Universal has just announced that a Wicked movie has been given the green light for 2019.
Having hit New York’s Broadway stages back in 2003, Wicked has gone on to become one of the most successful stage musicals of all-time with the show selling out hundreds of performances. Wicked, which is based off Gregory Maguire’s novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, tells the Wicked Witch’s story from the original Wizard of Oz. With the play’s music and lyrics composed by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked has gone on both national and international tours with the play collecting thousands of diehard fans.
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As the original Broadway production starred Idina Menzel as the play’s lead Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, the play racked up 10 Tony nominations in 2004. Two of those nominations were for Best Actress as both Idina and Kristin were recognized with Idina ultimately winning the coveted award.
While the play’s initial critical reviews were mixed, Wicked’s commercial success has broken Broadway records. The play is currently housed at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City, and the production regularly grosses over $1.5 million a week with playgoers flocking to the show.
News of Wicked hitting the big screen has been teased several times over the years, but Universal Studios green-lighted the film’s production following the success of Les Miserables (2012). This announcement also follows the most recent Tony Awards season where the break-out play Hamilton earned 16 nominations as the project has turned into a pop culture phenomenon with tickets sold out for the foreseeable future.
