Universal Pictures has found a director for the long gestating big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by EUGENE GARCIA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (9782923k) US director Jon M. Chu attends the US premiere of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, 07 August 2018. Chu’s movie opens in the US on 15 August. ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ premiere in Hollywood, Santa Ana, USA – 07 Aug 2018

According to an exclusive in Deadline, Universal has tapped director John M Chu to direct the feature. Chu is the director of the film Now You See Me 2 as well as the highly successful Crazy Rich Asians. He most recently directed the big screen adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical In The Heights for Warner Brothers.

Wicked was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by book writer Winnie Holzman and composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who are also collaborating on the screenplay adaptation. The story, which is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz focused on the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, went on to win multiple Tony Awards and continues to run on Broadway.

No casting news has been announced.

7 Comments

  • NinaRose

    May 4, 2021 - 9:05 am

    My Casting Idea for Wicked musical film adaptation, Jo Ellen Pellman as Elphaba, Emma Corrin as Glinda, Ben Platt as Fiyero, Ella Hunt as Nessarose, Glenn Close as Madame Morrible, John C. Reilly as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Casey Cott as Boq, Hugh Bonneville as Doctor Dillamond,

    • Deron Generally

      May 4, 2021 - 12:33 pm

      Those are some powerful picks. Love your ideas.

    • NinaRose

      June 17, 2021 - 9:59 pm

      Or Rachel Zegler as Elphaba, Olivia Rose Keegan as Glinda, Casey Cott as Fiyero, Sophia Anne Caruso as Nessarose, Elizabeth McGovern as Madame Morrible, Antonio Banderas as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Joshua Bassett as Boq, John Leguizamo as Doctor Dillamond,

      • NinaRose

        July 6, 2021 - 10:09 pm

        Or Reneé Rapp as Elphaba, Olivia Rose Keegan as Glinda, Casey Cott as Fiyero, Talia Ryder as Nessarose, Renée Zellweger as Madame Morrible, John C. Reilly as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Martin Short as Doctor Dillamond, Joshua Bassett as Boq,

  • NinaRose

    June 22, 2021 - 6:51 pm

    I Think Phyllida Lloyd would be Better Choice to direct A film adaptation of Wicked

    • Deron Generally

      June 22, 2021 - 7:00 pm

      I agree but I wonder if she or John M Chu could really capture the magical elements of the musical without going overboard on special effects or CGI.

  • NinaRose

    June 28, 2021 - 11:55 am

    I Think Jon M. Chu would be Good Choice to direct A Miss Saigon musical film adaptation

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