Wicked Movie Seeks New Director — Page 3

MadonnaMusical said: "Joe Mantello would be my pick, so long as he has an amazing team of art directors, costume designers, cinematographers, and CGI directors etc."

Why not just film the stage show, like Hamilton did then.

theatre fans hating on that movie was so exhausting

it’s a great film

According to Deadline, Universal plans to start production at the end of 2021. Hopefully we get a new director by early next year.

Updated On: 11/27/20 at 07:03 PM

I hope that whatever director they get picks people from the theater world. Maybe Brittany Johnson could play Glinda in the film

Scotty, Lea Michelle as Elphaba isn't in your nightmare?

I think Steven Spielberg is the right person to do this film.

Updated On: 12/18/20 at 05:31 PM

How about Debbie Allen?


You know, last night I watched Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square that she directed (can you tell I’m binging all the holiday movies?). It didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in her abilities as a film director for me. I know she’s directed a ton of television and I think she’s a legend as a choreographer and performer. But I think a film adaptation of Wicked would need someone with strong vision and the ability to create a fully-realized, stylized world and I’m not convinced that’s her.

Updated On: 12/19/20 at 11:05 PM

NOWaWarning said: "How about Debbie Allen?


You know, last night I watched Dolly Patton’s Christmas on the Square that shedirected (can you tell I’m binging all the holiday movies?). It didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in her abilities as a film director for me. I know she’s directed a ton of television and Ithink she’s a legend as a choreographer and performer. But I think a film adaptation of Wicked would need someone with strong vision and the ability to create a fully-realized, stylized world and I’m not convinced that’s her.

"

Maybe she can be the choreographer.

This movie has been "in development" since 2008. It will never happen. If they wanted to do it, they would have done it by now. See "Dear Evan Hansen" "In The Heights" "The Prom" and "Rent" for examples of just getting it done.

And also they want it to be a unique cinematic experience. Not a carbon copy of the stage show.

"In the Heights" is not a good example of "getting it done" quickly--that film was in development since its original broadway run a decade ago, and it was set to go into production with Kenny Ortega before funding fell through. It was then, of course, reignited by the popularity of Hamilton, but even so, the film won't be out until 6 years have passed since Hamilton's broadway opening. In the Heights went through a long production hell, like so many movies do. Also, Rent went through another long development phase with multiple high-profile directors attached at different times. It is not at all unusual for movies to spend long periods of time in development. Chicago was also in development for decades before it finally came to fruition. Take a look at the wikipedia page for the Evita film, which began development even before the score first hit the stage and nearly always had an A-list star and director attached for the next twenty years.

I'm not waiting with bated breath for this film like I was back in 2009, but if the artists and Universal weren't truly committed to this project, I think they would have given up by now. Universal produced the Broadway production specifically with an eye to later adapting it to a film in the first place. It may be two years from now, or it may be fifteen years from now, but Wicked has been such a sustainably popular property that I am sure the film will come to fruition in time.