Wicked movie gets 2019 release date
Musical lovers, rejoice. One of the most popular Broadway productions in recent history is coming to the big screen – Wicked.
Since its first show in 2003, Wicked has run more than 5,300 shows, won 3 Tony Awards, and was the fastest Broadway musical in history to earn $1 billion. It should come as no surprise that film executives have been fighting it out to bring the hit production to the big screen, and Universal Pictures have announced they’ll finally be doing just that – on 20 December 2019.
Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry is up for the challenge of bringing Wicked to the silver screen, with Gregory Maguire (author of the book from which Wicked is adapted) and the musical’s composer and lyricist, Steven Schwartz, will be writing the screenplay.
So far there’s no news as to who will play the leads in the Wizard of Oz prequel, but original cast member Idina Menzel (who played Elphaba) says as much as she would love to be involved in the film, it’s probably not realistic. “I’m gonna be way too old by the time [producer Marc Platt] gets it done,” she told the media at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. “Unless he CGI’s it, and he knows how I feel about that – I really want him to do that.”
If past Broadway-to-big-screen adaptations are anything to go by, Wicked is set to be a blockbuster. To date Mamma Mia is the highest-earning adaptation, raking in more than US$600 million in 2008.
Who would you like to see in the roles of Elphaba and Glinda? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.
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