This record incorporates mentions of sexual assault.
Warning: This record incorporates spoilers for the Wicked film, musical, and novel.Wicked relies on Gregory Maguire’s novel that reimagines The Wizard of Oz, however the film considerably adjustments the story. Wicked went from book to musical to movie, all impressed by L. Frank Baum’s authentic novel and the traditional 1939 film it was tailored into. Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a a lot darker and extra grownup story than what’s depicted within the Broadway musical and subsequently the film. Yet themes of political corruption, discrimination, and propaganda are evident in each, reframing the narrative of the Land of Oz.
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked relies on the present somewhat than the guide and largely adheres to the adjustments that Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz made to the story. Chief amongst them is the choice to give attention to the friendship between Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good, who nonetheless meet at Shiz University within the guide, however the latter is decidedly extra of a supporting character. Intrinsically, Wicked makes changes to The Wizard of Oz, however the film’s success has maybe additional assured that this model of the story will resonate probably the most with audiences, regardless of its adjustments to the supply materials.
20 The Time Dragon Clock Is Given No Context
The Time Dragon Clock Represents A Religious Movement In The Book, While It Is Merely Decoration In The Musical
The Wicked musical manufacturing features a substantial dragon set piece hovering above the stage, which briefly involves life within the present’s opening. Ariana Grande’s Glinda additionally mentions the time dragon within the film’s first sequence, as a reference to when the Wicked Witch died. Neither adaptation elaborates additional. However, within the guide, the Clock of the Time Dragon is a fancy feat of equipment, and a touring present, which places on puppet reveals that inform the longer term, round which a faith has fashioned.
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What Happened To Elphaba’s Mom In Wicked
Elphaba’s mom solely briefly appeared in Wicked: Part 1, however her function was crucial to her daughter’s transformation to the Wicked Witch of the West.
The Time Dragon is considerably essential to the guide’s themes of spiritual battle; Elphaba’s father, referred to as Frexspar, strongly disapproves of the brand new faith. However, as a consequence of a collection of chaotic circumstances, Elphaba finally ends up being born actually contained in the Time Dragon. Much later within the guide, one among its puppet reveals additionally tells her that the Wizard is her organic father.
19 The Wizard’s Direct Predecessor Isn’t Mentioned
Without Mention Of Ozma, It’s Not Entirely Clear Who Was Ruling Oz Right Before The Wizard Showed Up
The new section of “One Short Day” in Wicked offers some sense of earlier rulership in Oz however nonetheless means that the Wise Ones are long-off, historical beings, creating one thing of a thriller about how Oz’s authorities labored for years earlier than the Wizard confirmed up. In the novel, Oz was dominated by a line of queens all referred to as Ozma earlier than the Wizard arrived and overthrew the monarchy. The most up-to-date Ozma went into hiding, with some hoping she would someday reclaim the throne. Meanwhile, the film means that Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard arrived to discover a energy vacuum for the taking.
18 The Circumstances Of Elphaba’s Conception
Melena Has A Scandalous Affair With An Unseen Man In The Wicked Movie
In the film, Elphaba’s mom Melena (Courtney Mae-Briggs) is depicted as bored in her marriage, main her to have an affair with a mysterious man bringing her a inexperienced elixir. In the guide, Melena continues to be characterised as promiscuous and sad with Frexspar, however she does not consent to what results in Elphaba’s conception. When discussing the potential causes for Elphaba’s inexperienced pores and skin, Melena tells her childhood nanny that she solely has imprecise recollections of assembly an odd man who supplied her a drink, with solely the inexperienced bottle remaining afterward.
17 Elphaba Is A Nicer Baby (Without Teeth)
Book Elphaba Is Born With Sharp Teeth & Is A Difficult Child
In addition to her inexperienced pores and skin, Elphaba is born with a full set of sharp tooth within the guide. She can be vicious as a baby; the adults are all cautious round her to not get bitten. While the musical does not spend any time on Elphaba’s upbringing, the film offers some flashbacks. The filmmakers discovered it a lot simpler to depict Elphaba as a sort if defensive child and woman, who’s lovingly cared for by her nanny. Even in her maturity, the guide’s model of Elphaba is way more sophisticated, however she nonetheless varieties lasting bonds with Glinda and others.
