On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Student Life Cinema (SLC) thrilled Florida State students with an exclusive advanced screening of the highly anticipated movie adaptation of “Wicked,” debuting a full 10 days before its official release.
“Wicked” is the second advanced screening the SLC has hosted this semester. This marks an incredible milestone for the SLC, as the film was shown on campus merely three days after its premiere in Los Angeles.
“We have a contract with NBCUniversal, and we’ve been in correspondence with them a lot throughout the years because they’ve done a lot of pre-screenings through us,” the SLC’s New Releases Film Programmer Luis Garcia said. “It’s just years of working with them and building that good relationship. The moment the people at Universal wanted to see how ‘Wicked’ would do in college audiences, we came to mind because we already have that relationship with them.”
The exclusivity of the screening made it more structured than the typical SLC movie. Attendees were required to get a wristband before entering the theater. There was also a warning before the screening against filming the movie, reinforced by the presence of university police seated in the back row.
“I was really happy with how it went,” Garcia said. “It was a really great crowd, and I’m really happy that, at least from the sounds of the audience and reactions to certain scenes, it was mostly fans, which was great. I’m glad we were able to bring that experience to them.”
Universal Pictures is determined to have “Wicked” live up to its cinematic potential. With promotional collaborations ranging from Betty Crocker to Ariana Grande’s own r.e.m. beauty, the world was promised a hit, and they delivered.
As one of the most famous musicals ever to debut on Broadway, the film has a lot of anticipation surrounding it. Many fans are hoping the film will recreate the magic of the musical.
“I saw ‘Wicked’ on Broadway so I was really excited to see the movie,” FSU sophomore Anna Crede said. “Nothing will compare to the live performance, but I am still looking forward to the movie!”
The film has a lot of expectations surrounding it — the star-studded cast featuring Grande and Cynthia Erivo as leads and the source material make the film anxiously anticipated. Not only is this a movie adaptation of a musical but it is also based on a book and speaks to the original classic fantasy that inspired it all — “The Wizard of Oz.”
“Wicked” has had an undeniable impact on the musical theater community. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the musical is being performed on Broadway in New York City, and appears on London’s West End as well as on an international tour.
The translation of a musical to a movie is an immense feat, especially with such a well-known work. In this new medium, the cast and crew are granted the opportunity to take advantage of editing and reshoots while maintaining the magic of the original production.
“The beauty of the film is that it’s more accessible,” Jasmine Bracey, assistant professor of theatre performance, said. “Not everyone can afford the Broadway ticket to see Wicked, and the national tour doesn’t stop everywhere. The movie will allow me to finally see the show I couldn’t afford to see years ago.”
It is impossible to consider “Wicked” without acknowledging its iconic predecessor, “The Wizard of Oz.” The movie was one of the first films to debut the technological marvel of technicolor. With colors and characters that radiate off of the screen, this movie represented what many first think of as the birth of cinema as we know it.
As the credits rolled, there was not a dry eye in the theater. This is the legacy of both “The Wizard of Oz” and “Wicked” the musical, and now this movie adaptation has joined their ranks.
“I think adaptations are great and refreshing,” Bracey said. “A lot has changed in almost 30 years, and while the core story doesn’t need to alter, the generational lens and needs of the society shift, so looking at what a story has to offer and shifting it to impact the thinking & culture of a society.”
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