Why Did Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Say ‘Everything Scared’ Him About Making The Film? Recalls THIS Moment As Most Intimidating

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As a dedicated follower of the cinematic journey of Wicked, I must say that Jon M. Chu‘s courage and dedication are nothing short of inspiring. Having spent years nurturing the vision for this movie adaptation, he faced an overwhelming amount of fear every day, yet he persevered.

Even though director Jon M. Chu held an impressive and distinct concept for the movie version of the popular Broadway musical Wicked, he harbored apprehensions about every aspect of filmmaking. The prequel to The Wizard of Oz, drawn from Gregory Maguire’s novel, had been in development for quite some time. On December 13, Chu attended a screening of Wicked at Hollywood’s Linwood Dunn Theater together with leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as well as producer Marc Platt.

The director openly acknowledged that each day brought its own set of fears,” he said, adding that the most nerve-wracking scene to shoot was the iconic musical number ‘Defying Gravity’. This particular sequence proved particularly intimidating for him during filming.

Chu admitted that filming that musical “scared the s—” out of him. He was concerned about how Erivo as Elphaba would fly and feel the lyrics to the song which screenwriter Winnie Holzman “brilliantly” put together around 20 years ago. Despite the intense pressure, he had to let that fade away to focus on the scene. “These things haunted us, but there [was] a certain point where we say worry is a misuse of imagination that we couldn’t worry at a certain point,” he explained.

Chu further explained that they had been deeply invested since the beginning,” he said. Additionally, given their long-standing admiration for the musical and their eagerness to see this particular song brought to life, the director felt an additional burden from the cast and crew.

Speaking about the team, Chu commended their persistent efforts in brainstorming ways to enhance and elevate the film. He reminisced about the group pondering questions such as “How can we create a world that might appear dreamlike yet feel authentic with its own culture?” or “What is the best way to depict the intricate emotional relationship between Glinda (Grande) and Elphaba (Erivo)”?

Chu discussed the details of the song extensively, examining each aspect thoroughly, as the team tirelessly strived to improve their work daily. Notably, “Wicked” is currently showing in cinemas.

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2024-12-17 00:07