The musical The Wizard of Oz, but the 2024 movie adaptation doubles as an homage to the 1939 classic with several carefully placed Easter eggs. Of course, with an overlapping setting and characters, there are many overt features of The Wizard of Oz in the new on-screen adaptation. The Wicked Witch, her green skin and pointed hat, as well as her powers and melty fate, are, of course, at the center of Wicked, along with Glinda the Good, the Wizard of Oz himself, and more. However, the musical adaptation managed to hide far more stealthy references here and there.

The 1939 The Wizard of Oz movie was groundbreaking for its time and is still ed as a significant milestone in Hollywood magic today. It has long served as the nostalgic foundation for the stage musical Wicked, which is a prequel in its first act while the second features Dorothy's story but from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked: Part 1 (2024) adapts the prequel portion of the story to the screen, allowing audiences to see what was happening in Oz before Dorothy's arrival to Oz. Still, the features of The Wizard of Oz play an important role.

19 Wicked's Intro Goes From Black And White To Color

The Opening Screen Is An Homage To 1939's The Wizard Of Oz

Wicked kicks off with a meaningful reference to The Wizard of Oz. The intro, featuring the iconic Universal globe, appears first in black and white before transitioning to color. This is a subtle homage to the marvelous transformation at the beginning of the 1939 movie, when Dorothy arrives in Oz, and the entire film switches from traditional black and white to technicolor.

The Wizard of Oz is famously the first full-length feature film to use technicolor, and it ingeniously incorporated this into the story. Dorothy's "real" world at home was all shades of black and grey, but the moment she stepped out of her newly landed home into Oz, the screen was lit with color.

18 Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tinman, and The Lion Walking Down The Yellow Brick Road

The Heroes Of The Wizard Of Oz Returning To The Emerald City

The Wicked movie took a unique approach to the start of the musical, featuring Elphaba's pointed hat soaking in a puddle of water on the floor of her tower. From there, the camera carried audiences across Oz and the yellow brick road to Munchkinland, where Glinda the Good would share the good news about the Witch's death.

Dorothy is never shown in the Wicked musical, but the 2024 movie has made a change.

During this transition, there was much to see, including many familiar Ozian sights. Still, the standout feature was Dorothy and her companions, the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion, walking back up the road to Emerald City.

17 The Subtle Tune Of "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead"

The Music Of Wicked Has Easter Eggs Too

The first musical number of Wicked, "No One Mourns The Wicked," sees the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the Wicked Witch's death. The movie version of this song has an extended intro, during which the melody from "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" can briefly be heard (at the song's one-minute mark).

"Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" is the song by the Muchkinlanders in 1939's The Wizard of Oz after Dorothy's house crushed the Wicked Witch of the East, Elphaba's sister. Though this song isn't featured fully in Wicked, the on-screen adaptation's tribute to the classic is an excellent touch.

16 The Font On The Wicked Witch Posters Is The Same As The Wizard Of Oz 1939 Poster

The Style Of Wicked's Wanted Posters Looked Familiar

There is a great deal of detail in the Wicked movie's version of Munchkinland. It truly looks like a fully inhabited community, and it's full of signs that the Muchkinlanders have been living in fear of the Wicked Witch for quite some time. The primary indicators of this are the various posters and signs warning residents of the Witch and declaring her "Wanted."

These posters have an unmistakable vintage flair to them.

These posters have an unmistakable vintage flair to them. The Wicked Witch's face looks nothing like Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, instead featuring the exaggerated features of the evil witch in The Wizard of Oz. Then, even more notably, the font of these posters is identical to the classic 1939 movie posters, which has since become immediately associated with the world of Oz.

15 The Yellow Brick Road "Swirl"

Munchkinland's Familiar Center Is Featured In Wicked

In The Wizard of Oz, the yellow brick road forms a swirl at the center of Munchkinland, and this is where Dorothy starts her journey, whirling around as she follows Glinda's directions to "follow the yellow brick road!" This lollipop-like swirl is another memorable feature of the 1939 classic.

Though it looks a little different, the Wicked movie incorporated this yellow swirl at the center of Munchkinland, where Glinda sings "No One Mourns the Wicked" and sets flame to the massive straw figure of Elphaba.

14 The Subtle Tune Of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

The Wicked Movie Took Stephen Schwartz's Easter Eggs Even Further

Perhaps the most iconic song of The Wizard of Oz is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," forever ed as one of Judy Garland's most bittersweet tunes. Like all the musical numbers from the 1939 movie, it couldn't be included outright in the Wicked musical. However, the familiar melody was still utilized throughout the score.

Stephen Schwartz famously included "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" here and there throughout the Wicked soundtrack, but the movie had an opportunity to take this even further. Unlike the stage production, spoken dialogue is almost always accompanied by background music in the film, which mixes various tunes from the Broadway show with those familiar "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" notes. Those who pay attention can catch them spread throughout the movie's entirety.

13 "Gulch" Is Named Dropped

A Slight Shoutout To The Original Witch

During one of the early scenes of Elphaba’s arrival at Shiz, she meets the befuddled and anxious school , Miss Cottle. Though Elphaba is not originally meant to be attending the school and is simply there to drop off her sister, her sudden display of magic secures her an invitation, much to the panic of Miss Cottle.

Clearly thrown off by the sudden wrinkle in her carefully constructed plan for new students, Miss Cottle attempts to brush the inconvenience aside by saying, “Not to fret – just a slight gulch!” While it might initially seem like a strange use of words in this magic work, "gulch" is actually meant to be a nod to the character Almira Gulch, the villainous woman Dorothy encounters in Kansas and becomes The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

12 The Red Shoes Galinda Gives Elphaba

Galinda Brings Her Own Ruby Slippers To Shiz

Wicked: Part 1 already laid the groundwork for Nessa's ruby slippers, which Dorothy eventually takes after she drops a house on the Wicked Witch of the East (prompting Elphaba to take revenge). However, the 2024 movie found another way to incorporate these classic shoes.

During Ariana Grande's performance in "Popular," her character hands Elphaba a pair of red glittery heels, which look remarkably similar to Judy Garland's shoes in The Wizard of Oz. Though the real ruby slippers won't be revealed until Wicked: Part 2, this was a fun nod to the familiar feature of the 1939 movie.

11 Nessa's Striped Socks

A Hint Of Her Fate To Come

While Nessa is seen as a kind and sympathetic character in Wicked: Part 1, given the events of The Wizard of Oz, fans already know the fate that will eventually befall her. Like her sister, she will eventually be dubbed a "Wicked Witch" as well -- becoming the Wicked Witch of the East. This will lead to her being killed when Dorothy's house lands on her, much to the celebration of the people of Oz.

However, Wicked already hinted at Nessa's demise in a very subtle way. When seen at the dance, Nessa is wearing a pair of striped socks. While the Wicked Witch of the East is never fully seen in The Wizard of Oz, the memorable image of her feet sticking out from under Dorothy's house shows that she is wearing very similar striped socks.

10 Elphaba's Song Nods To "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

"The Wizard And I" References The Classic Song

One of the early memorable Wicked that allows the movie to explore the character of Elphaba is "The Wizard and I." While it is a song that speaks to her journey as the main character of this story, there are also several references to the famous song sung by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

One of the most noticeable visual nods comes as Elphaba is running through the field and jumps with a rainbow in the sky behind her. It is a clear nod to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," as is the brief image of blue birds during the song which is a nod to the lyrics "If happy little bluebirds fly / Beyond the rainbow / Why, oh why can't I?" It's a perfect nod to what came before it and pays homage for anyone who paid attention.