Wicked director defends the movie’s BIGGEST flaw amid fan outrage

The new Wicked movie has dazzled critics and dominated the box office, but the director still felt the need to defend one of the most talked about aspects of the film: the color grading.

Some moviegoers have taken issue with the film’s more muted tones, especially when compared to the vibrant Technicolor magic of the original 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.

Jon M. Chu, who worked on the film adaptation of the Broadway hit starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, addressed this criticism head-on after the film was called “a bit desaturated” during an interview with The globe and the mail.

“I mean, there’s color in everything,” Chu said. ‘What we wanted to do was immerse people in Oz, to make it a real place. Because if it was a fake place, if it was a dream in someone’s head, then the real relationships and stakes that these two girls are going through wouldn’t feel real.”

Chu further explained that his goal was to present Oz in a fresh way, one that audiences had not seen before.

‘It was a matte painting. It has been a digital world of video games,” he noted. “But for us, I want to feel the dirt. I want to feel the wear and tear of it. And that means it’s not plastic.’

“I mean, there’s color in everything,” Chu said. ‘What we wanted to do was immerse people in Oz, to make it a real place. Because if it was a fake place, if it was a dream in someone’s head, then the real relationships and stakes that these two girls are going through wouldn’t feel real.”

The film’s color grading, Chu explained, reflects the deep connection between the characters and the land in which they live.

The vast landscapes, natural light and creatures of Oz are central to the story, especially how Elphaba’s presence gradually shapes the world, with color contrast increasing as her influence grows.

However, Chu’s explanation didn’t exactly convince all fans, with some taking issue with his emphasis on realism.

‘Counterpoint: Movies are dreams and can look just as daring and crazy as dreams. Why not? Who demands this realism?’ one fan replied.

Another added: “The real world is not desaturated.”

And one user didn’t mince words, saying bluntly: ‘The movie looks like an insurance commercial.’

The color scheme has been a hot topic on social media since the first images were released in April.

And when asked about the criticism that those early images were too dark, Chu had an explanation.

However, Chu’s explanation didn’t exactly convince all fans, with some taking issue with his emphasis on realism

The color scheme has been a hot topic on social media since the first images were released in April

“I specifically chose those images,” he admitted at the time in an interview with Variety.

“It was so early and we had just started shooting. I wanted images that were evocative and provocative to show that this is not a happy, poppy story.’

“We didn’t even have the effects done. The background was blue. I had to have VFX put in the air. I was coloring it on my iPhone,” he added, clearly unbothered by the earlier criticism.

The defense comes as Chu also gave a piece of advice to those about to see the film – as some viewers have complained about sound problems.

He encouraged fans to take control of their audio experience in a social media post on November 23, ahead of the film’s opening weekend.

On X he wrote: ‘Tell your cinema to set the score to a 7…

‘I’ve been to a few screenings and they’re more like a 6.4. If you want it the way it was meant to be, 7 is the way.”

His comment concerns the sound levels of the Dolby audio systems used in some cinemas.

The news comes after it was reported that British filmmaker Stephen Daldry was originally set to direct the spectacle and had big plans to cast Lady Gaga as Elphaba and Shawn Mendes as Fiyero.

Dolby then responded to Chu’s post, writing underneath, “We got you covered.”

The news comes after that was reported British filmmaker Stephen Daldry was originally going to direct the show and had big plans for the cast Lady Gaga as Elphaba and Shawn Mendes as Fiyero, according to a source who spoke Page six on Tuesday.

The Born This Way singer even met with the production team several times to discuss her take on the character.

“They had meetings, about the character and who she would be. [Gaga] was essentially cast in his version, and then it fell through,” the insider revealed.

But Daldry’s vision never came to fruition: He left the project in 2020 due to scheduling conflicts.

Enter Chu, who takes over and reshapes the cast, ultimately casting Erivo as Elphaba, Grande as Glinda the Good Witch, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero.