The 'Wicked' Movie Finally Got An Official Release Date, To The Delight Of Fans Everywhere

Almost two decades after its original Broadway release in 2003, Universal Pictures has officially announced a release date for a live-action adaptation of the musical Wicked. Though Universal has gone back and forth about the movie's release date, it's finally official: Wicked the movie is coming to theaters in December 2021. Mark your calendars and expect to have a very nostalgic holiday season in 2021.

Per Forbes, the movie date is finally official, and there is even an official IMDB page for the film, so it's safe to say you can start getting pumped for the 2021 holiday season. In case you're not familiar with the story, Wicked is a modified re-telling of the The Wizard of Oz centering the story of the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch. The original cast of Wicked included Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba. In 2004, Menzel won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for one of Wicked's signature songs, "Defying Gravity." Since then, other notable cast members have included Taye Diggs, Adam Lambert, and Carol Kane. The play, which is one of the longest running shows on Broadway is also the second-highest grossing show in Broadway history trailing only the Lion King.

So, its no surprise that fans are beyond hype to see the stage show come to the silver screen, especially after it was originally slated for a December 2019 release. Although, fans are a little bummed they'll have to wait until 2021 to see the film.

Even though fans of the show are patiently waiting, they can't help but keep their hopes tempered, given they've had this excitement before.

Who can moviegoers expect to see starring in the live-action version in 2021? Since there are no reports about the cast yet, fans are taking to Twitter to share who they think should star in the movie.

Many fans are suggesting our current pop culture queen Ariana Grande star as a lead character in the film. In 2018, Grande performed "The Wizard and I" for Wicked's 15th anniversary. Twitter user @likejustjess wrote, "If @ArianaGrande isn’t in this wicked movie i quit."

Others are rooting for Lea Michele, who is frequently compared to Idina Menzel, to get a starring role. Twitter user @styIesbroadway wrote that Michele is the "[E]lphaba we deserve."

Even Oprah magazine published a "dreamcast" for the Wicked movie which includes Ariana Grande, Auli-i Cravalh, Nick Jonas, Nathan Lane, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, and Ben Platt.

Wicked's IMDb page does share any concrete cast-related info, but the trivia section can give fans some clues about what to expect. Some factoids from the trivia section reveal that Amanda Seyfried is actively pursing the role of Glinda, Bette Midler and Nicole Kidman are being considered for the role of Madame Morrible, and Anna Kendrick is a possible candidate for Elphaba. Sorry Grande and Michele fans, you might have to live with a Wicked movie without your faves.

The IMDb page also gives readers a brief synopsis of the movie. So far, it doesn't seem like the storyline will differ much from the Broadway musical:

The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West; feature film based on the Broadway musical.

The movie will be directed by Stephen Daldry who also directed movies like Billy Elliot, The Reader, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and The Hours. Winnie Holzman wrote the screenplay, and Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is the composer-lyricist. Even though fans have to wait almost three years for the beloved show to hit the silver screen, it looks like the wait will be totally worth it.