Jon M. Chu at he 5th annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards at Avalon Hollywood, California, February 28, 2022.Photo:Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty
DirectorJon M. Chuis sharing exactly how closeWickedwas to completing production before theScreen Actors Guild strikebegan last week.
“Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie,” he wrote. “We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back!”
“And we will finish properly strong when the time is right,” Chu added of the production, whichfilmed in Englandthis spring. “My heart goes out to our cast and crew who were cut short of what we came here to complete together. More to come, but in the meantime, I’m excited to excavate what we have shot for the past year here in Oz (release date shouldn’t be affected). It has been an extraordinary adventure… more to do.”
TheCrazy Rich Asiansdirector then tagged a number ofWicked’s cast members — includingAriana Grande,Cynthia Erivo,Michelle YeohandJeff Goldblum— in the post and wrote that he was sending “much love” to the movie’s “beloved SAG members who are fighting for a fair deal!”
“We stand with you,” Chu added.
Jon M. Chu Instagram Story 7/19/2023.Jon M Chu/Instagram
Jon M Chu/Instagram
Wickedis among a number of major Hollywood films that shut down production after SAG-AFTRA — the union that comprises the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — went on strike after failed contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
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The union’s members are also forbidden from re-recording dialogue, voice acting, narration and stunt coordination during the strike.
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley promotes the upcoming film “Wicked” during the Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation during CinemaCon.Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage
Grande, 30, and Erivo, 36, star as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in the movie — an adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, which has been in the works for a number of years.
Back in June, Ervio shared a detailed glimpse into her experience portraying Elphaba in anInstagrampost that she described as “really hard to put into words.”
“I am endlessly grateful to play a role that turns the notion of what beauty is on its head,” she wrote. “I am endlessly grateful to be working with some of the most beautiful souls on the planet and I’m already grieving for the day our little bubble must come to an end.”
Wicked: Part Oneis scheduled to hit theaters Nov. 27, 2024, while the second film is expected to release Nov. 26, 2025.
source: people.com
