Jon M Chu Reveals Fears and Inspiration Behind Wicked Musical Adaptation

The Wicked director opens up about overcoming fears while bringing the iconic musical to life with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Washington [US], December 17: Director Jon M Chu recently shared the challenges and inspiration behind making the highly anticipated musical Wicked, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The film, adapted from Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel and the iconic stage musical, is set to deliver a reimagined look at the witches of Oz, People reported.

Chu revealed that he initially faced immense fear while tackling such a beloved and epic production.

“I mean, everything scared me every day,” Chu admitted. “How are we going to have [Erivo as Elphaba] fly and buy into that and feel the truth of those words that Stephen Schwartz and screenwriter Winnie Holzman so brilliantly put into this 20-something years ago? How do we stay and how do we top Popular on the show that is so iconic already?”

However, Chu explained that his team gradually overcame those fears, choosing to focus on their shared passion for the project.

“These things haunted us, but there [was] a certain point where we say worry is a misuse of imagination,” he said. “We couldn’t worry anymore; we knew it was in our hearts. Every single day, we talked about these things and kicked the tires over and over again. It was about asking: How can we push ourselves just a little bit more?”

The film’s screenplay, written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, stays true to the spirit of the original Broadway show. The musical score, originally composed by Stephen Schwartz, has been adapted for the cinematic version, promising to capture the magic for a new generation of audiences.

The star-studded cast includes Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Bowen Yang, alongside Grande and Erivo.

The Wicked film, based on Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, delves into the untold story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, offering a unique perspective on the events before The Wizard of Oz.

Recently, Universal Pictures announced that the sequel to Wicked will be titled “Wicked: For Good”, with its release set for 2025.