When the musical remake of Mean Girls hit theaters in January, it took the audience by surprise. People recorded the moment when fellow viewers realized it was a musical. In one video, the crowd groaned as a character started singing and then laughed at their own reactions. Marc Weinstock, Paramount's president of global marketing and distribution, told Variety that they didn't want to immediately announce it as a musical as people treat them differently.

Box Office Challenges and Studio Nervousness

Over the past five years, cinema closures due to the coronavirus pandemic have led to weak box office returns across all genres. Even the Best Picture-nominated West Side Story remake failed to make a profit. The backlash and mockery of poorly made musicals like Cats and Dear Evan Hansen have made studios anxious about the genre's viability. Recently, studios have been marketing musical movies by disguising their true identity and relying on other recognizable elements. Mean Girls' title graphic had a tiny eighth note as a hint, and the first trailer for Wonka didn't show anyone singing. The Color Purple billed itself as a "bold new take" without clarifying.

Wicked's Unabashed Embrace

Wicked, which opened last weekend, wore its genre on its sleeve. Its trailers featured beloved Broadway songs, and its promotional barrage included lyric videos. Universal's embrace of Wicked captured its ethos as a full-throated movie musical. Last weekend, it topped the box office, raking in $114 million domestically and $164 million worldwide, the highest-grossing debut for a Broadway production adaptation.

The Adaptation's Success

The Wicked film is based on Gregory Maguire's novel and reimagines The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It chops the story in half to handle its length and streamlines the first act into a coming-of-age tale. The adaptation combines the grandiosity of a musical with the intimacy of filmmaking. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) conveys her thoughts through ballads, while Galinda (Ariana Grande) expresses her tendencies through numbers. The camera shows their connection evolving, and a lingering shot has as much power as their harmonies.

Directorial Brilliance

Director Jon M. Chu, who made In the Heights, knows how to use the film's canvas. He borrows from various musicals to create the world of munchkins and talking animals. During "The Wizard and I," Elphaba twirls like Maria in The Sound of Music. During "Dancing Through Life," the camera tracks the choreography. The surreal Ozdust Ballroom looks like a dream ballet. At times, the maximalism is overwhelming, but it makes sense for the fantasy realm.

The Power of a Movie Musical

Even at a 160-minute run time, Wicked has become a hit. It celebrates its medium instead of justifying its use. The sequel will be a challenge as it covers a more convoluted plot. This film leaves many subplots unresolved and only introduces the overarching theme. The rendition of "Defying Gravity" is the film's finale and is magnificently rendered, with Erivo's vocals. A close-up of Elphaba picturing her younger self shows how far she has come. It demonstrates why the movie-musical genre should endure.