'Wicked' Movie (Finally) Gets 2019 Release Date ~ amazing movies

More than 12 years after it hit Broadway, a movie version of the musical smash "Wicked" is finally coming to the big screen, and has an official release date.

Studio Universal announced on Thursday that "Wicked" would hit movie theaters on December 20, 2019, a release date that's right in the thick of awards season. And with the show's success on Broadway -- it won three Tonys in 2004, and has grossed more than $1 billion since its debut -- producers of the flick likely have Oscar in their sights as well.

The movie will be directed by Stephen Daldry (who's been nominated for four Oscars, and won a Tony for directing the musical version of his film "Bill Elliot"), who joined the project way back in 2012. Producer Marc Platt, who also produced the stage version of "Wicked," will return in that role as well.

"Wicked" is based on the "Wizard of Oz" prequel novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire, and was adapted for the stage by book writer Winnie Holzman and famed lyricist-composer Stephen Schwartz ("Godspell," "Pippin"), who took home a Tony for his work on the show. Holzman and and Schwartz will collaborate on the film's screenplay.

As for just who will star, Idina Menzel, who won the Best Actress Tony for playing Elphaba in the original Broadway production, admitted in an interview earlier this year that she was probably too old for the role now. Still, we'd love to see her and fellow star Kristin Chenoweth pop up in the production in some capacity. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

[via: Deadline]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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