Wicked’s reported runtime is a major green flag, signaling how the movie adaptation can take the core ingredients from Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and conjure up something even more magical. Given the mammoth success of the stage show, news of anupcomingWickedmovie adaptationwas hardly a surprise when reports surfaced in the early 2010s. Wholly more surprisingly was the subsequent update thatWickedwould be split into two distinct parts, the first releasing in November 2024 and the continuation following a year later.
According to a more recent update,WickedPart One’s runtimeclocks in at a relatively hefty two hours, 40 minutes - almost as long as theoriginal musicalWickedis based on, which lasts a scant five minutes more. That number is slightly north of 2012’sLes Miserablesmovie, and also beatsChicago(1h 53m),Cats(1h 50m), and Steven Spielberg’sWest Side Story(2h 36m). ConsideringWicked Part Onecovers, as the name implies, just 50% of the story, that runtime is quite an accomplishment. From another perspective,Wicked’s length speaks to exactly how the movie might outdo its source material.
Wicked’s Long Runtime Means The Movie Will Expand The Musical’s Story
Get Ready For Things You Didn’t See Onstage
The fact that one half ofWickedis reportedly longer than most musical movies adapted in their entirety highlights one thing above all else: how muchWickedwill embellish the musical’s story. This in itself is no great shock. Original composer Stephen Schwartz teased the potential fornew songs forWicked’s movieas early as 2016, while producer Marc Platt explained howWicked’s two-movie splitwas partly motivated by a desire to delve deeper into iconic locations such as Shiz University and the Emerald City.
IfWicked Part One’s needle really does turn as far as two hours and 40 minutes, that would indicate a huge amount of additional ideas and fleshed-out storylines.
ThroughoutWicked’s long development journey, the mission has seemingly always been to adapt the musical with as few story cuts and omissions as possible. Even so,one might’ve reasonably expectedWicked Part Oneto run for two hours or less, which would afford more than enough space to adapt the musical fully and carry less risk of triggering numb backsides in the movie theater.
Wicked’s Two-Part Release Plan Avoids A Problem With The Musical We Don’t Like To Admit
The two-part release of Universal Pictures' Wicked movie makes space for a segment of the story that the musical does not fully develop.
IfWicked Part One’s needle really does turn as far as two hours and 40 minutes, however, that would indicate a huge amount of additional ideas and fleshed-out storylines - much more than the average musical-to-movie adaptation. IfWicked Part Twothen matches its predecessor for size, the combined big screen version ofWickedwould even be close to doubling-up on the Broadway show, giving a stark idea of just how much fresh material to expect.
Wicked Can Add More Depth To The Story & Characters Than The Musical
Wicked’s World Offers Plenty Of Room For Expansion
In-seat numbness notwithstanding,Wicked’s surprisingly bumper runtime is actually a great sign for Jon M. Chu’s adaptation. As is typically the way with musicals,Wickedon stage whisks fluidly from one number to the next, transitioning between narrative chapters at pace and letting Schwartz’s music and lyrics do the heavy lifting. Movies are inherently a more narrative and character-driven format, meaningWickedis obliged to add more depth to the many fascinating elements within.
The major beneficiary will beWicked’s movie cast, and particularly the relationship between Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. The two leads dance their way from enemies to best friends with startling speed in the musical version, essentially growing close over the course of a single song. That works perfectly for the stage, but such fast friendship would lack gravity in a movie, coming across as disingenuous and not pushing the viewer to fully invest in the all-important Glinda-Elphaba partnership. With more time - a lot more, it seems -theWickedmovie can play out Elphaba and Glinda’s bond more naturally.
Elphaba and Glinda first become friends during “Dancing Through Life,” before “Popular” seals their status as pals.
Wicked’s side characters will benefit enormously too. Nessa, Elphaba’s sister, is underused in the musical, but can shine more brightly across the space of a near-three-hour first half. Romance between Elphaba and Fiyero almost comes from nowhere in the musical, but can receive more attention and flirty buildup in the movie. Then the various teachers of Shiz - the likes of Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible and Peter Dinklage’s Doctor Dillamond - can evolve beyond the relatively small roles they play on Broadway, sinceWicked’s timelineoffers the chance to delve into their backstories, their troubles, and their importance toThe Wizard of Oz.
Such A Long Wicked Movie Is Still A Big Risk
Two Long Movies Would Be A Big Statement Of Intent From Wicked
The advantages of potentially stretchingWicked’s story across more than five hours of film outweigh the drawbacks, but drawbacks there certainly are.SplittingWickedinto two movieswas already a risk in itself, because it asks the audience to wait an entire year for a conclusion they’ll likely already be very familiar with from watching the stage show. Additionally, anynovelty from seeingWicked’s world rendered in live-action will wear off after part one, so without the draw of “what happens next?“Wickedis relying entirely upon viewers loving the first film to make them come back for part two.
That problem is exacerbated if both parts ofWickedare also very long. There is a very real risk viewers will sit through almost three hours of school-based musical magic andThe Wizard of Ozforeshadowing, hear the iconic “Defying Gravity,” then skip the continuation when it arrives a year later. For the more casual theater-goer, two hours and 40 minutes ofWickedand a rendition of the musical’s biggest hit could be plenty.
TurningWickedinto two long movies does, at the very least, show supreme confidence in the project. Jon M. Chu and the various creative minds involved must feel so strongly about the strength of characterization and world-building in their movie adaptation, they have full faith that demand for moreWickedwill overcome a year-long gap, a split release, and even a chunky runtime.
Wicked
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
