WICKED

'Wicked', as mentioned, is not just an adaption of a beloved stage show, it has an over 100-year Oz legacy to live up to. It has to please musical theatre fans, fans of the Maguire novel, and serve as a prequel to one of cinema's greatest achievements. I am pleased to announce that 'Wicked' more than delivers on everything a fan could have hoped for. It is mindboggling to me just how they pull this feat off, the film both honouring the legacy of the 1939 film and 2003 musical while also having its own identity.

A huge reason this adaption is so successful is the casting. Ariana Grande was born to play Glinda; she gives her all to this role. Glinda is easy to make funny with her vain demeanour, but what's challenging is giving her emotional depth, and Grande pulls off both sides of her flawlessly. Cynthia Erivo is a known powerhouse; her voice is so unique and she brings a real heart to Elphaba. When the two are together its cinematic magic, and I truly can't imagine any other pairing in this role.

Outside of the leads everyone else does truly shine. Jonathan Bailey (Netflix's 'Bridgerton', Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers') plays Fiyero, part of a love triangle between Glinda and Elphaba. He is just so irresistibly charming in the role, and his musical number is a showstopper. Most of the other characters are merely set ups and they become more important in 'Part 2', but the performances are very solid and perfectly where they need to be for what is coming.

This film is just the first part of the 'Wicked' story, essentially adapting Act 1 of the show. Act 1 is the events before Dorothy arrived, and then Act 2 follows the events of 'The Wizard of Oz' from the witches' perspective. When this was first announced, there was much speculation about whether this was going to work. Narratively, it does make sense, as not only is there a time jump between the two acts, but technically speaking how do you follow 'Defying Gravity' without making that song feel anticlimactic? This film is a mere four minutes shorter than the entire stage show - and for me, and I know this may be personal because I do love this show so deeply - I don't know what they could have cut. Everything is given room to breathe to allow moments to really stick with the audience, and I think that was the right move. We have gone so long with musical adaption after musical adaption not caring about the material, but 'Wicked' cares so deeply about the legacy of Oz and the love millions have for it. Breaking it into two parts means this will be able to portray everything it needs to without cutting.

The film features all the songs from Act 1, with most remaining completely intact, with the exception of a few brief words changed and a new verse in 'One Short Day'. Elphaba's first song 'The Wizard and I' is when the magic of this story starts to set in; Cynthia's vocals with this gorgeous set are just beautiful. 'What is this Feeling?' is where I got to get excited about the scale of this film, the way the dancing is choreographed here is showstopping. 'Dancing Through Life' is where we start to see the most changes in terms of layout. Verses are broken up and allowed to build between the three locations the number takes place in. While this is typically something that doesn't work for me in musical movies, the way it's laid out here really allows the film to breathe and adds to the scale.

Now we get to Emerald City and get 'One Short Day', which is just jaw-dropping. Firstly, as a diehard 'In the Heights' fan, we get a very nice bit of a chorography Easter egg in the nail salon. And then, let's just say die-hard 'Wicked' fans: get ready. Then the showstopper 'Defying Gravity' - it is one of the musical theatre's greatest songs, and I don't know how they even began to attempt bringing it to a cinema screen. Simply put, it was one of the greatest moments in musical movie history. It's everything you would want when you think of this song and more. To see Elphaba literally fly around the Emerald City and not just on a cherry picker on a stage is spectacular enough. There is a reason this song is so iconic, and the film version does not disappoint.

Jon M. Chu ('Crazy Rich Asians', 'Now You See Me 2'), I may have doubted you at moments, but truly you are one of the only modern directors who understands the power of the movie musical. You pulled it off magnificently with 'In the Heights', and I just can't believe the level you took 'Wicked' to - thank you!

I could ramble on about this film for years. After seeing what they were able to achieve, it's with good reason we have waited this long to take 'Wicked' to the big screen. It only makes me so much more excited to see how they are going to portray songs in 'Part 2'!

'Wicked' is something I loved from a very young age, a soundtrack I would put on during my highest and lowest moments, and to have this gift of a film means the world to me. It is more than just an adaption of a musical, it is something so personal to me and millions of people around the world. I am so grateful to the entire production team for taking care of 'Wicked' and truly giving us not just a faithful adaption but one of the best cinematic musicals of the 21st century. I am beyond thrilled to have this film to put on whenever I need to escape into this world I love so dearly. If you any connection to Oz, this is the film you have been waiting for.