WICKED Film Adaptation Gets Release Date

The long-awaited film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, Wicked, appears to finally be on its way to us.

The Hollywood Reporter states that Universal has set a December 20, 2019 release date for the film. Writer Winnie Holzman and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, collaborators on the Broadway show, will be reuniting for the film adaptation, which is set to be directed by Stephen Daldry.

The musical, an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a reimagining of the Frank L. Baum story taken from the vantage point of the Wicked Witch of the West. In the musically, she is not evil, but rather framed by the Wizard due to her support of Oz’s talking animals. The first act stands as a prequel of sorts to The Wizard of Oz, with the second act providing new background on the film from the reimagined perspective.

Wicked became the 10th longest running show on Broadway in February of this year, passing Rent, and will most likely jump over Beauty and the Beast for the 9th spot by this time next year.  It has spawned successful production over the globe, including a currently running one in London’s West End, and has a successful touring show, the latest one which has been running for seven years. The show has won 3 Tony’s and 6 Drama Desk Awards.

The film is set to open opposite an as-yet-unnamed live-action fairy tale adaptation from Disney, which might cause an unneeded battle for the same audience pool. No word as of yet if the musical’s first leading actresses, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenowith, will return to their career making roles for the film.

More on this as it develops.