Fans of the Wicked musical that can’t wait to see the movie adaptation are in luck, as the first part of the Wicked film adaptation will release a bit sooner than originally planned.
Variety is reporting that the first part, which was set to release on December 25, 2024, will now premiere on November 27, 2024 — nearly a full month earlier. The outlet states that the studio thought it would be “better positioned” around Thanksgiving instead of the original Christmas release.
The upcoming movie adaptation is based on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, which itself is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on the classic 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story of two friends, Elphaba and Glinda, who struggle to maintain their friendship as they grow apart. The story serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, but the plot does contain events from after Dorothy’s arrival in Oz as well.
The film adaptation will be produced by Marc Platt through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions. Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers and Vice President of Production Development Lexi Barta will oversee the project on behalf of Universal Pictures.
The stage musical Wicked has won three Tony awards and is adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by book writer Winnie Holzman and three-time Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Holzman and Schwartz are currently collaborating on the screenplay adaptation.
