Is Wicked a prequel to The Wizard of Oz? Explained

Wicked is set to hit cinemas. (Image via X/@wickedmovie)
Wicked is set to hit cinemas. (Image via X/@wickedmovie)

Wicked, the popular musical movie, is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Jon M. Chu directs the film and tells the early tales of characters we know from L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.

The film serves as a prequel to the plot of The Wizard of Oz. With an all-star ensemble and striking cinematography, it aims to transport audiences to the magical land of Oz and present a new interpretation of a much-adored tale.

The film focuses on the early lives of Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. It looks into their complex friendship and the series of events that led to Elphaba's deemed wickedness. It also covers how their lives diverged but eventually intersected to set the stage for the narrative seen in The Wizard of Oz.


Wicked: A Prequel to The Wizard of Oz and its cast

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The movie is like a pre-story to the famous Wizard of Oz tale. It shows us what happened in Oz before Dorothy got there. We get to see what Glinda and Elphaba were like as young witches. The story goes through their ups and downs as friends and how Elphaba gets the name "wicked."

Leading the ensemble in the film is Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. She embodies the cruel Witch of the West with a strong vocal range and a complex emotional range. Ariana Grande plays the lead part of Glinda. She brings charm and musical skill to the Good Witch role.

The movie has a strong supporting cast, including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. The cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage, and Ethan Slater. With these well-known performers, the film is expected to provide engrossing performances that revitalize the cherished Oz characters.


What to expect from the movie

Wicked is a musical movie that dives into the world of Oz, especially the lives of Elphaba and Glinda. The movie shows how Elphaba lives with her green skin and how others are not nice to her because of it. It also talks about her days at the University of Shiz.

As for Glinda, the film shows how she changes from being a shallow, popular girl to becoming a thoughtful and caring leader. The growing friendship between Elphaba and Glinda is a major part of the movie. Their different personalities and ways of seeing the world help form a special connection between them.

The movie also examines big problems, such as tricky politics and social issues. It shows how lies and tricks affect the characters' lives. Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch mostly because she doesn't like the government and wants to fix it.

The film talks about how people are treated unfairly and judged wrongly. Because Elphaba looks different and stands up for her beliefs, people think she is the bad guy.

The Wizard of Oz is a key figure because, although he comes off as friendly and full of charm, his moral choices are a bit shaky. The movie peeks into his true nature and how he stirs things up in Oz, showing the level of his trickiness and the things he's hiding from everyone.

This film brings a fresh perspective to a classic story by showing it through the eyes of Elphaba and Glinda. The story is an intriguing mix of friendship, backstabbing, and thoughts on societal problems, all happening in the colorful and politically intense world of Oz.


Stay tuned for more updates about the movie.

Edited by Gayatri Chivukula
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