Universal Pictures new film Wicked is by far  one of the biggest hits of 2024, and understandably so. After watching the famous The Wizard of Oz when I was younger, this new film and prequel has left me shocked to realize that maybe the original Wizard of Oz film is the perfect cover to a more complex story. As I was sitting in the theaters, astonished by the quality and settings in the film, I realized that maybe this prequel was actually showing me what it means to grow up and see the bigger picture. 

Growing up, I would celebrate the fact that Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West. After seeing the film, I realized that what we see and what we were told, might not be the truth. The Emerald City seems incredible, and in the context of the movie Wicked, more diverse and accepting than any other place across Oz. Knowing that the Wicked Witch of the West had a name that was never given in the original film sparked something exciting inside of me. It’s unique that we see Galinda and Elphaba interacting naturally before they became what they are known as in The Wizard of Oz  is perfectly planned and scripted.

The script of the new film Wicked is rather fascinating. The way the directors were easily able to show us the background or “behind the scenes” of the original movie without taking away from the original is beyond talent, its creative and innovative. While Wicked” has been a Broadway musical for some time now, I feel the script of the film was perfectly written to reflect the characters more, and to help exaggerate their personalities and features. When Elphaba and Glinda first meet, they absolutely hate each other. It isn’t until Elphaba shows Glinda kindness, that Glinda realizes that “pink goes good with green.” From here on out, they are best friends. 

What’s interesting in this film is the comparison to the original film. It keeps the characters’  images vivid, but somehow manages to show the buildup to conflict which eventually leads to the setting of The Wizard of Oz. At the start of the film, Glinda is celebrating the Wicked Witch’s death with the Munchkins. It isn’t until she begins to leave that a Munchkin asks Glinda if she was ever friends with the Wicked Witch, and from this point, we see Elphaba’s story unfold.

Edited by Deuce Nimmo