STACK #241 November 2024

CINEMA FEATURE

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D irected by Jon M. Chu, the epic musical fantasy features Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, along with Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. Set in the Land of Oz, largely before Dorothy Gale’s arrival from Kansas, the plot covers the events of the musical's first act, following green-skinned Elphaba’s studies at Shiz University and the beginning of her path to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside an unlikely friendship and rivalry with her roommate, who later becomes Glinda the Good. For Chu, landing the job of directing Wicked has been a long journey - more than two decades earlier, having accompanied his mum Ruth to an early workshop of the musical in San Francisco in 2003. Wicked - Part 1 is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book and characters from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . Words Gill Pringle WICKED

T he first film won five Oscars - including 'Best Actor' for Russell Crowe - and the legendary director suggests that the sequel may be even better, if that’s possible. “It’s well worth the wait. It’s possibly even more extraordinary than the first,” teases the director responsible for some of the most beloved films, including Bladerunner, Alien, Thelma & Louise, American Gangster, and The Martian . While still editing the film in London, Scott spoke via Zoom at this year’s CinemaCon, showing footage to a breathless audience at Las Vegas’s Caesar’s Palace - an apt setting for the Roman drama. Rather wittily, the hotel’s famous naked Roman statues, scattered throughout the resort, had their modesty covered with bronze shields bearing the legend Gladiator II . Joining Scott on the Zoom stage was Paul Mescal, 28, who plays the central role of Lucius Verus, the son of Crowe’s Maximus and Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla. “Working on this film was one of the standout moments in my life to date. Getting to go to work every day and have Sir Ridley Scott behind the camera is a good day's work in any context,” said the Irish actor, who rose to fame in the TV miniseries Normal People , going on to star in Aftersun and The Lost Daughter . With Austin Butler, Miles Teller, and Richard Madden all in the running for the role of Lucius, Scott was convinced following a meeting with Mescal that he would be up to gladiator duties thanks to a childhood spent playing Gaelic football. It didn’t hurt that Paramount executives had also seen Mescal’s performance in a London revival of A Streetcar Named Desire , reporting back about how female audience members had responded ecstatically to Mescal’s shirtless scenes. Set two decades after the events of his historical epic Gladiator , Ridley Scott re-enters the arena with his long-anticipated sequel, Gladiator II . Words Gill Pringle GLADIATOR II

Director Jon M. Chu with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande

“People have different relationships with Wicked ,” says the Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights, and Step Up director. “But Wicked had a real impact on me as a young filmmaker. I went with my mom, who had just gone through chemotherapy. Every weekend when I was growing up - even though we were five crazy kids - she would take us to the theatre, opera, or musical in San Francisco. Despite his passion, Chu doesn’t believe the film would have been possible without his two leading ladies. “We wouldn't make the movie if we didn't find two people who could embody what this movie and what the songs deliver,” he says. “So when you find two singers like Ariana and Cynthia, you just know it's destiny. There’s just a spiritual connection between these two. We went through such a journey together, with them going into very personal things in their life to find the truth in these two characters,” he adds.

Gladiator II is in cinemas November 14.

Wicked is in cinemas on November 21.

NOVEMBER 2024

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