According to a recent casting announcement made by The Hollywood Reporter, casting for Wicked appears to have proceeded. Madame Morrible, the principal of Elphaba’s school, will now be portrayed by Michelle Yeoh in Universal Pictures’ version of the novel.
Yeoh will portray Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, according to a Variety article. In the narrative about penetrating one’s heart and going beyond the surface, Madame Morrible is a blatantly evil figure. She is a master manipulator, so there isn’t much good in her, but it will be fun to see Yeoh show off her evil side.
The famous actress is far more accommodating in real life, and director Jon M. Chu revealed that a tweet persuaded Yeoh to join Wicked after the announcement. They have previously collaborated on Chu’s historical comedy Crazy Rich Asians, in which Yeoh also appeared.
The famous actress is much more accommodating in real life, and director Jon M. Chu revealed that a tweet persuaded Yeoh to join Wicked after the announcement. They have previously collaborated on Chu’s historical comedy Crazy Rich Asians, in which Yeoh also starred.
It took one tweet to convince the ICON (and dear friend) #MichelleYeoh to play our Madame Morrible in #WickedMovie. Am I the luckiest director in the world to get to work with her again?! Spoiler alert: yes I am. Welcome to Shiz ❤️https://t.co/bQ00bguh01
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) December 8, 2022
Arana Grande is already in the show as Glinda, therefore Cynthia Erivo will play Elphaba. The Wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum, is also a member of the cast, and Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey. Ethan Slater from SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, who plays Boq in the John M. Chu-directed movie, is also a member of the cast.
The movie will be divided into two separate projects, which will shoot concurrently in January. So, before Christmas, there may be a few more casting announcements. The benefit of two movies is that there will be more room to explore the characters, which may mean that Ms. Morrible will gain new dimensions.
“We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie but two,” Chu wrote in a statement at the time of the two-part announcement. “With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”
The initial installment is already scheduled to be released on December 25, 2024. The 2025 Christmas would serve as the backdrop for the sequel. Therefore, it will be some time before we get a sneak peek or even a hint at how they’ll adapt the famous musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.
