Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz created Wicked which has since become one of the most successful Broadway productions of all time. So it made sense for Universal to give them creative freedom when the time came to bring their big show to the big screen.
“This was an unusual situation in many ways,” says Holzman. “John Chu was our choice. The casting was our choice — with John, of course — but we were given such a sense of trust. I think all of those kinds of things show in the movie.”
Holzman, Wicked’s playwright, along with Schwartz (the composer) join NPR’s Jeff Lunden for chat about the long-gestating film adaptation of their beloved stage show. Listen on as they break down their decision to split the story into two movies. Plus, they describe how they crafted a production which felt intimate despite its massive scale.