Yes, fans of all things green and gravity-defying: the Wicked movie is happening, and it has a release date.
It was announced today that the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical will be in theaters in 2019. And there is quite a creative force shepherding the "untold story of the witches of Oz" to the big screen.
The film will be directed by Stephen "Billy Elliot" Daldry (whose other film credits include The Hours and The Reader). And the musical's original composer and book writer Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman will pen the screenplay.
So the green DNA will be intact.
There is no word on casting as yet, however it seems unlikely that original Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel will return to their roles of Glinda and Elphaba. When quizzed about the possibility this April, Menzel joked that she'd be too old to play Elphaba..."unless [producer Marc Platt] CGI’s it, and he knows how I feel about that—I really want him to do that.”
So who'll get the chance to smother themselves in emerald paint and put your local multiplex's Dolby surround sound to the test? Lea Michele? Anna Kendrick?
We'll no doubt soon find out. In the meantime, enjoy the hell out of this: