Wicked Movie Production Start Delayed To June 2022 | Screen Rant
The film adaptation of the 2003 Broadway hit musical Wicked faces another delay on its way to theaters. Plans for a Wicked film adaptation have been in the works since 2004, when the show was nominated for several awards including Best Musical in the 2004 Tony's, but the film has yet to get any closer to a solid release date. Many attempts have been made to get this show on screen including a Wicked mini-series to be produced by Salma Hayek, which has yet to be seen, and the film has been in and out of the news with delayed release dates and creative team departures.
According to THR, Wicked fans will have to wait a bit longer as production is delayed yet again. The film was supposed to begin filming in March 2021 in Atlanta, but has been moved to June 2022 and will relocate to the U.K. This move allows "the filmmakers to get production efficiencies in-line" because Wicked will be the first production to use Universal’s new sound stages.
However, even with a location and production dates figured out, the project still hasn’t been officially greenlit and is still considered to be ‘in development.’ The creative team, which includes producers Marc Platt (Dear Even Hansen) and Dave Stone, and director Jon M. Chu (In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) has been told to move forward with production despite the script remaining unfinished. Universal has stated Wicked is a priority for their studio but considering their tumultuous relationship with musicals, where there had been great success with Mama Mia! and Les Misérables and recent letdowns like 2019’s Cats and Dear Even Hansen, the delays hopefully suggest the production team is working hard to present something great to audiences.
Source: THR