This list contains mentions of sexual assault.
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Warning: This list contains spoilers for the Wicked movie, musical, and novel.Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel that reimagines The Wizard of Oz, but the movie substantially changes the story. Wicked went from book to musical to movie, all inspired by L. Frank Baum’s original novel and the classic 1939 movie it was adapted into. Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a much darker and more adult story than what is depicted in the Broadway musical and subsequently the movie. Yet themes of political corruption, discrimination, and propaganda are evident in both, reframing the narrative of the Land of Oz.
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked is based on the show rather than the book and largely adheres to the changes that Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz made to the story. Chief among them is the decision to focus on the friendship between Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good, who still meet at Shiz University in the book, but the latter is decidedly more of a supporting character. Intrinsically, Wicked makes changes to The Wizard of Oz, but the movie’s success has perhaps further guaranteed that this version of the story will resonate the most with audiences, despite its changes to the source material.
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20 The Time Dragon Clock Is Given No Context
The Time Dragon Clock Represents A Religious Movement In The Book, While It Is Merely Decoration In The Musical
Image via Universal Pictures
The Wicked musical production includes a substantial dragon set piece hovering above the stage, which briefly comes to life in the show’s opening. Ariana Grande’s Glinda also mentions the time dragon in the movie’s first sequence, as a reference to when the Wicked Witch died. Neither adaptation elaborates further. However, in the book, the Clock of the Time Dragon is a complex feat of machinery, and a traveling show, which puts on puppet shows that tell the future, around which a religion has formed.
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The Time Dragon is substantially important to the book’s themes of religious conflict; Elphaba’s father, called Frexspar, strongly disapproves of the new religion. However, due to a series of chaotic circumstances, Elphaba ends up being born literally inside the Time Dragon. Much later in the book, one of its puppet shows also tells her that the Wizard is her biological father.
19 The Wizard’s Direct Predecessor Isn’t Mentioned
Without Mention Of Ozma, It’s Not Entirely Clear Who Was Ruling Oz Right Before The Wizard Showed Up
Image via Universal Pictures
The new section of “One Short Day” in Wicked provides some sense of earlier rulership in Oz but still suggests that the Wise Ones are long-off, ancient beings, creating something of a mystery about how Oz’s government worked for years before the Wizard showed up. In the novel, Oz was ruled by a line of queens all called Ozma before the Wizard arrived and overthrew the monarchy. The most recent Ozma went into hiding, with some hoping she would one day reclaim the throne. Meanwhile, the movie suggests that Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard arrived to find a power vacuum for the taking.
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18 The Circumstances Of Elphaba’s Conception
Melena Has A Scandalous Affair With An Unseen Man In The Wicked Movie
In the movie, Elphaba’s mother Melena (Courtney Mae-Briggs) is depicted as bored in her marriage, leading her to have an affair with a mysterious man bringing her a green elixir. In the book, Melena is still characterized as promiscuous and unhappy with Frexspar, but she doesn’t consent to what leads to Elphaba’s conception. When discussing the possible reasons for Elphaba’s green skin, Melena tells her childhood nanny that she only has vague memories of meeting a strange man who offered her a drink, with only the green bottle remaining afterward.
17 Elphaba Is A Nicer Baby (Without Teeth)
Book Elphaba Is Born With Sharp Teeth & Is A Difficult Child
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In addition to her green skin, Elphaba is born with a full set of sharp teeth in the book. She is also vicious as a child; the adults are all careful around her not to get bitten. While the musical doesn’t spend any time on Elphaba’s upbringing, the movie provides some flashbacks. The filmmakers found it much easier to depict Elphaba as a kind if defensive baby and girl, who is lovingly cared for by her nanny. Even in her adulthood, the book’s version of Elphaba is much more complicated, but she still forms lasting bonds with Glinda and others.
16 There Is No Question Of Who Nessarose’s Father Is
Melena Has An Affair Around The Time Of Nessa’s Birth In The Book
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Melena willingly has an affair with Turtle Heart, a man from Quadling Country in the south of Oz. Despite the ongoing affair which Nanny seems to know about while Melena’s husband doesn’t, Turtle Heart stays with them for some time and is considered a dear family friend. Turtle Heart is eventually killed by Munchkinlanders in a sacrifice to end a drought, while Nessarose’s paternity remains unconfirmed. It is revealed years later that Frexspar was also in love with Turtle Heart, and Nessarose is his favorite child partially because he viewed her as their shared daughter.
15 Nessarose’s Disability Is Different
Nessa Uses A Wheelchair In The Movie & Musical, Differing From The Book
Nessarose is still born disabled, likely due to Melena taking medication to prevent another child with green skin. However, in the book, she is born without arms rather than having to use a wheelchair. Nessarose and her siblings are largely raised by their mother’s nanny, who stays with Nessa into her adulthood to help her with what she cannot manage on her own. In the second act of the show, Elphaba enchants Nessa’s shoes so she can walk; in the book, Glinda enchants the shoes, so Nessa has better balance and needs much less daily assistance.
