(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
“You’re the only friend I ever had…” The final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden in the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. However, under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is then deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to all of Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.Wicked: For Good, also known as Wicked: Part Two, is also directed by talented American filmmaker Jon M. Chu, director of the movies Step Up 2: The Streets, The LXD, Step Up 3D, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Jem and the Holograms, Now You See Me 2, Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, and the first Wicked movie. The screenplay is written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It’s adapted from Holzman & Stephen Schwartz’s stage musical Wicked, which is based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Produced by Marc Platt and David Stone (of the Broadway musical). (courtesy First Showing)
I was delighted by the Wicked musical. Enthralled by the first movie that landed late last year and now, with the book upon which the musical is based waiting to be read, I am excited by what lies in wait this coming November.
Why, you ask, am I even more excited than I already was?
Because the trailer for part two of this saga of enduring friendship, flying monkeys and vastly divergent life values has landed, and it is so very good.
In just 2 minutes and 46 seconds, it warms your heart, tears it open before affirming that while life can rip things to shreds, it can ever destroy bedrock connections between people.
There is so much touching beauty and music and pain that awaits us when Wicked: For Good aka Wicked: Part Two opens 20 November in Australia and 21 November in U.S. … and I get the feeling you and I and everyone who sees it will be changed … for good.