"Wicked" Movie

[jbroadway4]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 11:43am

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/174837/best-idea-ever-one-directions-harry-styles-eyes-fiyero-in-wicked-movie/

Harry Styles as Fiyero? No thank you. And isn't he too young for that part?

[jdavisinaustin]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:01pm

I'd say a guy in his early 20s is the perfect age to play a college student, and it's not like Fiyero's songs are vocally demanding. He'll do fine.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:03pm

"And isn't he too young for that part?" No actually the people that appeared in the OBC were too old for the roles. He's just right for a kid entering college and for the crappy songs Fiyero gets. I really hope give him darker skin and those diamonds he's supposed to have.

[a-mad]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:05pm

The BW article on this same subject mentions that Stephen Daldry is the rumored director and that they even have a release date(!) of Thursday, October 29, 2015. This is the first I've heard of any of this... and I'm not seeing anything (yet) in the trades or deadline.com.

Is this really happening... or are these rumors very pre-mature?

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:08pm

Well with the success of Frozen, I can see this getting put on a front burner. Who knows!?

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:25pm

http://www.cineworld.co.uk/whatson/wicked

This probably started off this fresh rumour

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 1:31pm

God, another rumor. Every two months there is a Wicked rumor.

I'll believe it when it's on the screen.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:39pm

That article was reported from The Sun, never a reliable source!

[a-mad]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:46pm

Given the info at hand, its very likely most if not all of this is untrue...

...but it begs the question - why is Universal being cagey and/or slow on its adaptation? I would think they would want to strike while the iron is hot... and while Wicked is certainly still extremely popular worldwide, it could be getting near its "peak" soon. Do you want to capitalize when its still a very viable entertainment hot topic - or wait until interest dies down for the stage production?

The mega-success of Frozen has proven that there is extreme interest for something like this in the marketplace right now. I would think that Universal's best interest would be to develop something for release sometime in a couple of years.

Thoughts?

[justincharacter]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 4:08pm

Um, no. I'd much rather see Nathan Sykes

Posted: 3/5/14 at 4:20pm

Don't think cineworld are in the rumour business. They must of got the date officially, not worth there whilst otherwise.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 4:22pm

Yes, a Thursday release date screams "official"

[a-mad]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 4:45pm

^ it certainly seems dodgy... unless they want to get a head start on "Halloween weekend" to maximize their play. But why not Wednesday, if that was the case?

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 5:02pm

If there's a pop star to play Fiyero, why not get Bruno Mars? He would not only be good, he is "ambiguously brown" like the book character.

[PattyO'Furniture]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 5:42pm

Absolutely perfect casting. The role is too small for him, as is. I don't see this happening, but who knows? Zayn Malik might be a good choice, though.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 6:05pm

"and while Wicked is certainly still extremely popular worldwide, it could be getting near its "peak" soon."

How could one even suggest this? Has there been any indication? In fact, they continue to mount more and more national & international tours or sit-down productions every couple of years. It is incredible. Their weekly Broadway grosses are always strong, and merchandise + album sales continue to be at the top of the whole list at the end of every year. I'd give it another three or fours years, at least.

Just my opinion, but I also think they're waiting a few more years so they can get closer to licensing. Whenever a high profile movie, television broadcast, etc., comes out of the musical in question, its licensing business increases by double or triple as the material suddenly becomes far more accessible thanks to the wider exposure.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 6:12pm

Did anybody read the bottom of this article where it says that Lea Michele is under consideration for Elphaba? Is this new or did I just miss it a while ago?

[a-mad]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 6:30pm

^ to Liza's Headband

I'm not saying it has peaked... nor that it will peak soon - just that it will peak eventually, and Wicked is so extremely popular (no pun intended) right now worldwide, that I believe they would be as successful launching a movie soon as they would in 4-5 years... It almost feels that the market is prime for something like this right now given the performance of Frozen, etc.

I do agree with your comment on licensing... and something I hadn't considered - so perhaps Universal is looking at that closely.

I'm not disagreeing with Universal's decision per se... just looking for input as to why they may be waiting to actively develop this.

I wonder if in hindsight Warner Bros wished they would have put Phantom into production sooner than they did... although its performance probably has more to do with the finished product than timing itself.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 9:24pm

Screw this idea, and teach Lupita how to sing so that she can be Elphaba.

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 9:41pm

Give me a break with this. Fiyero has two songs and really has to show he is shallow/deep and handsome/sexy and a little dim at times. A part is as big or as small as the actor playing the part. If you have the charisma you can easily make it bigger. But Harry is just wrong. Even Nick Jonas would be better. Lea Michelle will look ten years older than him. Get the Vanessa's and Selinas out for Elphaba and Glinda.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 10:58pm

I think Universal is smart to sit on Wicked for a while longer. Disney has essentially stolen their thunder with Oz the Great and Powerful. I doubt the more casual movie-goers will be lining up to see yet another Wicked Witch of the West origin story so soon after that, even more so now that Disney appears to be gearing up to introduce her to Once Upon a Time. Not to mention the upcoming (and, quite frankly, kind of terrible looking) Legends of Oz. I'm sure the powers that be at Universal are looking at all of this and wondering just how much of Oz the market will bear.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 9:14am

^^^ What best12bars said.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 6:42pm

Sounds like we aren't getting it anytime in the near future.

"The movie of Wicked is still a number of years down the line," he told us. "We've just started its development, because the show's still so strong with eight or nine companies around the world. That's coming in the future. That's why I haven't been in a hurry, because it works so well on stage and audiences are enjoying it. It's not a timely story, it's a timeless sorry, so I've been very sanguine to let folks explore it theatrically and when we're ready we'll make a movie."

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/WICKED-Movie-Update-Producer-Marc-Platt-Shares-Update-on-the-Films-Development-20141123

[Spil.Berg]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 7:10pm

they generally do the movies at the end of the musical cycle ie producers rent etc

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/23/14 at 7:15pm

This show just seems so entrenched, it seems slightly odd to think a movie would make people stop attending it on Broadway, West End, etc., etc. Didn't Les Miz take the opposite viewpoint, where the movie was seen as driving interest in the show?

I do like the optimism that they will make a screen version so amazing that it will make people stop caring to see it live, but that is such an odds-defying assumption, it is almost comical.