The Wizard of Oz has been a worldwide classic for many decades now, but John M. Chu’s latest musical movie Wicked has offered a completely new lens through which to view this timeless story. The original movie follows a young girl named Dorothy as she’s transported to the magical land of Oz, where she’s instructed to visit a mysterious Wizard who can send her back home. The Wizard of Oz is the first movie in a long-running series of sequels, but none have been able to outshine the original.
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Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name (and later the Broadway musical), and takes place directly before the events of the original. Wicked includes several references to The Wizard of Oz while introducing many new characters whose arcs have direct impacts on Dorothy’s story and rewrite some of the narratives that audiences thought they knew. It’s a complete revision of the beloved story, and while that can often be controversial, the musical does a great job of ensuring that the 1939 movie still works logically. And yet, several scenes can’t be seen the same after Wicked.
10 The Wicked Witch Of The East’s Death
Dorothy Accidentally Kills Nessarose
Image via Warner Bros.
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The Wizard of Oz opens with Dorothy’s journey to the whimsical land of Oz, during which she accidentally squishes an unseen witch to death by landing her house on top of her. The scene is originally played for laughs, with Glinda later assuring Dorothy that she’s saved the munchkins from an evil witch, but the second half of Wicked makes the dramatic reveal that it was Nessarose, Elphaba’s sister, whose death Dorothy caused.
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While this reveal won’t see the big screen until Wicked: Part Two, there are still many hints throughout the first installment that clue the audiences towards this. The most obvious are Nessarose’s slippers, which will later be enchanted by Elphaba and become the ruby slippers that Dorothy wears. Knowing that it’s Nessarose underneath the house at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz gives a whole new subtext to the scene, particularly regarding Glinda’s seemingly gleeful reaction to the news.
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9 Glinda Sending Dorothy To The Emerald City
The Good Witch Sends Dorothy On A Pointless Journey
Although Glinda is only young in Wicked, many aspects of her character prove how seamlessly she will eventually transition into the Good Witch of the North. From her operatic singing voice to her frustrating complacency in the Wizard’s plans, there are many similarities between these characters. However, when the Good Witch decides to send Dorothy across the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz, there may be a hint of the old Glinda shining through.
With the information that’s revealed in Wicked about the Wizard being a fraud who can’t read the Grimmerie, Glinda’s decision to send Dorothy to the Emerald City could have multiple different interpretations. Either she’s sending the young girl on a wild goose chase to keep her away from Elphaba, or she’s subtly trying to expose the Wizard’s fraudulence without putting herself at risk. Wicked offers several interesting interpretations of Glinda’s actions in The Wizard of Oz, making her a much more interesting character.
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8 The Scarecrow’s Dance Number
Fiyero’s Old Self Shines Through This Musical Moment
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One of the first big musical sequences in The Wizard of Oz is the scarecrow’s performance of “If I Only Had A Brain”, in which he reveals that his greatest wish is to be given a brain by the Wizard. It’s a touching moment that solidifies the scarecrow as a likable character and a good friend to Glinda, but the scene has even more weight with the knowledge that the scarecrow is actually Fiyero, accidentally cursed by Elphaba in an attempt to save his life.
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There’s plenty of foreshadowing in Wicked that teases Fiyero’s eventual fate, but the most obvious may be his performance of “Dancing Through Life”, which has very similar choreography to the “If I Only Had A Brain” dance number. In fact, Wicked’s director John M. Chu even confirmed these similarities on X, crediting the film’s choreographer for coming up with these small details.
7 The Wicked Witch Throwing Fire At The Scarecrow
Elphaba Seemingly Turns Her Back On Fiyero
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Another aspect of The Wizard of Oz that’s fundamentally changed by Wicked’s second act is the relationship between the Wicked Witch and the scarecrow, who were previously known as Elphaba and Fiyero. Their romance is a major plot point in Wicked, but in The Wizard of Oz, they’re sworn enemies. The scarecrow’s ignorance is easily explained away by his lack of brain, which may have muddled his memories too, but it’s unclear why Elphaba would throw fire at him and try to kill him.
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The most likely explanation, and the answer that
Wicked
’s stage production seems to lean towards, is that Elphaba was merely keeping up appearances and didn’t want to implicate Fiyero in her “
wickedness”
.
The most likely explanation, and the answer that Wicked’s stage production seems to lean towards, is that Elphaba was merely keeping up appearances and didn’t want to implicate Fiyero in her “wickedness”. By keeping him at a distance, she’s protecting him and it makes her eventual escape more believable.
6 The Scarecrow Meets The Tin Man
The Moment Marks A Reunion Between Fiyero And Boq
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Wicked reveals that before he was cursed by Nessarose, The Wizard of Oz’s tin man was actually Boq, the munchkin who fell in love with Glinda during their time at school. He falsely blames Elphaba for his transformation, which rewrites his reasons for fighting against her in The Wizard of Oz. However, the most interesting detail that’s rewritten by this change in Wicked is the Tin Man’s first encounter with the scarecrow, as they’ve technically already met before.