16 There Is No Question Of Who Nessarose’s Father Is
Melena Has An Affair Around The Time Of Nessa’s Birth In The Book
Melena willingly has an affair with Turtle Heart, a person from Quadling Country within the south of Oz. Despite the continuing affair which Nanny appears to learn about whereas Melena’s husband does not, Turtle Heart stays with them for a while and is taken into account an expensive household buddy. Turtle Heart is ultimately killed by Munchkinlanders in a sacrifice to finish a drought, whereas Nessarose’s paternity stays unconfirmed. It is revealed years later that Frexspar was additionally in love with Turtle Heart, and Nessarose is his favourite youngster partially as a result of he considered her as their shared daughter.
15 Nessarose’s Disability Is Different
Nessa Uses A Wheelchair In The Movie & Musical, Differing From The Book
Nessarose continues to be born disabled, seemingly as a consequence of Melena taking treatment to stop one other youngster with inexperienced pores and skin. However, within the guide, she is born with out arms somewhat than having to make use of a wheelchair. Nessarose and her siblings are largely raised by their mom’s nanny, who stays with Nessa into her maturity to assist her with what she can’t handle on her personal. In the second act of the present, Elphaba enchants Nessa’s sneakers so she will stroll; within the guide, Glinda enchants the sneakers, so Nessa has higher steadiness and desires a lot much less every day help.
14 Elphaba & Nessarose’s Father Is The Governor Of Munchkinland
Elphaba & Nessa Stood To Inherit Munchkinland Through Their Mother In The Book
Also a part of the guide’s non secular storylines is the occupation of Elphaba and Nessarose’s father; on this model, he’s a Unionist minister. Following Turtle Heart’s dying, Frexspar and Melena went to Quadling Country to do missionary work. Elphaba her siblings largely grew up within the south of Oz due to this, somewhat than in Munchkinland.
Related
Does Elphaba’s Sister Nessarose Have Magic Powers In Wicked Too?
After Elphaba turns into The Wicked Witch of the West on the finish of Wicked: Part 1, questions come up about Nessarose’s potential magical talents.
The identify Thropp and dominion over Munchkiland truly comes from their mom’s household and is inherited by the household’s feminine descendants. For a lot of the novel, Elphaba’s great-grandfather holds the title of Eminent Thropp and Elphaba is his inheritor. She is then out of contact along with her household for a few years, and Nessa inherits the place as an alternative upon her predecessor’s dying, changing into often called the Wicked Witch of the East for her merciless regime. Elphaba by no means challenges her sister to reclaim the title.
13 Elphaba & Nessarose Are Raised By A Bear Nanny
The Wicked Movie Reimagined Nanny As Dulcibear, Both Being Absent From The Show
Elphaba and Nessarose are raised by the character identified merely as “Nanny,” who raised their mom earlier than them and affords some insights into Melena later in Elphaba’s life. After leaving Nessa, Nanny travels on her personal and manages to search out Elphaba once more in Winkie Country. While the musical has no nanny character, the Wicked movie includes Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke), a kindly bear who takes care of the ladies. However, Nanny offers related help and encouragement to Elphaba — as an example, insisting she socialize with different youngsters — as Dulcibear does for Cynthia Erivo’s model of the character.
12 Elphaba & Nessarose Don’t Have A Brother
Shell Doesn’t Make It Into the Wicked Musical Or Movie
Melena and Frexspar have a 3rd youngster, the one one who’s actually Frexspar’s organic offspring. The third youngster and solely boy is known as Shell, in honor of Turtle Heart. Melena dies giving delivery to Shell somewhat than Nessarose. Shell’s actions within the first novel are mysterious, as he appears to be the rogue member of the family, much more so than Elphaba, who’s presumed useless for a few years. However, he turns into an antagonist in Maguire’s later Wicked Years books. The films might additional discover Nessa’s character, but they preserve the choice to chop Shell for display screen time.
