‘Wicked 3’ may be in the works
Wicked, a popular stage musical created by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, premiered in 2003. Loosely inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, the story offers a new perspective on L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 book, The Wizard of Oz, which was famously made into a 1939 film starring Judy Garland.
Now, director Jon M. Chu and Universal Pictures are bringing Wicked to the big screen and turning it into a film series. The first film was released last year, and this week saw the release of Wicked: For Good, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their roles as Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland. Holtzman co-wrote the film’s script with Dana Fox, and Schwartz will continue as composer, lyricist, and executive producer.
In an interview with Ankler, Schwartz revealed that he and Holzman are already working on a new project set in the world of Oz. “What I can share without giving too much away is that Winnie Holtzman and I are currently exploring ideas that aren’t direct sequels to ‘Wicked,'” Schwartz explained. “Although the story of Glinda and Elphaba feels complete, there are other aspects of the world of Oz that can be explored,” he added. “Gregory Maguire has written several other books about Oz, and Winnie and I have been discussing the idea of an adjunct rather than a sequel, one that would complement the existing story.”
This new project appears to be still in the early stages of development, so details are unclear.
“Wicked: For Good” is currently showing in theaters across the United States. The cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey as Fierro Tigelaar, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz, Marissa Bode as Nesarose Thropp, Ethan Slater as Bokuku Woodsman, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
Source: OutLoud! Culture – outloudculture.com
