For more than 20 years, Wicked has been a staple of Broadway, telling the untold stories of the witches of Oz – and a film adaptation has been spoken of for almost as long. Discussions first began in 2004, with everyone from J. J. Abrams to Ryan Murphy attached at various points. But after watching Jon M. Chu's (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) version of this epic story, it feels impossible to imagine any other vision coming close.
Following roughly the first half of the musical, ahead of the release of its second part in 2025, Wicked is a faithful and magical retelling. Situating itself immediately in the lore of The Wizard of Oz, the film begins with the news of the Wicked Witch of the West's death before it then shifts back in time to tell her story. Most of the action takes place at Shiz University, where the isolated Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and the, ahem, popular Galinda (Ariana Grande) first meet and do not see eye-to-eye. Through them, the film follows a searing tale of loneliness and discrimination, and the power of friendship to overcome deep wounds.
