"Wicked" author Gregory Maguire says upcoming movie will inspire children
CONCORD - The author of "Wicked" has given his stamp of approval to the anticipated movie version of his beloved story, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Gregory Maguire has called Concord home for decades. In that time, the best-selling author has seen his idea move from the page to the stage, and now to the big screen.
"Wicked" still relevant today
"The fact that the story of Wicked continues to be pertinent 30 years after it was first published shocks me, saddens me a little bit, because it's about social ills and political stress, but also encourages me because it means we're still looking for guidance and for comfort," he said.
Maguire first fell in love with "The Wizard of Oz" when he was young and noticed that in the book, The Wicked Witch of the West's name is printed with a capital "W."
"(That) made me think, there's got to be something behind the application of this word to a human being. And I need to find out what it is," Maguire said.
What happened before Dorothy?
The novel, musical, and upcoming movie all explore what happened in Oz before Dorothy arrived.
"Even though the plot of the play and the plot of the movie differ a great deal from the plot of my original novel," said Maguire, "Some of the main points are maintained, and they are the ones that I care the most about."
During filming, Maguire spent about a week on set in London and said seeing his vision come to life in a tangible way was like being in a dream.
The movie is in two parts, and part one, which comes out on November 22, is nearly the length of the Broadway production.
"There are little teasers and tweaks that the film writers have done to the plot to pull from my original novel just a few things, but enough to enhance characterization, so that by the time we get to the scenes in the musical that are now well-known, we actually know a little bit more about why they're happening," Maguire said.
Inspiring the next generation
Just as the original "Wizard of Oz" inspired him, Maguire hopes the movie version of "Wicked" will inspire the next generation.
"It will change the trajectories of imaginative children's lives. They will take from it and they will build on it. And I wouldn't be surprised if 40 years from now... we see another story that continues to unpack part of what I have created. That's how art works," Maguire said.
"If people leave the movie theater and feel as if they have been reminded to take a few seconds before making snap judgments about somebody they see who might be offensive or frightening or just different, just othered, if they will do that, then the movie will have done something that the play does and that I think my novel does too. "
