Hard not be at least a bit excited with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in a great musical, and everything so far looks really good. I'm concerned about it being two movies though. I realize that...
Hard not be at least a bit excited with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in a great musical, and everything so far looks really good. I'm concerned about it being two movies though.
I realize that this is the comment that everyone makes about this.
I don’t understand why it’s two parts when the Broadway production is two hours and forty five minutes. Just make one movie that long. They’ll make less money splitting it into two parts.
I don’t understand why it’s two parts when the Broadway production is two hours and forty five minutes. Just make one movie that long. They’ll make less money splitting it into two parts.
I wonder if they will be adding content from the Wicked book? The musical, needing to keep simple for the stage reduced the many subplots of the book dramatically. Even for subplots that remained...
I wonder if they will be adding content from the Wicked book? The musical, needing to keep simple for the stage reduced the many subplots of the book dramatically. Even for subplots that remained present, like the subplot on discrimination against Munchkins and intelligent Animals, they were often diminished to keep the songs and story flowing.
It also loses a lot of the novel's focus on Nessarose and Elphaba's relationship(and completely eliminates Nanny) and an extended plot line of Elphaba's origins, and then of her travel to and integration into Kiamo Ko
That said, some of those changes were absolutely for the better, as the book's middle act drags quite a lot. I think that this could work really well (some of the cut content is really interesting and will work well in a movie where things are less crazy than a stage production), or be terrible depending on the screenplay and director. But honestly, the trailer looks great, so I'm reasonably optimistic.
This is probably the other comment everyone makes about this. No shade because I agree and the second half of the musical is not the strong half of the musical. So in a lot of ways the first movie...
This is probably the other comment everyone makes about this. No shade because I agree and the second half of the musical is not the strong half of the musical. So in a lot of ways the first movie should be quite good.
I did enjoy Bowen Yang's snide face here, it was great.
With the musical already being 2:45, a film adaptation would end up being longer. Especially if they want to shore up the musical's rather weak latter half.
With the musical already being 2:45, a film adaptation would end up being longer. Especially if they want to shore up the musical's rather weak latter half.
Exactly! It just seems like a really questionable decision. I might actually see it if it was one movie, but I don't want to go see two 83 minute movies.
Exactly! It just seems like a really questionable decision. I might actually see it if it was one movie, but I don't want to go see two 83 minute movies.
Somehow I've managed to avoid watching Wicked in any format or learning almost anything about the story, for all these years. So I don't know what to look for in the trailer that might indicate...
Somehow I've managed to avoid watching Wicked in any format or learning almost anything about the story, for all these years. So I don't know what to look for in the trailer that might indicate what sort of adaptation this will be. Visually it looks amazing, and I love this interpretation of Oz. The revamp of the 1939 film's art deco Emerald City aesthetic seems perfect. Not knowing anything about the school parts I have to say those come across to me here as blatantly derivative of Hogwarts.
Regarding the cast (and again, with ignorance of the Wicked characters), I'm iffy about Ariana Grande. She can sing, but can she act? I did like her small part in Don't Look Up. I'm not familiar with Cynthia Erivo at all but she's honestly not showing a lot of range in the trailer. I think I'm excited about Jeff Goldblum's menacing take on the Wizard, though usually he comes across as just playing himself so I hope this works out a bit differently. I think I'm getting Michelle Yeoh fatigue lately.
You may already know this but Grande did actually get her start acting in musicals/TV: Ariana Grande’s Wiki article That’s not to say that “Nickelodeon star” = great actor, of course, but she’s at...
Regarding the cast (and again, with ignorance of the Wicked characters), I'm iffy about Ariana Grande. She can sing, but can she act? I did like her small part in Don't Look Up.
You may already know this but Grande did actually get her start acting in musicals/TV:
Grande began her career at age 15 by appearing in the Broadway musical 13 (2008). She rose to prominence for her performance as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious (2010–2013) and its spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013–2014).
