It’s been over 20 years since Stephen Schwartz’s hit musical debuted on Broadway, telling the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good before, during and after the events of the Wizard of Oz.
Now the long-awaited big screen adaptation is here from Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, stars with suitably impressive pipes, as the two leads.
It’s worth noting that Wicked is actually Wicked: Part 1 and only covers Act 1 of of the stage musical, up to the iconic Defying Gravity number.
Despite this, this first movie manages to be 10 minutes longer than the whole theatrical production at 160 minutes. This is great news for the biggest of fans as no songs are cut, but a call to trim the fat for everybody else as it really does drag in places.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty to enjoy in Wicked: Part 1, which focuses on Erivo’s outcast, Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch) and Grande’s preening pink princess Galinda (the future Good Witch), in their time studying at Shiz University.
The academic institution is something of an Ozwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is more Americanised Sabrina the Teenage Witch high school than Harry Potter. Erivo and Grande are excellent in their roles, especially the latter, who is particularly laugh-out-loud funny, moving from female Draco Malfoy to well-meaning cheerleader as the story progresses.
Meanwhile, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh feel somewhat underused in their roles as the Headmistress and Wizard of Oz, but there’s always room for Part 2. For us, the standout performance was Jonathan Bailey as Winkie Prince Fiyero, a Gaston-esque hunk who steals the show (and Galindo’s heart) in Dancing Through Life.
Talking of musical numbers, they begin somewhat muted with No One Mourns the Wicked and are hit-and-miss throughout. However, when done well, the film excels with What Is This Feeling demonstrating exceptional choreography and plenty of oomph – something other tracks lack.
Colourful costumes and fantastical sets are a particular highlight, although the heavy use of CGI (especially for locations and talking animals) makes Wicked look like yet another Disney live-action remake. Despite its faults, Part 1 sticks the landing with Defying Gravity’s epic and literally goosebump-inducing send-off, as Erivo’s Wicked Witch shoots off into the sky before the events of the Wizard of Oz begin in Act 2, aka Part 2.
For fans, this is an extremely faithful adaptation of the show, while for casual viewers who fancy a musical or just the next big family blockbuster, it’s certainly worth visiting the cinema for those sprinkles of magic.
Wicked is released in cinemas on November 22 and Wicked: Part 2 is expected to hit the big screen on November 21, 2025.
