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I call total and complete bulls*it on Wicked being split into two movies

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I call total and complete bulls*it on Wicked being split into two movies

As a seasoned gamer and cinephile, I’ve seen my fair share of cinematic adaptations, from the epic to the downright bizarre. But the announcement that the much-anticipated Wicked movie is being split into two parts has left me feeling more bewildered than when I tried to beat Dark Souls on hard mode without a guidebook.

Among the highly anticipated films slated for the upcoming holiday season is the lavish cinematic adaptation of “Wicked“, a musical that became a huge sensation on Broadway. Based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked ” offers a fresh take on the story of “The Wizard of Oz ” from the Wicked Witch of the West’s viewpoint. The tunes are catchy, the narrative is engaging, and theater enthusiasts have been raving about this production since its debut in 2003. With its release, expect a lot of buzz surrounding “Wicked“.

However, there are some conditions. In reality, we’re planning for not one, but two films based on “Wicked”. The first movie, set to release this November, is anticipated to conclude with the song “Defying Gravity”, a fan favorite from the show. The second film, on the other hand, is scheduled for 2025. As the production team worked on these movies over the past year, they realized that condensing the story of “Wicked” into a single film would cause significant harm to it. This led them to make the decision to create not just one “Wicked” movie but two! With this expanded format, they can tell the story as it was intended while adding greater depth and unexpected elements to the characters’ journeys, all in keeping with the beloved source material that has captivated us for years.

There’s just one small problem with this explanation: it’s a steaming pile of horseshit. Right now, the official Wicked website says the musical runs for two hours and 45 minutes with a 15-minute intermission, meaning that it actually runs two-and-a-half hours in total. That’s not a short run-time, but it’s nowhere near long enough to require breaking up the adaptation over multiple films. Avatar Avengers: Endgame is freaking three hours long, and it’s the second highest-grossing movies in the history of cinema. Actually, looking at the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, over half of them run for two-and-a-half hours or more! Titanic runs for three hours and 15 minutes and people loved it! So for Chu to claim that they couldn’t possibly manage to fit the whole of the Wicked musical into that space strikes me as comically, ludicrously absurd.

Stephen Schwartz, the composer, suggests that the movie is being divided into two parts for the purpose of maintaining the sensation of a reset following the intense emotional peak of “Defying Gravity”. According to his statement in Variety, he and his team found it challenging to progress beyond “Defying Gravity” without a pause. He explains that this song is designed to serve as a finale, and any scene following it without a break appeared to be a dramatic letdown.

I too find this explanation to strike a dubious note. After such an impactful moment, it’s understandable to take a breather, but the difference between waiting through a 15-minute pause and waiting a year is significant. Most people would prefer a slight letdown after “Defying Gravity” rather than wait a full year for the story’s conclusion. Moreover, if they truly wanted to provide some respite, they could simply insert an intermission into the film. This practice was once commonplace but fell out of favor in the ’80s; the last major film to include an intermission was “Gandhi,” released in 1982.

Schwartz mentioned that a new tune will feature in the film adaptation of “Wicked,” yet it wasn’t forced upon them. Frankly, I believe the studio decided to divide the story into two parts for financial gain, and I suspect they’re correct in doing so. However, I must admit it’s disappointing. Having witnessed “Wicked” on stage, I’m eager to see the movie, but if it were a single film, my anticipation would be stronger.

Isn’t it intriguing that the initial film is simply titled “Wicked” instead of “Wicked: Part 1“? It gives an impression that Universal might be trying to attract people who aren’t familiar with the industry, leading them to believe they’re getting a complete story. However, they discover at the end that they need to purchase another ticket next year. The entire situation feels somewhat underhanded or manipulative.

Moving on, the first part of “Wicked” is set to release on November 22, 2024, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West’s true name) and Ariana Grande as Glinda, who will later become the Good Witch of the North. The second part is scheduled for release on November 26, 2025.

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2024-09-16 16:41

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