After many, many years of campaigning outside my local Barnes & Noble, Universal has finally caved and decided to make a movie of the hit Broadway show, Wicked!.
Not much is known about the movie so far: Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Reader) is set to direct the film, after many years of trying to get it up and running. Winnie Holzman, writer for the original Broadway book and the genius behind the music, lyricist-composer Stephen Schwartz, are teaming up to write the script.
There’s no word about cast members but I’m sure Lea Michele’s name will be thrown into the ring about a zillion times to play one of the female leads, Elphaba. I’m also sure that Kristen Bell will be the frontrunner to play Galinda. These aren’t mistakes, per se, they’re certainly safe choices, but I’d like see Universal branch out a bit more with their choices.
I’m not saying I’m totally biased and want to see Sutton Foster as either lead female role…
…but I totally want her to be in the film.
Look, Wicked! is one of my favorite Broadway musicals. The first time I saw it live was one of the most magical theater experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve enjoyed the movie adaptations of Les Miserables, Into the Woods, and Rent, but Wicked! is so much closer to my heart than those shows ever were. Wicked! has an amazing soundtrack, a female friendship that is easily in my top three, and a story that brings me to tears every.damn.time. What I’m saying is, Universal, if you screw up this BEAUTIFUL relationship between two amazing female characters whom I love more than my own child, I will cut you.
Wicked is slated for release December 20, 2019. So you’ve got some time to maybe nab a pair of $1000 Hamilton tickets before it releases.
