After three years of filming, the anticipated film, Wicked, has been released to theatres everywhere. Since its release on Nov. 22, 2024, the movie has made 360 million dollars in box office sales. It is ranked as the top grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time.  

The story is based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The award-winning Broadway musical premiered in 2003, starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. 

The 2024 film follows the novel more, since they broke it up into two parts with Part 2 scheduled for release in 2025. Splitting up the storyline gave the director freedom to add in more details that the Broadway musical is unable to do because of time restrictions.  

The story is a prequel to the beloved 1939’s Wizard of Oz, following the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and the friendship between her and Glinda. It has catchy music with powerful messages and strong political undertones throughout the story.  

The film itself was a life-changing experience. Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) did a phenomenal job playing their characters. They took the iconic pair and made it their own in extraordinary ways.  

The actresses refused to record the songs in advance, opting to sing live for each song, and Erivo did all her own stunts while singing her high notes and long runs.  

The budget for the film was 145 million dollars, and Director Jon M. Chu used every penny to create a masterpiece. It paid homage to the original Wizard of Oz and to the Broadway musical while being its own stylized version of the same treasured tale.  

Audiences could connect with the characters, especially the harsh treatment of Elphaba, on a deep level. They could laugh at the silliness of Glinda and admire the beautiful friendship between the two women who seemed to be drastically different.  

In interviews, Grande and Erivo are known to cry while discussing the film and what it has meant to the millions of people who watched the film. While they were initially judged for their intense reactions, it makes sense after watching the film and seeing how much love and passion they put into their characters and the making of the film.  

Wicked is a tale of friendship, love, self-identity and what it truly means to be good and evil in a flawed world. 

Photo courtesy of Universal