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14 Elphaba & Nessarose’s Father Is The Governor Of Munchkinland
Elphaba & Nessa Stood To Inherit Munchkinland Through Their Mother In The Book
Also part of the book’s religious storylines is the occupation of Elphaba and Nessarose’s father; in this version, he is a Unionist minister. Following Turtle Heart’s death, Frexspar and Melena went to Quadling Country to do missionary work. Elphaba her siblings largely grew up in the south of Oz because of this, rather than in Munchkinland.
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The name Thropp and dominion over Munchkiland actually comes from their mother’s family and is inherited by the family’s female descendants. For much of the novel, Elphaba’s great-grandfather holds the title of Eminent Thropp and Elphaba is his heir. She is then out of contact with her family for many years, and Nessa inherits the position instead upon her predecessor’s death, becoming known as the Wicked Witch of the East for her cruel regime. Elphaba never challenges her sister to reclaim the title.
13 Elphaba & Nessarose Are Raised By A Bear Nanny
The Wicked Movie Reimagined Nanny As Dulcibear, Both Being Absent From The Show
Elphaba and Nessarose are raised by the character known simply as “Nanny,” who raised their mother before them and offers some insights into Melena later in Elphaba’s life. After leaving Nessa, Nanny travels on her own and manages to find Elphaba again in Winkie Country. While the musical has no nanny character, the Wicked movie includes Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke), a kindly bear who looks after the girls. However, Nanny provides similar support and encouragement to Elphaba — for instance, insisting she socialize with other children — as Dulcibear does for Cynthia Erivo’s version of the character.
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12 Elphaba & Nessarose Don’t Have A Brother
Shell Doesn’t Make It Into the Wicked Musical Or Movie
Image via Universal Pictures
Melena and Frexspar have a third child, the only one who is certainly Frexspar’s biological offspring. The third child and only boy is named Shell, in honor of Turtle Heart. Melena dies giving birth to Shell rather than Nessarose. Shell’s activities in the first novel are mysterious, as he seems to be the rogue family member, even more so than Elphaba, who is presumed dead for many years. However, he becomes an antagonist in Maguire’s later Wicked Years books. The movies could further explore Nessa’s character, yet they maintain the decision to cut Shell for screen time.
11 Elphaba Only Comes To Shiz With Nessarose
Elphaba Comes To Shiz Alone At First In The Book
Image via Universal Pictures
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In the musical, Elphaba’s father enrolls her at Shiz solely to look after Nessarose while she is there. One of the changes Wicked makes to the musical is that Elphaba is not initially enrolled, only Nessa (Marissa Bode in the movie). Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) insists that Elphaba stay after her accidental display of power. In the book, Elphaba arrives at Shiz ahead of Nessa, who joins them when she presumably reaches the standard age of enrollment. Despite her harsher personality in the novel, Elphaba is still a doting sister, and is eager for Glinda to meet Nessa.
10 Pfannee & ShenShen Are Enamored With Glinda
Glinda Instantly Has Her Classmates Wrapped Around Her Finger In The Movie & Musical
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In both adaptations, Glinda is framed as being at the top of the social hierarchy at Shiz. In the book, she is from a more upper-middle-class background and still feels like she has something to prove to her higher-ranking classmates. Namely, her two friends Pfannee and Shensehn (both young women), one of whom pranks Glinda by inviting Elphaba to join them during the holidays, writing a letter under Glinda’s name. Glinda ditches both Pfannee and Shenshen following Dr. Dillamond’s grim fate. Galinda changing her name to Glinda is also more genuinely in memory of Dillamond than in the movie.
9 Female Students At Shiz Aren’t Chaperoned
The Character Of Ama Clutch Is Redundant In The Movie
The culture at Shiz is much more conservative than in the movie, with the male and female students being kept more separated. The young women from families with some money send them to school with personal chaperones, including Glinda with Ama Clutch. Ama Clutch is injured on the way to the school, which is why she is not there to sort out rooming arrangements for Glinda; Glinda only manages to convince Morrible that her chaperone cannot look after a whole dorm full of girls, leading to her only being responsible for Glinda and Elphaba.
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8 Doctor Dillamond Teaches History
Dillamond’s Instruction & Research Is Important To The Story In Both Versions
The book’s version of Dr. Dillamond is a life sciences teacher rather than history. This sets up a subplot where Dillamond is researching the biological differences between Animals and humans, in the hopes of a discovery that will upend Oz’s unjust treatment of his kind. Interestingly, Peter Dinklage’s Dillamond’s subject is also tied up with Wicked‘s animal storyline. Dillamond stresses to his students the importance of learning about the past and observing the changes that are happening and why. In both versions, Dillamond’s scholastic pursuits bring persecution from those who want to oppress the animals.
