BWW Blog: Who Should Direct the Forever Delayed Wicked Movie?

"Wicked" fans have been early waiting for a film adaptation for years, but every new piece of news is just another setback. The adaptation has been delayed countless times, and now Stephen Daldry, who was set to direct, has left the project. With Universal searching for a new director, I thought I would give just a few of my pitches to who should direct the Wicked film.

The most obvious choice is iconic director Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is incredible at transporting people to different worlds, and making fantasy characters seem real. And although I'm not a fan of his latest films, I think he would make oz feel like a real place with incredible visuals. He's also very good at using music to amplify a scene, which is essential for a musical. I think the iconic scene in his version of "Wicked" would be "Defying Gravity" he knows how to make a moment feel grand yet not lose the audience.

I think another fantastic choice, although unlikely, would be Susan Stroman. Stroman mainly a theater director, but she also directed the film adaptation of "The Producers." She knows how to make a musical adaptation that makes theater fans happy. She's very faithful to the original theatrical productions. Still, She uses camera work, sets, and specific directing choices to give it a cinematic feel. She also knows how to direct comedy and would really highlight the comedic aspects of "Wicked." Not to mention, having a female direct a story about two women would be incredible for diversifying Hollywood. Her version of "Popular" would be amazing because she would really showcase the comedy beats in that song.

Although more know for action and murder mystery films, Rian Johnson would be an interesting choice to direct the wicked film adaptation. His film feature specific visual details and colors to tell the story. I think he would definitely use a lot of visual foreshadowing of the characters through minor details. I also think his clean and specific color choices would make for incredible sequences. His "Dancing Through Life" would be fantastic because he would foreshadow Fiyero becoming the scarecrow with unique details and easter eggs. His Ozdust ballroom scene would be so gorgeous with the black and white decor and costumes, highlighting the green and pink in the scene.

If I had to predict who will direct the wicked film, I would say it will be Ryan Murphy. Murphy is known for "Glee" and "American Horror Story," but he's most recently directed the film adaptation of "the prom." Needless to say, Ryan Murphy knows how to direct a musical, and his latest projects have really cool lighting and costuming, which is essential in a movie like "Wicked." His "One Short Day" would be exciting and full of fun choreography and camerawork. It would be amazingly green.

These are just a few ideas for who could replace Stephen Daldry. Still, to be honest, at the rate this production is going, I think we should expect a new director to come on in 10 years or so.

To post a comment, you must register and login.