The film adaptation of the beloved Stephen Schwartz Broadway musical "Wicked" is taking after its stage counterpart in more ways than expected, especially after an interview with the adaptation's director John Chu, alongside leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, revealed that the duo sang live on set.
Through this live singing approach, the upcoming adaptation is following the footsteps of other movie musicals like "La La Land" and "Les Miserables," ditching the traditional method of using pre-recorded tracks.
Retaining the Broadway Version's Essence for the 'Wicked' Movie
The approach was mainly due to both Grande and Erivo being uninterested in lip-synching, as per Vanity Fair, with Chu recalling: "When we were shooting it, those girls were like, 'F- the pre-records. We're going live.'"
This preference prevailed despite the director's warning that "there's going to be a lot of wind in your air pipes. Is that okay?" To which the actors replied with confidence: "Yeah. That's what we do."
Perhaps this gusto and musical bravado was to be expected from the two Grammy-winning singers. Erivo, who is also an Oscar-nominated actor, even gave props to Grande's performing capabilities, saying "I don't think people realize how brilliant this person's brain and voice and talent is."
Besides the singing, director Chu also wanted to retain the practical "stage magic" that the original Broadway musical excelled at projecting.
According to his statement to the magazine, fans can expect Emerald City and the world of Oz to be anchored with practical effects from the clay used in building the yellow brick road to using an actual train to transport the witches.
"I was like, 'I want to do it the way I dreamed about it as a kid when I watched Hook,'" Chu explained.
"Wicked" is slated for a two-part release scheduled for Dec. 25 this year for the first film and Dec. 25, 2025, for the second film. Because of this split, Schwarz was quoted by Playbill saying that there would be "new songs" added for the adaptation.
You can watch the trailer for the upcoming "Wicked" film adaptation below.
