Stephen Schwartz Confirms Where ‘Wicked’ Film Adaptation Will Split

Since the baffling statement that the Wicked live-action film was not only going to be adapted but split into two parts, there has been speculation about where that split would come. Well, wouldn’t you know it—but a two-act musical structure actually lends itself to such a mind-numbing decision.

Stephen Schwartz, the lyricist and composer for Wicked and some of your childhood soundtrack bangers like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt, spoke to The Schwartz Scene about the “split” decision.

“We found it very difficult to get past ‘Defying Gravity’ without a break. That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic. So, for these two reasons, plus the excitement of doing something that’s never been done before with a musical, we have decided to do two movies. Of course, when it’s all done, if it doesn’t work that way, we’ll have to figure something out. But we strongly believe that this is what’s best for our story, our show, and our fans.”

I mean that’s not really surprising and I think it is ultimately (if this must be done) the right choice. “Defying Gravity” is Wicked. It is the song that makes the entire musical the epic YA/girlboss spectacle that it is. Plus, let’s be real, the first act of Wicked is where most of the true bangers are.

What does make me a bit intrigued is that Schwartz mentioned that the film with be making “additive” changes to the story in order to make something new. Including a new song for the film.

“What we have discussed is that changes need to be ‘additive,’ to use Marc Platt’s term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can’t just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it’s better for the movie.”

I recently saw Chicago on Broadway starring Pamela Anderson as Roxy Hart and then rewatched the film adaptation, the gold standard for modern Broadway film adaptations. Both experiences were so different, but I loved how the film uses creative choices to make the film, not a paint-by-numbers adaptation.

Wicked is a show that dropped when I was a teen. I made many, many AMVs that were copyright claimed by Viacom to the songs. Yet, when I finally saw the stage show I was disappointed at how the second act totally drops the ball narratively. I’ve seen Wicked twice with an almost 8-year gap between and it is largely unchanged.

For a 2022 film I think it is time to finally (a) lean into the queerness of Elphaba and Glinda a lot more (I mean they use them for so much Pride promo), (b) clean up all the Wizard of Oz crossover that drags down Act 2, and most importantly (c) fix almost everything with Nessa. Nessa is like every reductive drop with people with wheelchairs and it is clumsy, insulting, and gets worst with age. Change it.

I am going to be interested in seeing how it all comes together and what Original Broadway Cast cameos/roles we get (my money is on Kristin Chenoweth as Madame Morrible and Idina Menzel as a genderbent Doctor Dillamond).

(via Broadway World, image: TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images)