鈥淢usical鈥� has been a dirty word lately in Hollywood marketing, but director Jon M. Chu isn鈥檛 having it.

Of course, there鈥檚 no running from the term when you鈥檙e bringing to the screen of the 21st century, or telling a story so connected to one of the most beloved movie musicals ever, 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz.鈥� But Chu, the 44-year-old filmmaker of 2021鈥檚 who as a young man was transported by 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� on the stage, is a true believer in form.

鈥淲hen words aren鈥檛 enough, music is the extension of your expression. That鈥檚 what movies do, and that鈥檚 what musicals do,鈥� says Chu. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 tied into their communication of where characters are at in this moment and time, it鈥檚 the most beautiful thing.鈥�

鈥淲icked,鈥� which Universal Pictures opens Thursday in theaters, is not just because it鈥檚 been split in two (the second 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� film will arrive in fall 2025), but because it鈥檚 going all-out for a big-screen, song-and-dance spectacular at a time when other films (see 鈥淲onka鈥� and 鈥淢ean Girls鈥�) have sought to shroud their musical underpinnings.

鈥淓veryone knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, once in a lifetime to make a movie of this scale, of this moment when cinema is being questioned of what place it has in our life,鈥� says Chu. 鈥淲e had to shoot the moon.鈥�

鈥淲icked,鈥� written by Winnie Holzman (who penned the book to the musical) and Dana Fox, stars Cynthia Erivo as the green-skinned Elphaba Thropp, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Galinda, the future Good Witch of the South.

Various forms of a 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� movie been in development almost since the Broadway show opened in 2003 鈥� earlier, in fact, because producer Marc Platt initially developed Gregory Maguire鈥檚 book 鈥淲icked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West鈥� as a film before shifting to the stage.

Over the years, J.J. Abrams, Ryan Murphy, Rob Marshall and Stephen Daldry have all been attached to it, along with a wide array of actors.

But Chu and Platt, who are also together developing a , consider it destiny that Chu would helm 鈥淲icked.鈥� During a recent interview by Zoom, Chu said he identifies strongly with the story鈥檚 themes of taking alternate routes to Emerald City.

鈥溾�楾he Wizard of Oz鈥� had such an influence of my own family 鈥� an immigrant family that came to America with these dreams,鈥� says Chu, whose parents were born in Taiwan and China. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going through such a changing period in our culture, and this hit it so on the nose 鈥� that change is difficult, that the Yellow Brick Road may not be the path for all of us.鈥�

Much of 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� will hinge on its two leads (though the supporting cast includes Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and as Madame Morrible). Chu says he never did a chemistry read with Erivo and Grande together 鈥� even though Grande auditioned numerous times.

鈥淎ri, she came in five times for us. Every time, she was the most interesting person in the room,鈥� Chu says. 鈥淚 resisted. I was like, 鈥楾here鈥檚 no way Ariana Grande, the person we think of, can handle this, carrying a movie, her first movie.鈥� Wait until you see her in this. She will blow your mind and break your hearts.鈥�

Erivo, who was already won a Tony, Grammy and Emmy, and been nominated for an Oscar, was an easier call.

鈥淚 knew Cynthia could do 鈥楧efy Gravity鈥� anytime, anywhere,鈥� says Chu. 鈥淲hat I didn鈥檛 know was how vulnerable she could be. But when she came in and sang 鈥楾he Wizard and I,鈥� she showed her wounds. To me, that鈥檚 why I fell in love with movies, when you get to see someone so raw.鈥�

The first 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� film will emphasize Elphaba鈥檚 transformation, the second Glinda鈥檚.

鈥淭hat structure and those journeys made it that much easier to see, oh, there鈥檚 two different stories,鈥� says Platt, the veteran producer of 鈥淟a La Land,鈥� 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥� and 鈥淟egally Blonde.鈥� 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the same story and it鈥檚 about both of them all the time. But, really, one character changes significantly through the first and one changes significantly in the second.鈥�

Measuring up to not just 鈥淲颈肠办别诲鈥� but 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz鈥� was an added pressure that led to some extremes. Chu, for example, had nine million tulips grown for his sets.

鈥淰ery few filmmakers have had the opportunity to paint Oz, and I took that very seriously,鈥� says Chu. 鈥淲e built a lot of sets. A 16-ton Emerald City train. We built Emerald City. We built Munchkin Land. You could walk around. You could go into stores. You could look at the labels in the stores!鈥