Director Jon M. Chu announced that the movie adaptation of the Broadway show ‘Wicked” will be split into two films. The first film is scheduled for release December 2024. Wicked premiered on Broadway in 2003.

Chu cited misgivings about attempting to condense the Broadway musical into a single film, saying in part: “As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material. With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.”

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will play Glinda and Elphaba, the witches of Oz. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel originated those roles on Broadway. Chu said rehearsals will begin prior to filming and he plans to share updates on production and post-production.

Editorial credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com