After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu, Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
As the film prepares to fly into theatres this November, Peter Gray spoke with the creatives behind the magic of Oz, including Production Designer Nathan Crowley, who touched on the biggest challenge he faced on set, the daunting task of re-creating the Emerald City, and keeping his design grounded in a world of fantasy.
Reading up about the sets of Wicked I was very struck by the fact that there were 9 million tulips planted…
(Laughs) Yeah, it started from thinking about what exactly do the Munchkins do? They’ve got to have an industry. So we thought of them as flower farmers. They use different colours to dye cloth, and those colours are going to influence their surroundings. And ultimately, to Jon (M. Chu, director), it’s the colours of the rainbow. So that was the big thing, but then from there you ask “How do we get this?” And the answer was tulip fields.
When I worked on Interstellar I approved 500 acres of corn, so I kind of knew that process of being terrified of being a farmer (laughs). So we went back to meetings to say, “Hey, we’re going to grow tulips.” I thought we were only going to need to grow a million tulips, and we looked at which scenes of the movie, so then they have the farmers the money and they came back with, “Oh yeah, we’ve planted 9 million stems.”
What happens to that afterwards?
When you’re growing them in the fields, you’re not actually growing them for the flowers. You cut all the heads off the tulips, and that’s why you have tulip festivals. The bulbs get bigger and you put them in greenhouses so they form much better flowers. You’re actually in the business of growing bulbs, not tulips. And that’s something I learnt. So we grew the flowers, cut all the bulbs off, and then sold them back to the farmer. I knew we could do it because of Interstellar. I knew it was going to be fabulous and everyone would talk about it, even though I was terrified. We actually ordered 12 million tulips, but only 9 million arrived (laughs).
When looking at the designs, obviously pink and green is an intentional colour scheme to reflect Glinda and Elpheba, is it difficult to find the balance between making everything exaggerated for this fantastical world, but keep it grounded at the same time?
It’s about finding the design. With Shiz University it was making sure we didn’t fall down the rabbit hole of immediately making it like Hogwarts. Water was a key element, and once we had water we knew that was the way for people to get there. We couldn’t have horse-drawn carriages, because then we’re stepping on enslaved animals. You can’t step on balloons, because they belong to the Wizard. You can’t step on trains, because they belong to humans. It became obvious that we’re going by boat. That’s a type of fantasy in itself, so we created this romance with the water to bring audiences in, as well as mixing the architecture, and that brought about this kind of nostalgia.
When you have the familiarity of The Wizard of Oz and the stage production of Wicked, is it daunting to not use what audiences already know and create something new?
Yeah, 100%. The Emerald City was one of the hardest things to create. You’re touching on something that everyone loves. Everyone has their own fantasy of it, but, you know, the original was just a painted backdrop, so if we’re doing this in 3 dimensions we really have to get it right. The disappointment levels are too high. On most complicated films there’s something that you let gestate. You have a go at it and then you step away. That was one of the designs we started early on, but it didn’t really come together until right at the end. I always asked if we could shoot it last. I have to get to the Emerald City just as the characters are. There were a lot of cliches along the way, but it was a very hard element, and it really took the whole team to create it.
Looking at the expansive choreography that goes with the numbers. You’ve got to take that into account. How much of a challenge is it to work collaboratively with other departments whilst maintaining your own vision?
Everyone is involved, especially with the dance numbers. There’s the lighting, the dancers, an enormous amount of actors…I can get the parameters, but at the same time I have to start building these sets because they can take so long. Everything goes hand in hand. We need meetings to determine how many people are needed, what kind of space is required, but then you manipulate and change the space. I know where the ideas are going to change. It’s an evolving process.
On that mention of evolving, can you ever have too much detail?
Not in Wicked (laughs). The great thing about Jon Chu is that if you give him something, he’ll double down on it. He used anything and everything. There’s not a single piece of any set that he didn’t shoot. It’s delightful.
Mentioning Interstellar before, and I know you’ve worked on other Nolan movies, as well as features like Wonka and The Lake House. Has there been any movie for you that’s really challenged you? Or does 9 million tulips take the cake?
There are two films that have really challenged my design brain, and that’s Wicked and Interstellar (laughs). They both challenged me, design-wise, but for very different reasons. The most fun I’ve ever had is Wicked.
Australian audiences can attend the first screenings of Wicked at limited previews on November 20, celebrating a “Wicked Wednesday” in cinemas nationwide. Tickets to these exclusive events go on sale today, Friday October 11, along with tickets to the film’s season. Citizens of Oz are all invited to gather their best friends, sisters, boyfriends, young and old to experience the magical spectacle on the big screen.
On November 3, Sydney will be the first stop on the global Journey Through Oz premiere tour – a series of themed premieres across five international cities offering audiences an unparalleled experience of the film’s wondrous, breathtaking world.
Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) will be joined by their co-stars Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater and the film’s visionary director Jon M. Chu at the Australian premiere – a whimsical tribute to Munchkinland, the first wonderous realm in the world of Wicked. The Australian Premiere of Wicked is presented in partnership with American Express.
After the land of Oz experiences the magic of Wicked, the three continent global extravaganza will continue when the cast head to the Los Angeles premiere, reimagined as the ornate Shiz University, then Mexico City, which will unveil the mystical Enchanted Forest, a special screening at the renowned Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City featuring a re-creation of the film’s glamorous Ozdust Ballroom, and finally, the London premiere where the shimmering Emerald City will be showcased in all its glory.
Wicked opens nationally in Australian theatres on November 21st, 2024.
