Erivo: Caitlin Cronenberg; Grande: ap
“Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz confirmed in an interview with diverse This production has been halted with only 10 days left to complete shooting for Parts 1 and 2 of the movie.
Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the original musical and collaborated again with book writer Winnie Holzman on the adaptation of the film, which stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
While acknowledging that the timing was frustrating, Schwartz also expressed solidarity with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
He said, “It’s rather frustrating because we have, I think, 10 days worth of shooting until we’ve finished all the shooting for both films… But on the other hand, I might as well state that I’m in great sympathy and support for the unions that are striking”.
“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu posted his Instagram story and tweeted about how close production was to completion. “We were just a few days away from finishing so we were really close. It really hurt me to pull it all off but we’ll be back!” Chu wrote. “We stand with you,” he told the striking “bad guy” cast.
Chu also shared on Instagram that the production halt should not affect the film’s release date. “The Wicked Part 1” is set to hit cinemas on November 27, 2024, with “Part 2” on November 26, 2025.
The sources added that the global film is “almost finished” with production.
Schwartz also spoke about the important issues at stake for the writers and actors on strike.
“I’m not a member of the WGA, but I think what they’re asking is legitimate and justified. Same for the SAG. They’re just things that need to be addressed. I absolutely think they’re right. So I can’t get too angry at the inconvenience a strike might cause on my own project.”
“The good news for us is that we’ve been shooting for about eight months. So they have a lot going on. And that means there are things to work on.” “Obviously, I hope the strike will be settled and settled fairly, as soon as possible. But it would have been much more difficult if we had been shooting for, you know, a week and a half, and this has happened. There are a lot of things that John and his team can work on.”
Schwartz revealed that he was able to visit the set of the “Wicked” movie, which was shot on location in the UK. He praised Nathan Crowley’s meticulous production design.
“The combos are amazing. It’s like the good old days of building these giant sets on a backyard or on a soundstage. They’re not green screen sets… they’re actually built and they’re amazing. The attention to detail kind of baffles me, when I see little labels on things or titles in books in a library and you know a camera would never see this. However, they are all very well written and dedicated to Oz and the characters… I wasn’t expecting, frankly, that level of attention to detail, and it’s very exciting to see.” Schwartz said.
In addition to visiting on set, Schwartz worked alongside Erivo and Grande in the recording studio making soundtracks and pre-recorded songs.
“Needless to say, they are amazing singers and musicians…and they look amazing. Cynthia is so pretty in green, with the green makeup and those giant eyes. And Ariana, she always looked like Glinda to me.”
Jazz Tangcay contributed to this article.
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