As a longtime fan of musicals, I’ve seen my fair share of adaptations that either fall short or exceed expectations. Having grown up with the original Wicked Broadway show and revisiting it multiple times, I must admit I was taken aback by the news of the live-action film’s runtime.


This week, we’ll revisit the magical land of Oz, and it seems we’ll stay for some time. Given that the running time for “The Wicked” film is quite extensive, some fans have started to express their concerns.

There’s already plenty of discussion online about the upcoming live-action version of Wicked, even though it won’t be released until November 22nd. The main actors, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, have been making headlines on their own before the release.

Previously, viral interviews and negative feedback about posters have passed, and now the focus has shifted towards the running time of the new film. More precisely, there’s a question arising – why is Wicked extending beyond the duration of the Broadway performance?

First introduced on stage in 2003, this musical performance spans roughly about three hours, with a short intermission of around 20 minutes. You might recall the exceptionally talented Adele Dazeem during that time.

As a gamer, I’m excited about diving back into this epic game saga, but right now, I can only experience half of the tale. The next chapter, which is scheduled for release in November 2025, promises to continue the narrative with the second act. However, the exact runtime isn’t confirmed yet.

A fan expressed their discontent on Reddit, stating that the entire duration of the Wicked musical, including a 15-minute intermission, amounts to 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, they pointed out that Act 1 itself spans 1 hour and 30 minutes.

The movie has included an additional hour and ten minutes of content in the first half of the story. When I’ve heard debates about why the split was essential, it was due to the film being too long otherwise. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case, as Part 1 is longer than the entire original show. (Paraphrased)

As a gamer, I totally agree: “Modern movie musicals have a major issue – the pacing! It’s crazy how they stretch an hour-long first act into a full-length movie. But here’s the thing, I’m not just watching dialogue; I’m here for the singing and dancing! If the film drags due to this elongation, it ruins the experience.

How long is the Wicked movie?

The film adaptation of “The Wicked” clocks in at approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, a duration that’s quite similar to an entire Broadway musical performance.

The specifics about how the movie will be expanded are still uncertain. However, it’s likely that additional songs will be incorporated into the soundtrack. The arrangement and progression of the actual scenes within the film are yet to be revealed.

Everything will depend on a single factor – the initial book. In case you didn’t know, both Wicked and The Wizard of Oz are adaptations of two novels: Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” and L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Reflect on the year 1939 and the primary film’s compact duration, which adhered to a straightforward narrative structure. Due to limitations, not all adaptations can incorporate every aspect from their original content, so it’s likely that many details were omitted.

Our two-hour-plus running time comes into play to shine. At first glance, the extended movie duration may seem excessive, but it could offer enriching context for familiar tales.

Wicked Part 1 is out worldwide on November 22. In the meantime, catch up with upcoming Disney releases, new movies streaming this month, and the best movies of the year so far.

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2024-11-18 20:18