but adds so many inappropriate riffs. Everyone acted well, sure, but I can't stand what Jon M Chu did to this (Jeff Goldblum as a sort of Mount Rushmore at Shiz is only one of the endless cringy choices) and I can't stand modern movie musicals mixing the songs so completely into pop music. The saving grace is that Schwartz is a phenomenal composer, so the songs still hit.Idina and Kristen's cameos were the highlight, but they also ruined the movie because with their incredible voices they reminded me just how much better they were."


Ariana sounds awful?! What? How can someone possibly even think that? I’m not an Ari fan, but I do have ears .. and she sounded fantastic. 
 

Perplexed. 

[Luminaire2]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 1:26am

In good news, Wicked has an A cinema score. This should have good legs. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 1:27am

ljay889 said: "In fact, Ariana rejected a planto make"Popular" more contemporary.

"Greg Wells, our producer, wanted to refresh the rhythmic feel of "Popular" and make it a little more contemporary. Greg came up with something which was really fun, and we played for Ariana. And she said, "Absolutely not. I want to be Glinda. I don't want people to think that I'm Ariana Grande playing Glinda. If they hear this kind of different rhythm, they're going to think you changed it because of me, and I don't want to do that." So then we went back to the original."

https://www.grammy.com/news/wicked-composer-stephen-schwartz-interview-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo"

Very smart call on her part. Makes me appreciate her performance even more. I just got home from my second viewing, this time with much better sound and in 3D, and I enjoyed it even more the second time. The 3D didn’t add that much, but I did think it made the CG look a bit better. I still am kind of in shock they were able to pull this off so well. What a triumph. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 3:59am

Grande at least made Galinda a character and not the awful caricature she’s become on stage. I still have the same problems it’s a slow deadly boring slog to sit through till they finally get to the emerald city. Some moments worked brilliantly well, but most didn’t. In saying that I am looking forward to part two, which for me it thankfully turns into something interesting. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 4:03am

Lots of thoughts. Was this beautiful? Very. The set alone was spectacular to look at. Spectacular. But I do agree with the poster who commented on all of the pregnant pauses. I think it did deflate a couple of numbers because EVERYTHING had to be a moment to contemplate instead of a moment to just enjoy, and for me, it slowed down the pace of the whole thing. Jonathan Bailey came in to speed things up with Dancing Through Life, but then it had 85 different pauses. I know it had pauses in the original, but this felt like it went on forever. That said, it was all still gorgeous.

Cynthia and Ariana are not Idina and Kristin. Cynthia’s Elphaba had much more depth, but she’s also so much quieter in places that we lose some of the funny between her and Glinda - facial expressions of disgust weren’t there because her Elphie is stoic. Maybe this is an acting choice because then we get the juxtaposition between early Elphaba and I-don’t-give-a-crap-anymore Elphaba at the end.

Ariana really did give it her all, but her voice felt small in places where I wanted her to have more power. I mean, she hit all of the notes, but I didn’t feel strength behind them. Maybe this is an acting choice because Glinda is a weak character.

Adored the choreo in Dancing… and One Short Day. Just wish they got more of it consistently through the songs. I know it sounds like I’m hating on the movie, but I genuinely did enjoy it. These are just my nitpicky criticisms.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 5:49am

The Idina/Kristin cameo is humiliating and cheapens the film. It never should have made it into the final cut.

[rg7759]

Posted: 11/23/24 at 6:21am

TotallyEffed said: "The Idina/Kristin cameo is humiliating and cheapens the film. It never should have made it into the final cut."

Said absolutely no one ever. I'm assuming u wanted them to stand there, wave at the camera and say nothing?