‘Wicked’ Movie Production Paused Due to Strike, Was Nearly Complete Per Director Jon M. Chu

Trevor Decker

Published

July 19, 2023

NOTE: This article is 9 months old and may not include the most recent information.

Reports surfaced this week that the highly anticipated two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked had finished filming. However, director Jon M. Chu took to social media to clarify that there are still a few days left of shooting once the SAG-AFTRA strike concludes.

Lead actress Ariana Grande was said to have completed all of her scenes and was heading back to the United States. This led to speculation that the movie had wrapped production. But Chu confirmed that while they were close, there were still some final pieces that needed to be filmed.

“Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie. We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close,” Chu wrote. “It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the time is right. My heart goes out to our cast and crew who were cut short of what we came here to complete together. More to come but in the meantime I’m excited to excavate what we have shot for the past year here in Oz (release date shouldn’t be affected). It has been an extraordinary adventure… more to do. #WickedMovie”

Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie. We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the…
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 19, 2023

Chu went on to praise the cast, including Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and others, for standing in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA during the strike. It seems the primary cast will return to set once the labor dispute has been resolved.

While exact details are unknown, it’s likely Grande and Erivo, who play main characters Elphaba and Glinda, will be among those that still need to film remaining scenes.

Excitement continues to build for the magical musical coming to life on the big screen. Under Chu’s direction, this new take on the classic tale of the Wicked Witch and Good Witch promises to be a spectacular event for Oz fans.