Desperately wish this wasn't a musical, and absolutely wish this wasn't based on that second-tier version of a musical. The book (and series!) is so good and so much better in every way.
Desperately wish this wasn't a musical, and absolutely wish this wasn't based on that second-tier version of a musical.
The book (and series!) is so good and so much better in every way.
So, I think the book is a worthy spin off of the novels, and the musical is a worthy spinoff of the movie. And if I keep that context it works for me. That said I didn't enjoy Wicked the novel and...
So, I think the book is a worthy spin off of the novels, and the musical is a worthy spinoff of the movie. And if I keep that context it works for me. That said I didn't enjoy Wicked the novel and didn't keep reading it so I have no real opinions about an adaptation.
Hard not be at least a bit excited with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in a great musical, and everything so far looks really good. I'm concerned about it being two movies though.
I realize that this is the comment that everyone makes about this.
I don’t understand why it’s two parts when the Broadway production is two hours and forty five minutes. Just make one movie that long. They’ll make less money splitting it into two parts.
I wonder if they will be adding content from the Wicked book? The musical, needing to keep simple for the stage reduced the many subplots of the book dramatically. Even for subplots that remained present, like the subplot on discrimination against Munchkins and intelligent Animals, they were often diminished to keep the songs and story flowing.
It also loses a lot of the novel's focus on Nessarose and Elphaba's relationship(and completely eliminates Nanny) and an extended plot line of Elphaba's origins, and then of her travel to and integration into Kiamo Ko
That said, some of those changes were absolutely for the better, as the book's middle act drags quite a lot. I think that this could work really well (some of the cut content is really interesting and will work well in a movie where things are less crazy than a stage production), or be terrible depending on the screenplay and director. But honestly, the trailer looks great, so I'm reasonably optimistic.
This is probably the other comment everyone makes about this. No shade because I agree and the second half of the musical is not the strong half of the musical. So in a lot of ways the first movie should be quite good.
I did enjoy Bowen Yang's snide face here, it was great.
With the musical already being 2:45, a film adaptation would end up being longer. Especially if they want to shore up the musical's rather weak latter half.
Exactly! It just seems like a really questionable decision. I might actually see it if it was one movie, but I don't want to go see two 83 minute movies.
Somehow I've managed to avoid watching Wicked in any format or learning almost anything about the story, for all these years. So I don't know what to look for in the trailer that might indicate what sort of adaptation this will be. Visually it looks amazing, and I love this interpretation of Oz. The revamp of the 1939 film's art deco Emerald City aesthetic seems perfect. Not knowing anything about the school parts I have to say those come across to me here as blatantly derivative of Hogwarts.
Regarding the cast (and again, with ignorance of the Wicked characters), I'm iffy about Ariana Grande. She can sing, but can she act? I did like her small part in Don't Look Up. I'm not familiar with Cynthia Erivo at all but she's honestly not showing a lot of range in the trailer. I think I'm excited about Jeff Goldblum's menacing take on the Wizard, though usually he comes across as just playing himself so I hope this works out a bit differently. I think I'm getting Michelle Yeoh fatigue lately.
You may already know this but Grande did actually get her start acting in musicals/TV:
That’s not to say that “Nickelodeon star” = great actor, of course, but she’s at least got a fair bit of experience in comedic roles.
Maybe someone who watched Victorious or Sam & Cat can speak to her performance there and how they think it will translate to a more dramatic role.
I grew up watching Victorious, she’s great in it, real good comedic timing. I wouldn’t worry about Grande’s acting chops at all.
FWIW they didn't show a lot of Elphaba's actual acting scenes in the trailer, I think you'll get a lot more out of her in the actual film.
Desperately wish this wasn't a musical, and absolutely wish this wasn't based on that second-tier version of a musical.
The book (and series!) is so good and so much better in every way.
So, I think the book is a worthy spin off of the novels, and the musical is a worthy spinoff of the movie. And if I keep that context it works for me. That said I didn't enjoy Wicked the novel and didn't keep reading it so I have no real opinions about an adaptation.