A remake of the 1939 classic film Wicked movie currently in production, there is potential for the remake to connect to the Wicked films. Under Kenya Barris’ direction, the remake will be more of a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz to reflect the world today, specifically in of diversity, something the Wicked films are already doing. It is unclear what story Barris is planning to tell, but he could and should connect The Wizard of Oz remake to the Wicked films.
The Wizard of Oz movie has such a large cultural footprint that many falsely believe it to be the first color film. The impact of the classic was further felt when Gregory Maguire wrote The Wicked Years series, a revisionist telling of The Wizard of Oz with a focus on the Wicked Witch of the West, whom he named Elphaba. The 2003 musical adaptation is still is a smash hit, and Wicked: Part One is scheduled for release on Dec. 25, 2024. With a Wizard Of Oz remake seemingly still in the works for Warner Bros, the legacy of the two series will become yet more intertwined in the franchise.
The Wizard Of Oz Can't Ignore Wicked
Wicked: Part Two will be released exactly one year after the first part, and while the Wicked movie’s two-part split creates a big musical problem, it is also an indicator of how popular the source material is. Other films that received the two-part split treatment include Kill Bill, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows, Dune, and Breaking Dawn. A film being split into two parts indicates that there is an interest for viewers to not just want the film to be expanded from the typical two-to-three-hour movie format, but that they are able to maintain interest in the story during the length of time between releases.
The story of Wicked has been around for much less time than the original. Still, through its popularity, in some way, the films and their stories are already intrinsically connected, whether that is Barris’ plan or not. Wicked’s Elphaba mirrors Frozen’s Elsa, both of which are roles originated by Idina Menzel, whose Tony Award-winning performance has made her wicked witch about as iconic as Margaret Hamilton’s. Due to this, it is nearly impossible to see The Wicked Witch of The West and not see Elphaba, and it will only be made more difficult by the Wicked films - meaning ignoring this modern iteration would sabotage any Wizard of Oz reboot.
Wicked Can Make The Wizard Of Oz Remake Better
There have been many adaptations and retellings of The Wizard of Oz, including Oz the Great and Powerful, which takes a similar route to Wicked by providing a backstory to one of the 1939 film’s villains. The 1939 film offers many interesting subplots and characters, many of which do not receive enough attention, which even sparked a fan theory that Dorothy is The Wicked Witch of the East. Due to its status as a class, many viewers are already familiar with the story of The Wizard of Oz, and connecting it to the story of Wicked would only make the remake better.
A great remake is a film that can honor its original, while still being able to differentiate from it in a way that adds to rather than takes away from the story. If viewers want to watch the same familiar story of The Wizard of Oz from 1939, they can always return to the original. However, it’s more than likely that viewers will want to watch a story that adds another dimension to what they’ve already seen and love. Connecting The Wizard Of Oz remake to the Wicked movies, which are set to tell another, more modern beloved story, would be the perfect way to improve it.
