Disney artist makes a "Wicked" proposal

[Mooky]

From thedailywh.at:

In her spare time, Disney animator Heidi Jo Gilbert put together a bunch of storyboards for a possible animated adaptation of Wicked in the hopes of convincing her employer and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz to pursue the endeavor.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tTDTGXAEvvA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thoughts?

[Animalia]

I'm not sure... The songs from Wicked are amazing and the storyboard of Defying Gravity is really cool, but the actually plot of Wicked really doesn't seem like it would be good as an animated feature.

In my opinion the Phantom of the Opera would make a better animated feature than Wicked, even if you didn't tweak anything.

Probably going to have a swarm of people who disagree with me.

[DisneyJedi]

Oh, my God! That would be SO cool if they did it!

If they got Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth on board as well, this would be a sure-fire hit.

[DisneyAnimation88]

Not for me personally as I'm not a fan of musicals, but I could envision a Disney adaptation. I wonder whether Disney would rather make this as a live-action film, similar to Enchanted, perhaps as a follow up to the Oz film Sam Raimi is directing.

[merlinjones]

My understanding is that Universal Pictures has the movie option on the book, and in fact, they co-financed the stage musical to help popularize the property before making a movie (which certainly worked). If that's the case, this would have to be a co-production between Universal and Disney and it's hard to see why Universal would split such a gravy train - - they are just waiting it out to make the most on their investment as the stage version plays on the road and continues to reap cash.

[candydog]

Given that Universal owns the stage musical and rights to the movie which would no doubt be a huge box office success regardless of how good it is, a Disney adaptation of the musical will never happen, animated or otherwise.

[DancingCrab]

Love the storyboard video.

I would prefer Universal turn Wicked into an animated film anyway. Mostly just because 95% of movie versions of Broadway musicals kind of suck. The heightened style of it would work well in a "Tangled" type film.

Though last I heard, Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) was being approached about a live action film of the musical.

[mariadny]

Wicked by Disney?
No, please.
I want Princess and the Pea and Snow Queen.
With the awesome Tangled....I need more Disney fairy tales and classic stories.

[SWillie!]

Wicked by Disney?
No, please.
I want Princess and the Pea and Snow Queen.
With the awesome Tangled....I need more Disney fairy tales and classic stories.

Do you know the story of Wicked? It's the closest to a "fairy tale" or "classic story" that could possibly be made in modern times.

[UmbrellaFish]

You go, Heidi! I had the same idea! lol

Of course, as others have pointed out, it's hugely implausible because Universal would have its hands on a movie adaptation of Wicked before anybody, so...

Still, Heidi, you rock!

[mariadny]

Wicked by Disney?
No, please.
I want Princess and the Pea and Snow Queen.
With the awesome Tangled....I need more Disney fairy tales and classic stories.

Do you know the story of Wicked? It's the closest to a "fairy tale" or "classic story" that could possibly be made in modern times.

I know
But I prefer Wicked in live action, not as Disney animated classic.

[Wonderlicious]

Wicked by Disney?
No, please.
I want Princess and the Pea and Snow Queen.
With the awesome Tangled....I need more Disney fairy tales and classic stories.

Weeeelll, Wicked takes a lot of inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, which is very much a classic story, and a fairy tale at that (depending on your criteria). It's more of a twist on a classic, with characters getting tangled (uh oh...the Disney change debate starts again ). And it's certainly meatier for adaptation than The Princess and the Pea, which is short even as fairy tales go.

Either way, I think animation (either traditional or CG) would be a good medium for Wicked, as the show has a somewhat theatrical and hyperbolic feel to it, which a CGI-laden live-action film could perhaps not capture. Obviously, it would be unlikely that Disney could produce this film, but a good animated version would be welcome in my books. Considering their ties with Universal, perhaps Dreamworks would be able to do it (and after How to Train Your Dragon, I have faith that they could do any film without pop-culture references and a semi-obligatory dance party).

[SpringHeelJack]

Hey, they made it not suck. Maybe it should be animated.

[Scarred4life]

I want Princess and the Pea

That would be absolutely amazing!

If you can believe it, I have never actually seen Wicked, so I can't make a judgment. But that storyboard looks wonderful!

[SWillie!]

Hey, they made it not suck. Maybe it should be animated.

You think Wicked sucks? I've never met a soul who doesn't love it.

[Disney Duster]

Wow that's so cool.

Okay, so here it is:

I know that Walt Disney wanted to make a film on the first Oz book, couldn't, and then wanted to make a movie called "The Rainbow Road to Oz" based on later books.

But Gregory McGuire's book was intended to be, and is, far more adult and realistic than than typical Disney or the MGM movie.

The musical strays from the book, but is still pretty adult and not quite Disney.

So basically, they would have to really "Disney" this thing up to make it fit the Disney image...and I don't think that this fits the intentions of L. Frank Baum, Gregory McGuire, the people who helped make the musical, or Walt Disney.

Gregory McGuire's book is especially meant to feel so "real", that live-action is a much better suit for his story.

However, I will say that Heidi's storyboards border on brilliant, the only thing is I think Elphaba should have been turned toward Glinda and Oz when she said her last lines and her little yell. I mean, she's basically saying "Look at me I'm on my own free from you and better than you!", and she has her back to them... I also hate Elphaba's, Madame Morrible's, and the Wizard's character designs, or I at least don't think they are good enough. But the main idea of her storyboards, like I said, are verging on brilliant.

[zackisthewalrus]

NBC Universal took it down.

Good thing I watched it 3 times before they did though. Haha. I LOVED it! I would love if someone followed through with this idea.

[Super Aurora]

NBC Universal took it down.

Good thing I watched it 3 times before they did though. Haha. I LOVED it! I would love if someone followed through with this idea.

NBC Universal being dickheads.



it's fanmade. they can't claim ownership over it.

[merlinjones]

The "Maleficent" live-action project seems to be Disney's "my side of the story" variation on "Wicked".

And Disney has another live-action project in the pipeline: "Oz: The Great and Powerful" -- which Johnny Depp just turned down and James Franco might take.

[monorail91]

I would love for Wicked to be an animated feature! I feel like the effects would be cheesy on screen if it was live action. (LOVE the musical, so I'm not slamming it!)