New WICKED photos released; The director used the film as his HOOK opportunity

Some new photos have been released for the film adaptation of Evil giving fans a new look at the Jon M. Chu-direct film. The photos show off the film’s impressive cast of characters along with some of the settings, and it looks just as vibrant as I expected.

The images come from Vanity Fair, and Chu also talked about the film, saying that this film was an opportunity for Hook, referring to Steven Spielberg’s classic. The director was against the excessive use of CGI to bring this story to life, so he wanted it to feature realistic, practical sets and effects. He said:

“I was like, ‘I want to do it the way I dreamed about it as a kid when I watched Hook. Backstage, Steven Spielberg was on a dock with a giant pirate ship. I was like, ‘If this is my only opportunity to do this, I want to do that.'”

Chu later confirmed that all the singing parts in the film were performed live during the shooting of the film. He wanted that extra level of realism. He said:

“These are live voices. When we were shooting it, those girls were like, ‘Screw pre-recordings. We’ll go live.’ ‘There’s going to be a lot of wind in the air pipes. Is that OK?'” she remembers asking. “‘Yes. This is what we do.’ [they responded].”

The three-time Tony Award-winning musical was adapted from a book by Gregory Maguireand is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of how the green-skinned Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as the sorceress Glinda’s path to becoming known as the Good Witch.

Cinzia Erivo is playing Elphaba, with Ariana Grande playing Glinda. The film is also the protagonist Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch AND Crashes) like Fiyero, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz University’s Crage Hall. Oh yeah! Jeff Goldblum he’s playing The Wizard.

The two-part film was written by the writer of the stage show’s book Vinci Holzmann and composer-lyricist Stefano Schwartz. Speaking about the two-part film, Chu said: “We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Evil movies but two! With more space, we can tell the story of Evil as it was meant to be told, bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood for 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 fantastic Land of Oz and form an unlikely but profound friendship. After meeting the wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s constant desire for popularity sees her seduced by her power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself and those around her will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will finally see them fulfill their destiny as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked: Part 1 will debut exclusively in theaters on Friday, November 27, 2024.