7 Elphaba Is Naturally Powerful & Studies Sorcery
Elphaba Immediately Wins Madame Morrible’s Attention
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The first half of the Wicked musical and movie revolves around Elphaba being so magically powerful that she accidentally causes mayhem. Madame Morrible takes notice of this and immediately begins training her, hoping that she will be able to use Elphaba to bolster the Wizard’s regime. In the book, Elphaba begins studying sorcery much later, and on her own. When she is at school, she is much more interested in the sciences. She becomes Dr. Dillamond’s research assistant and intended to major in his subject, while Glinda still wants to study sorcery, as she does in the movie.
6 Glinda & Fiyero Quickly Become A Couple
Glinda & Fiyero Are Never A Couple In The Book, But He Still Has An Affair With Elphaba
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Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey in the movie) and Glinda do not have the instant prom queen/prom king dynamic that leads to a relationship in the book; they are never a couple in the original source material. Fiyero still arrives at Shiz after the rest of the students. His status as a Winkie prince is treated more as a peculiarity than a given reason to admire him. Fiyero has also been in an arranged marriage since childhood, having only briefly met his chosen bride ahead of them actually living together as a married couple as adults.
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By the time Fiyero reunites with Elphaba following her leaving Shiz, he and his wife have three children. This sets up the storyline of him having an extramarital affair with Elphaba. They also have a son named Liir, who travels with Elphaba in the later chapters of the book. To streamline the plot and cause more friction between Elphaba and Glinda, most of this storyline was rewritten to involve the latter. In the musical, Fiyero is engaged to Glinda when he leaves her for Elphaba.
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5 The Culprit Behind “Animals Should Be Seen And Not Heard” Is A Mystery
No One Knows Who Wrote The Message On Dillamond’s Chalkboard In The Movie
Image via Universal Pictures
Who wrote the message on Dillamond’s chalkboard is never followed up on in the movie or the musical. It largely serves to demonstrate an overall environment where animals are not welcome, and any one of the students could have written it. Yet Madame Morrible is revealed to be in favor of the Wizard’s moves against the animal population. Additionally, the phrase “animals should be seen and not heard” comes up in the book when Morrible directly says it in a poetry presentation. This leads to a discussion about how seriously her words should be taken when the prejudice behind them is still clear.
4 Doctor Dillamond Is Killed
Dillamond’s Fate Is Much More Violent In The Book
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Elphaba is deeply affected by Dr. Dillamond’s arrest, but her classmates seem able to brush it off, not wanting to cause trouble. However, in the novel, Dillamond is murdered while teaching at Shiz, possibly because his research threatened the order of things. Many of the students see Dillamond’s body with his throat slit being carried out and are traumatized by it. Ama Clutch finds the body and is hospitalized for the rest of her life because of it; Elphaba long suspects Madame Morrible being behind it, but this is never proven.
3 Boq Moves On From Glinda
Boq & Nessarose Are Never A Couple In The Book, But He Eventually Gets Over His Crush On Glinda
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Boq’s (Ethan Slater) infatuation with Glinda is adapted from the book, but he eventually moves on from his crush. He and Glinda have more direct conversations about his feelings, as they conduct several meetings with Elphaba acting as a chaperone where he expresses his wish to spend time with her, even if she is not his romantic partner. After Glinda undergoes a substantial character change following Dillamond’s murder, Boq only thinks of her as a friend. They are both members of the “charmed circle,” including Elphaba, Nessarose, Fiyero, and some others. Boq later marries someone else and has several children.
2 Elphaba Is Invited To The Emerald City
Rather Than Madame Morrible Setting Up Elphaba’s Meeting With The Wizard, Elphaba & Glinda Go Rogue
As Madame Morrible teaches Elphaba specifically as a potential assistant to the Wizard, the Wizard learns of the young witch through her, and Elphaba receives an invitation to come to the Emerald City and meet him. Morrible similarly tries to recruit Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose to the regime in the book, casting some kind of spell that troubles Elphaba for years afterward. However, as far as Elphaba’s trip to the Emerald City is concerned in the book, she recruits Glinda, and they go off with no invitation, intending to confront the Wizard about what’s happening to the animals.
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1 Elphaba Accidentally Creates The Flying Monkeys
Elphaba Is Horrified By Her Magical Mistake In The Movie
The Wizard is nowhere near as welcoming and sends the young women packing, never allowing for Elphaba’s demonstration of magic that leads to the accidental creation of the flying monkeys. Elphaba stays behind in the Emerald City rather than return to Morrible’s domain and begins working against the Wizard. Elphaba creates the flying monkeys much later through more intentional magical experimentation. This is just one example of the tendency of the source material for Wicked to be much darker and more disturbing, both with its main character and the state of Oz at large.
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144 8.6/10 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 Character(s) Elphaba Thropp , Glinda Upland , Madame Morrible , The Wizard , Fiyero Tigelaar , Boq , Nessarose Thropp , Pfannee , ShenShen , Miss Coddle , Doctor Dillamond (voice) , Avaric Tenmeadows , Gilligan , Professor Nikidik , Glinda’s Father , Governor Frexspar Thropp , Melena Thropp , The Midwife Runtime 160 Minutes Expand
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