Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu Claims ‘The Oz’ Comes at Pivotal Shifts Throughout US History

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In an interview with NBC News, 'Wicked' Director Jon M. Chu pointed out that projects themed around Oz have always come out during times of national change and reckonings: World War I, 9/11 and now the 2024 election. He said he hopes people can glean a message of resilience and belonging.  “‘The Wizard of Oz’ was always sort of prophetic in a way,” Chu said. “It was written at a time of America in transition. At that point, the Depression had just finished and they’re about to go into war. And so it’s always a question of about what the American dream looks like when the road ends and what are the possibilities of the next thing.”  'Wicked' is set to hit theaters Friday, November 22, 2024.

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00:00The highly anticipated Wicked movie directed by Jon M. Chu brings the iconic Broadway musical

00:04to life on screen, offering a deeper look at its powerful themes in the wake of the 2024 election.

00:11Starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Wicked focuses on the unlikely

00:17friendship between these two iconic characters long before Dorothy's arrival in Oz. Director

00:22Jon M. Chu promises a faithful adaption sticking closely to the original musical's storyline.

00:27Fans of the theater production can breathe a sigh of relief, there are no new musical

00:31numbers in Part 1, which features all of the beloved songs like Defying Gravity,

00:36Popular, and The Wizard and I. Running 2 hours and 40 minutes, the first film dives deeper into

00:41Glinda and Elphaba's backstories with new characters like Adam James as Glinda's father,

00:45Courtney Maye Briggs as Elphaba's mother, and Andy Nyman as Governor Throck. Wicked Part 1

00:51covers the first act of the musical ending with the iconic Defying Gravity, while Wicked Part 2

00:55is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025, continuing the story as Glinda and Elphaba evolve

01:01into the characters we know from The Wizard of Oz. In a recent interview with NBC News,

01:06director Jon M. Chu draws parallel between The Wizard of Oz and pivotal moments in American

01:10history, noting how the original story was written during America's transition from the

01:14Depression to the brink of war. The upcoming film's release comes on the heels of President-elect

01:19Donald Trump's election victory, which Chu said amplifies the film's message, saying,

01:23This is a road we travel, and there's no yellow brick road, and there may be no wizard.

01:28Being uncomfortable, maybe yelling at each other a little bit, forgiving each other,

01:32having some grace for each other, is the only way out. Wicked reimagines the classic tale,

01:37giving a sympathetic glance to Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. Born

01:41with green skin and facing discrimination, her journey with Glinda leads her to a powerful

01:46revelation about good, evil, and the fight for acceptance. The journey begins when Wicked Part

01:511 hits theaters on November 22, 2024.

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