The ‘Wicked’ Movie Just Got a New Release Date
After years of anticipation and delays, we finally know when Wicked will hit the big screen. Back in 2016, Universal slated the movie for a 2019 release date. But since then, there’s been no news about casting or production. This week, the studio gave an update: According to Variety, the highly anticipated film version of the Broadway musical will be released on December 22, 2021.
Adapted from the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the so-called Wicked Witch of the West. It recently became the sixth-longest-running Broadway musical of all time and has earned an incredible $1.3 billion over the course of 15 years.
Buzz about a film version began several years ago, but the project has been slow to develop. Things may pick up now, though: Variety reports that director Stephen Daldry and producer Marc Platt are on board to get things rolling, while Winnie Holzman will be working with three-time Oscar-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz on the screenplay for the film, which will include two new songs.
Universal still plans to debut a new musical at the end of the year, but it won’t be Wicked. Instead, the studio has given a December release date to the big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which will feature Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, and Ian McKellen, among others.
Are you excited to finally see the Wicked movie? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photo via Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
