Wicked: Part 1has been split into two parts, with a year separating the two films. Based on the smash-musical of the same name,Wickedis a version ofThe Wizard of Ozstory told from the perspective of Elphaba. Simply the evil Wicked of the Witch in most versions of the story,Wickedcasts the main characteras a tragic figure whose efforts to improve the world of Oz are misconstrued into villainous acts.
The original musical, which ran for about three hours depending on the specific production, has been expanded into a nearly six-hour two-part film. The sheer scale of the film and the narrative structure of the musical make for an obvious breaking point between the story, separating the plot on a very specific part of the story. Here is how longthe run-time ofWicked: Part 1is, why it’s been split into two parts, and when fans can expect to see the next chapter in the story.
Wicked Being Two Movies Follows The Musical Having Two Acts
There’s A Natural Act Break Built IntoWicked’s Narrative
The story ofWickedhas been split into two films, which reflects the original musical that inspired it and the way the act break in the play splinters the story.Wicked: Part 1faithfully recreates the events of the play’s first act, which is almost entirely focused on the younger days of Elphaba and Galinda. Long before they became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, the pair met at Shiz University and changed from rivals to friends to reluctant foes.
During a conversation withScreen Rant’s Tatiana Hullender,Wickedplaywright Winnie Holzman & lyricist Stephen Schwartz explained their reasoning behind splitting the film into two parts.
Wicked: Part 1is entirely focused on this portion of the story, and ends at the same point in the story that Act 1 of the originalWickedmusical did. Like many theatrical plays, the act break betweenWicked’s two halves serves as a tonal shift and time leap. WhileWicked: Part 1does briefly tease the ending of the story and reveals the specifics of Elphaba’s childhood, most of the movie is centered around the young women as the grow and make the fateful choices that set up their fates inWicked: Part 2.
How Long The First Wicked Movie Is
Wicked: Part 1Is Almost As Long As The Original Broadway Musical
Including the credits,Wicked: Part 1is 2 hours and 41 minutes long. The film’s run-time is actually almost the same length as the entire musical that inspired the two-part film. It’s to the credit of director Jon M. Chu and his collaborators on the project thatWicked: Part 1doesn’t feel too long, though. While the movie is a very faithful recreation of the musical, it expands on the plot in small ways that improve the story.
Wicked Secretly Follows A Trend Set By Steven Spielberg’s Musical Adaptation From 3 Years Ago
The two-part Wicked movie adaptation follows a trend set by a Steven Spielberg Broadway musical adaptation from 2021, increasing excitement.
The shift from theatre to film also allows the filmmakers to bring the level of detail and focus much tighter, with certain scenes in the story playing out longer than in the musical. This all contributes toWicked: Part 1’s run-time, which can feel a bit long to those unprepared for a musical epic that takes them all across the land of Oz. Notably, the film doesn’t change much of the story, largely expanding on elements of the original narrative and only really lengthening one song.
When Wicked Part 2 Releases
Wicked: Part 2Comes Out A Year After The First One
Wicked: Part 1andWicked: Part 2were both filmed at the same time, with the same cast appearing in both sections of the story. However, there were some delays in filming due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. As a result,Wicked: Part 2completed filming in Janurary of 2024. However, even without the strikes, the plan always seemed to have the two parts ofWickedreleased with a year between them. The film is currently set to debut a year after the release ofWicked: Part 1. Currently,Wicked: Part 2is set to be released August 21, 2025.
If next year’s follow-up toWicked: Part 1can match the success of the first one, then the musical could become a cinematic smash on the same level with the original musical.
This means bothWickedfilms will benefit from the typically strong Thanksgiving box office. The sheer scale andbudget made a two-partWickeda risky endeavor for Universal. However, the early critical raves and early tracking for the film suggests Universal’s ambitious gamble has paid off. In fact, the box office tracking forWicked: Part 1has it earning one ofthe biggest box office wins of 2024. If next year’s follow-up toWicked: Part 1can match the success of the first one, then the musical could become a cinematic smash on the same level with the original musical.
Wicked
Cast
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.
