Is ‘Wicked’ Based on a Book?

“Wicked” first hit Broadway back in 2003, and has since become one of the longest running and highest grossing stage musicals of all the time. Now, the movie adaptation is finally here — but in reality, both musicals are adaptations.

The story centers on Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), who eventually come to be known as The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively. But before all that, they were roommates at school; enemies turned best friends. Unfortunately, the world got very complicated for them very quickly.

The movie is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, but that musical was actually adapted from a book. Gregory Maguire wrote “Wicked” first as a novel, and it was published in 1995. It was the first in a trilogy of books about life in Oz.

Do the musical and movie stay true to the book?

Like most adaptations, the musical streamlined a lot of the book’s plot, as the story takes place over several years. It also outright changes some things.

For instance, when we meet Elphaba in the in the book as an infant, she’s described as a bit feral, with a proclivity for biting off pieces of people. Fiyero is also killed in the book, along with his entire family except one daughter, who is made into a slave for the wizard.

To say the book is dark would be putting it pretty mildly. The musical brightens things up a lot, and the movie largely stays true to the stage show while fleshing some plot points out from the book throughout.

Does the book have a different ending?

Well, yes and no. All versions of this story end with Elphaba earning a bucket of water to the face thrown by Dorothy. What happens after that varies, but we won’t spoil that for you if you’re planning to see “Wicked” Part 2 and are unfamiliar with the stage musical.

Will the sequels factor into the second film?

It’s hard to say for sure, considering movies adapt different pieces of stories. It’s certainly possible that pieces of the book and/or its sequels will end up in the next film. But, as Part 1 followed the first act of the musical, it’s expected that Part 2 will primarily stay the course and finish out the show.

However Vince Klaseus, president of Universal Products & Experiences, did tease an expansion of the story to TheWrap. So we’ll just have to see!

“Wicked” is now in theaters everywhere.

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