11 Elphaba Only Comes To Shiz With Nessarose
Elphaba Comes To Shiz Alone At First In The Book
In the musical, Elphaba’s father enrolls her at Shiz solely to take care of Nessarose whereas she is there. One of the changes Wicked makes to the musical is that Elphaba will not be initially enrolled, solely Nessa (Marissa Bode within the film). Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) insists that Elphaba keep after her unintentional show of energy. In the guide, Elphaba arrives at Shiz forward of Nessa, who joins them when she presumably reaches the usual age of enrollment. Despite her harsher character within the novel, Elphaba continues to be a doting sister, and is raring for Glinda to satisfy Nessa.
10 Pfannee & ShenShen Are Enamored With Glinda
Glinda Instantly Has Her Classmates Wrapped Around Her Finger In The Movie & Musical
In each variations, Glinda is framed as being on the high of the social hierarchy at Shiz. In the guide, she is from a extra upper-middle-class background and nonetheless appears like she has one thing to show to her higher-ranking classmates. Namely, her two pals Pfannee and Shensehn (each younger girls), one among whom pranks Glinda by inviting Elphaba to affix them through the holidays, writing a letter beneath Glinda’s identify. Glinda ditches each Pfannee and Shenshen following Dr. Dillamond’s grim fate. Galinda changing her name to Glinda can be extra genuinely in reminiscence of Dillamond than within the film.
9 Female Students At Shiz Aren’t Chaperoned
The Character Of Ama Clutch Is Redundant In The Movie
The tradition at Shiz is way more conservative than within the film, with the female and male college students being saved extra separated. The younger girls from households with some cash ship them to high school with private chaperones, together with Glinda with Ama Clutch. Ama Clutch is injured on the way in which to the varsity, which is why she will not be there to type out rooming preparations for Glinda; Glinda solely manages to persuade Morrible that her chaperone can’t take care of a complete dorm full of women, resulting in her solely being liable for Glinda and Elphaba.
8 Doctor Dillamond Teaches History
Dillamond’s Instruction & Research Is Important To The Story In Both Versions
The guide’s model of Dr. Dillamond is a life sciences instructor somewhat than historical past. This units up a subplot the place Dillamond is researching the organic variations between Animals and people, within the hopes of a discovery that may upend Oz’s unjust therapy of his variety. Interestingly, Peter Dinklage’s Dillamond’s topic can be tied up with Wicked‘s animal storyline. Dillamond stresses to his college students the significance of studying in regards to the previous and observing the adjustments which might be taking place and why. In each variations, Dillamond’s scholastic pursuits convey persecution from those that need to oppress the animals.
7 Elphaba Is Naturally Powerful & Studies Sorcery
Elphaba Immediately Wins Madame Morrible’s Attention
The first half of the Wicked musical and film revolves round Elphaba being so magically highly effective that she by chance causes mayhem. Madame Morrible takes discover of this and instantly begins coaching her, hoping that she’s going to be capable to use Elphaba to bolster the Wizard’s regime. In the guide, Elphaba begins learning sorcery a lot later, and on her personal. When she is at college, she is way more within the sciences. She turns into Dr. Dillamond’s analysis assistant and supposed to main in his topic, whereas Glinda nonetheless needs to review sorcery, as she does within the film.
6 Glinda & Fiyero Quickly Become A Couple
Glinda & Fiyero Are Never A Couple In The Book, But He Still Has An Affair With Elphaba
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey within the film) and Glinda should not have the moment promenade queen/promenade king dynamic that results in a relationship within the guide; they’re by no means a pair within the authentic supply materials. Fiyero nonetheless arrives at Shiz after the remainder of the scholars. His standing as a Winkie prince is handled extra as a peculiarity than a given cause to admire him. Fiyero has additionally been in an organized marriage since childhood, having solely briefly met his chosen bride forward of them truly residing collectively as a married couple as adults.
Related
Where Fiyero Is Going In Wicked’s Ending
Fiyero leaves Shiz on horseback to assist Elphaba on the finish of Wicked: Part 1, establishing his storyline in Part 2 regarding each of the lead witches.
By the time Fiyero reunites with Elphaba following her leaving Shiz, he and his spouse have three youngsters. This units up the storyline of him having an extramarital affair with Elphaba. They even have a son named Liir, who travels with Elphaba within the later chapters of the guide. To streamline the plot and trigger extra friction between Elphaba and Glinda, most of this storyline was rewritten to contain the latter. In the musical, Fiyero is engaged to Glinda when he leaves her for Elphaba.
