“Wicked” Success Has Impacted The Sequel

Universal Pictures
One of the most talked about moments of the Critics Choice Awards on Friday was when “Wicked” filmmaker Jon M. Chu took home the Best Director award – beating out some more high-profile names for the honor.

It was arguably the biggest surprise of the night, even for Chu who seemed visibly shocked and taken aback that he won. The win came as Chu is currently editing “Wicked: For Good,” the second film of the two-film adaptation of the celebrated stage musical.

Speaking with media in the wake of the win, he tells Deadline that the first film’s massive critical and box-office success has impacted his vision for the sequel. The main effect? The second film is being made more for the fans and less for the casuals, so it won’t dumb down any elements:

“It [the success] does affect when we went back into the cut, like, ‘Oh, wait, they’re really paying attention to every detail,’ and how we plan on paying certain things off. Maybe we can be more subtle with that, or maybe we don’t have to remind them of so much.

It absolutely affects everything that we’re doing. I didn’t think it would, but actually getting into the cut, I feel like I’m more in the head space of where the fans are, whereas before, we had to cover our bases a little bit more for everybody.”

He goes on to say in the sequel, that Oz is “bigger… more expansive” along with being more relevant for the current day as it explores “the courage and the consequences it takes, to some of the choices that we have to make and who you choose to become when you know the truth.”

Chu was snubbed from the director’s category in this year’s Oscar nominations.