Central to this cinematic escapism is Jon M Chu, director of Wicked, the film now lighting up the box office. Wicked took $114mn in the US on the crucial pre-Thanksgiving weekend, twice as much as Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator II. Globally it is set to become the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical.

However, in Wicked: Part Two "We have two new songs," says Chu, "that I can't talk about yet, but they're very very fantastic." What those songs will be and where they'll be placed are yet to be revealed, but Wicked: Part Two is due to hit theaters on November 21, 2025, so it will likely be a while before we hear any more about them.

Universal acquired the rights to “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by American novelist Gregory Maguire shortly after it was published in 1995. And in 2003 they opened the Broadway musical, eventually becoming the second most successful Broadway music ever (after Disney’s “The Lion King”).

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in Universal's highly anticipated adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical.

Chu told HuffPost’s Ellen Lee how “Wicked” transcends its magic, challenges the status quo and echoes his pursuit of the American dream beyond the “yellow brick road.”

Many longtime fans of the Broadway musical are bursting with questions on how director Jon M. Chu translated the stage show for the screen. The Deseret News spoke with Chu Friday and asked him about his process,

Jon M. Chu remembers Ariana Grande's 'Wicked' auditions and explains his plans for the musical, including 'Dancing Through Life' number. Interview

From the streets of Step Up 2 to the yellow brick road of Wicked, we rank every movie Jon M. Chu has directed.

Jon Chu on the aspects of the broadway musical that made sense on stage, but were illogical on the big screen and how he fixed them.