The first part is set to release on November 22, 2024 and its going to be the first part of a two parter based on the hit broadway play titled Wicked. In the musical, Elphaba is so focused on making Oz as a ruler than making friends. As a result, she took up a role of stepping on everyone including Glinda, the good witch, to get her way. The story is so engaging that it moved its way to Broadway and got its first adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu.
The almighty Oz:
Elphaba, an ambitious student hated by her peers due to her green skin raises the question is everything black and white? As her magical skills start amplifying so does her hatred towards the power structures built in Oz. Millions of people would fall in love with her story of overcoming society’s opposition against hearing voices in one’s head, and one such person is Galinda Upland.
Shiz University’s bonding creates stronger and forged friendships rather than rivalries. But the politically charged society that Oz is begins to cast a dark shadow over the horizon.
Recognition/Works:
Performing Arts has saying ‘there’s always beauty to a performance’ – and Erivo proves us right as she gives strength and voice to the character during the musical titled “Defying Gravity”.
Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland: Grande’s effort in interpreting Galinda is satisfactory and adequate: she manages to illustrate the change from a shallow and self-centered girl to one filled with understanding and love. It is a delight to watch her episode performing “ Popular”.
Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard: The Wizard is a character who possesses this mask-like quality, and Goldblum encapsulates this delightfully.
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible: Yeoh is not the Genius bar of American culture; she is the American Pro. By the way, what does she mean by formidable? Meaning you got some menace in you? Well have you seen Madame Morrible fro that would be suffice, as that character for sure would be.
Direction and Visuals:
Jon M. Chu knows how to bring or make the story touch the viewers heart but sometimes lets the viewers defy logic during certain magical scenes present in the land of Oz. The production design is impressive and a reproduction of the original stage as the variety of sets and costumes also allows an expansion of the source material within filmic conventions. The musical numbers rise above the expected customs of musical theatre and film by being rendered on screen through creativity.
Critical Reception:
The film in question has also been met with criticism which I am sure will stoke further debates on it, But the overall buzz that has come out suggests that ‘Wicked: Part I’ has indeed lived up to the hype. Metacritic has also rated the film’s ratings in a similar manner while hailing it for its adaptation. The chemistry between Erivo and Grande too has been highlighted as a strong point by The Verge which seems to have been impressed by the movie as a whole.
Box Office Performance:
For its opening, the filmmakers reaped a massive $50.2 million from over 116 countries while also crossing the $114 million mark from just the USA and Canada.
It indeed reiterates the fact that the loans have never existed apart from the wild times of Broadway musicals. It is the continuation of Wicked Muslims on the big stage which is met in the same light.
Themes and Analysis:
Good representation in movies has lately been lacking the kick it used to have, but ‘Wicked: Part i’ tells a different story as it talks about the day America celebrated the Black. The evocation of audiences for women movement too can be seen through the use of the central character Elphaba. The journey, challenges and restriction she had to face are everything that speaks about every strong independent woman.
Cultural Impact and Controversies:
The film has caused a stir among critics in respect to how the discrimination aspects were represented in the movie for they refer to the discrimination of the green skinned Elphaba as an analogy for real life discrimination. Moreover, the racial issues surrounding the characters and the film’s diversity and inclusivity portrayal has also been quite the subject of debate over the years with in the Hollywood circles and outside as well.
Future Prospects:
Having attained numerous accolades, the first part of the movie aggressively promotes the follow-up movie set to be released on November 26, 2025. Jon M. Chu also describes how this story might unfold, saying that characters and political events in Oz will be more significant than previously described. With the digital release of the film on the last day of 2024 and its subsequent debut on Peacock in March 2025, there will certainly be a broader audience which can switch to HBO Max for many reasons.
Conclusion:
With a very detailed scope of the dark story about the witches of Oz, the movie surely adds so much to the already famous part 1 of the stage musical that everyone is waiting to see on-screen. All the elements beautifully come together in the film, which allows this vital topic to reflect on the content of “Wicked’’ and why it appears that “Wicked: Part I “ will leave the audience wanting for more from “Part II”.
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