Although neither character is aware of the other’s true identity, the scarecrow’s first interaction with the Tin Man is actually the reunion between Fiyero and Boq. Seeing these two friends battling for Glinda’s affections in Wicked, puts a whole new spin on this scene from The Wizard of Oz, making their friendship even more touching.
5 The Wicked Witch Commands The Flying Monkeys
Wicked Totally Rewrites These Unique Creatures
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In Wicked’s act one finale, it’s revealed that Elphaba unintentionally created the flying monkeys by reading a spell from the Grimmerie that she didn’t fully understand. It’s an action that she immediately regrets, but the Wizard uses it to his advantage to turn the entirety of Oz against her.
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Knowing this, it’s impossible to look at the flying monkeys the same in The Wizard of Oz. The dynamic between the Wicked Witch and her creatures is completely changed; not only were they created by the Witch, but they’re seemingly being controlled by her and have lost their autonomy. This is just another step in the Wizard’s propagandist plan, which paints the Wicked Witch as the villain.
4 “If I Were King Of The Forest”
This Musical Sequence Is Thematically Similar To Wicked
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One of The Wizard of Oz’s best musical moments is the cowardly lion’s performance of “If I Were King of the Forest”, in which he sings about wanting to be in charge of all the animals and be respected wherever he goes. The song’s melodrama and operatic vocals make it a clear standout of the soundtrack, but Wicked gives it a whole new meaning.
In Wicked, much of the story focuses on animal rights and the Wizard’s attempts to silence the animal population. This is why he tricks Elphaba into controlling the monkeys, and it’s why many of the animal professors from Shiz are fired. This subplot gives more depth to the cowardly lion’s song, and it’s even more poignant that he’s revealed to be the lion that Elphaba and Fiyero saved from the classroom; his entire life is owed to their shared respect for animals.
3 The Wizard’s Introduction
It’s Hard To Fear The Wizard Knowing His Backstory
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The Wizard’s introduction is one of The Wizard of Oz’s most intense moments, presenting him as a disembodied head who demands favors from his visitors for them to earn their rewards. The moment is supposed to strike fear into the audience in The Wizard of Oz, but with the knowledge that he’s basically just another non-magical human, Wicked’s retcons give the scene a much different tone.
Instead of trusting the Wizard and fearing his power during the character’s introduction, audiences who’ve seen Wicked are inclined to hate him and be angry at his exploitation of Dorothy and her friends. It completely changes the character’s purpose in the original story. Wicked offers more information on the Wizard of Oz’s real name and his backstory, which removes much of the mystery that originally surrounded the character.
2 The Wizard Demands The Witch’s Broomstick
The Wizard Has Motivations That Are Only Clear After Watching Wicked
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When Dorothy and her friends eventually arrive at the Emerald City, the Wizard demands that they hunt down the Wicked Witch and secure her broomstick before he can give them what they seek. This seems like a harmless plot device in the original film, giving them a quest to prove their worth, but Wicked makes the Wizard’s intentions much clearer and deplorable.
Wicked reveals that the Wizard is hunting the Wicked Witch because she could expose him for the fraud that he is, and by sending Dorothy after her, he’s simply trying to save his own skin. He’s not protecting the people of the Emerald City, because he knows that Elphaba doesn’t actually pose any threat to them.
1 The Wicked Witch of the West’s “Death“
Wicked Explains How Elphaba Survives The Water Bucket
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The narrative of Wicked: Part Two eventually lines up with the events of The Wizard of Oz, and the musical uses this opportunity to rewrite Elphaba’s death at the hands of Dorothy. The prequel reveals that the Witch’s weakness to water was simply propaganda that Madame Morrible had perpetuated, and Elphaba uses this to fake her death and escape Oz forever.
Knowing this, The Wizard of Oz’s final scenes are completely different. There’s a newfound respect for Elphaba as she allows the Wizard to believe that he’s won, but in reality, she’s the one who’s escaping to her new life with Fiyero – whom she’s tricked the Wizard into giving his brain back. It’s a huge twist that manages to give Elphaba her happy ending without fundamentally changing anything about Dorothy’s story.
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17 8.5/10 The Wizard of Oz PGMusicalFantasyFamilyAdventure
Based on Frank L. Baum’s book of the same name, The Wizard of Oz follows young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) as she’s swept away to the magical land of Oz. Upon arriving, she falls afoul of a witch, then enlists the help of a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion in order to find the Wizard and get home to her family.
Director Victor Fleming Release Date August 25, 1939 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Florence Ryerson , Noel Langley , Edgar Allan Woolf Cast Margaret Hamilton , Jack Haley , Judy Garland , Bert Lahr , Ray Bolger Runtime 102 minutes Expand
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101 8.4/10 Wicked PGAdventureFantasyMusical
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Director Jon M. Chu Release Date November 22, 2024 Studio(s) Marc Platt Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Gregory Maguire , Winnie Holzman , Dana Fox , L. Frank Baum Cast Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd Runtime 160 Minutes Expand
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