Ahead of the release of the musical adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway musical, director Jon M. Chu claims the film version is more intimate. The original story of the musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The film adaptation is one of the most anticipated movies of this year due to its star-studded cast!
Rogue director reveals secrets about the film
The musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is set to hit theaters in November. In addition to the actresses playing their characters on the red carpet and recently at the Olympic Games, the director has been doing a lot of talking points to build more hype!
In an interview with PEOPLE, Jon M. Chu claimed the film takes the source material to another level. “We went deep. We went really deep there,” he joked.
He added, “I mean, Elphaba (Erivo) has a lot of wounds, but Glinda (Grande) has a lot of wounds, too, and we found all of them with these two girls who really expressed the truth beyond just the songs that we know.”
The director, known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, also teased the theatrical production and praised the composer’s “prophetic” and “layered” work. M. Chu explained the difference between Broadway and film productions, saying that audiences will get to experience an intimate version of the characters.
“We put the camera two inches from their face, so we can see when they’re lying, when they’re not, or when they’re lying to themselves. And that gives us a lot of power,” he said.
What is the movie Wicked about?
The story revolves around the young witch Elphaba, an unusual person who is often teased by her peers for her green skin color. She meets Glinda, another young witch, but she is the most popular at their university. An unlikely friendship forms between the two, and they embark on the adventure of a lifetime!
The Positions singer held a virtual Q&A session with the film’s director and co-writer Jeremy McCarter, in which M. Chu opened up about his relationship with Grande. He revealed that the singer sent him a document with her questions ahead of the session.
“He doesn’t have to do that. He gets paid so much more to do that for other people, but the fact that he did that for me means so much. We’re so close,” he said. Chu also thanked his other collaborators, Erivo, Awkwafina and Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Everyone has been so supportive,” he said.
