Wicked flying into cinemas in 2016

FANS of the musical Wicked are set to follow the yellow brick road to movie theatres next year with news that a big screen adaptation could soon be here.

FANS of the musical Wicked are set to follow the yellow brick road to movie theatres next year with news that a big screen adaptation has an aspirational 2016 release date.

Producer Marc Platt, who worked on Into the Woods, told Film Divider that the movie is eyeing a 2016 release and that The Hours director Stephen Daldry will be at the helm.

“The process of developing that movie has begun, we’re working on it,” he said. “2016 is the goal, but I don’t know whether we’ll make that goal or not.

“We will make the movie, but like I said, the bar is really high. We’re going to scrutinise our work on the screenplay and our prep on the movie, and when we feel like it’s ready, okay,” he said. “We’re not going to shoot a release date is what I’m saying. It’s in the works, it’s not in a rush. It took 27 years to make Into the Woods into a film from its original stage production, and 30 years with Les Mis. Some things take time for a reason.”

Platt was originally developing Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West for the big screen until Universal Pictures decided to take it to Broadway in 2003.

It is now one of Broadway’s longest running musicals and won a Tony Award for Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, alongside The West Wing’s Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.

There is no word yet on casting for the film.

The story of Wicked sees Elphaba and Glinda meet in college and tells how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West.

Originally published as Wicked flying into cinemas in 2016