5 The Culprit Behind “Animals Should Be Seen And Not Heard” Is A Mystery
No One Knows Who Wrote The Message On Dillamond’s Chalkboard In The Movie
Who wrote the message on Dillamond’s chalkboard isn’t adopted up on within the film or the musical. It largely serves to show an total setting the place animals aren’t welcome, and any one of many college students might have written it. Yet Madame Morrible is revealed to be in favor of the Wizard’s strikes in opposition to the animal inhabitants. Additionally, the phrase “animals should be seen and not heard” comes up within the guide when Morrible immediately says it in a poetry presentation. This results in a dialogue about how severely her phrases must be taken when the bias behind them continues to be clear.
4 Doctor Dillamond Is Killed
Dillamond’s Fate Is Much More Violent In The Book
Elphaba is deeply affected by Dr. Dillamond’s arrest, however her classmates appear in a position to brush it off, not eager to trigger bother. However, within the novel, Dillamond is murdered whereas instructing at Shiz, presumably as a result of his analysis threatened the order of issues. Many of the scholars see Dillamond’s physique along with his throat slit being carried out and are traumatized by it. Ama Clutch finds the physique and is hospitalized for the remainder of her life due to it; Elphaba lengthy suspects Madame Morrible being behind it, however that is by no means confirmed.
3 Boq Moves On From Glinda
Boq & Nessarose Are Never A Couple In The Book, But He Eventually Gets Over His Crush On Glinda
Boq’s (Ethan Slater) infatuation with Glinda is tailored from the guide, however he ultimately strikes on from his crush. He and Glinda have extra direct conversations about his emotions, as they conduct a number of conferences with Elphaba performing as a chaperone the place he expresses his want to spend time along with her, even when she will not be his romantic companion. After Glinda undergoes a considerable character change following Dillamond’s homicide, Boq solely thinks of her as a buddy. They are each members of the “charmed circle,” together with Elphaba, Nessarose, Fiyero, and a few others. Boq later marries another person and has a number of youngsters.
2 Elphaba Is Invited To The Emerald City
Rather Than Madame Morrible Setting Up Elphaba’s Meeting With The Wizard, Elphaba & Glinda Go Rogue
As Madame Morrible teaches Elphaba particularly as a possible assistant to the Wizard, the Wizard learns of the younger witch via her, and Elphaba receives an invite to return to the Emerald City and meet him. Morrible equally tries to recruit Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose to the regime within the guide, casting some sort of spell that troubles Elphaba for years afterward. However, so far as Elphaba’s journey to the Emerald City is anxious within the guide, she recruits Glinda, and so they go off with no invitation, aspiring to confront the Wizard about what’s taking place to the animals.
1 Elphaba Accidentally Creates The Flying Monkeys
Elphaba Is Horrified By Her Magical Mistake In The Movie
The Wizard is nowhere close to as welcoming and sends the younger girls packing, by no means permitting for Elphaba’s demonstration of magic that results in the unintentional creation of the flying monkeys. Elphaba stays behind within the Emerald City somewhat than return to Morrible’s area and begins working in opposition to the Wizard. Elphaba creates the flying monkeys a lot later via extra intentional magical experimentation. This is only one instance of the tendency of the supply materials for Wicked to be a lot darker and extra disturbing, each with its major character and the state of Oz at massive.
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical right into a two-part movie, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with inexperienced pores and skin, and Glinda, a preferred aristocrat, within the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
- Director
- Jon M. Chu
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Marc Platt Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Writers
- Gregory Maguire , Winnie Holzman , Dana Fox , L. Frank Baum
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd
- Character(s)
- Elphaba Thropp , Glinda Upland , Madame Morrible , The Wizard , Fiyero Tigelaar , Boq , Nessarose Thropp , Pfannee , ShenShen , Miss Coddle , Doctor Dillamond (voice) , Avaric Tenmeadows , Gilligan , Professor Nikidik , Glinda’s Father , Governor Frexspar Thropp , Melena Thropp , The Midwife
- Runtime
- 160 Minutes
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