Max Fajardo
Staff Writer
After the movie’s release on Nov. 22 last year, publishers changed the book’s cover from its original silhouettes of the musical adaptation’s opening promotional material to the poster of the movie. Parents of younger movie fans naively bought the book for their children, believing it to be a straight book-to-film adaptation like the Harry Potter series—only to be horrified at their children’s reactions to the material. The now released WICKED movie, which generated $717,175,905 worldwide, according to Nash Information Services, invigorated fans of the prior musical adaptation. The story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her once only friend Glinda the Good witch’s origin captivated the interest and hearts of movie goers. WICKED expanded Lyman Frank Baum’s World of Oz and introduced the phenomenal musical to an international movie audience. Following Elphaba and Glinda, two completely opposite students studying at the magical Shiz University, the movie follows their journey from rivals to a complex friendship as Elphaba begins to uncover the corruption that lies within Oz that threatens to destroy the lives of Oz’s residents—as well as her own. It intrinsically weaves lessons on self-acceptance and kindness, as well as warning about the consequences of erasing the past through the expansion of industrialization and the total destruction of cultures in favor of ‘advancing forward.’ However, both the movie and musical adaptation drastically differ from the source material. The aforementioned book Wicked—written by Gregory Mcguire—left many younger fans of the movie with shock, trauma, and in need of copious amounts of therapy, due to the incredibly dark and graphic nature that was otherwise toned down or removed from other adaptations. Unlike the movie’s whimsical nature, Wicked is incredibly dark and morbid, offering more complex and politically charged storytelling; graphic displays of violence, sex, and abuse; and a more overall challenging read. Serious discussions of religion, politics, and social standards are prominent throughout the book, as are scenes of rape and bestiality that disturb even hardcore fans of the book. In addition, the characters are presented in a morally gray light, with Elphaba being presented as more resentful and angrier than her other adaptation counterparts. The book was released in 1995 and became a part of a four-book series called “The Wicked Years.” While the movie can cater to younger audiences, the book is specifically targeted for mature audiences only. To older fans of the story, the book could be a challenging yet intriguing read on the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. But overall, it’s advised to do some quick research and check the content warnings before deciding to read this book.
Caption: Original Book Cover vs. Current Book Cover
Photos courtesy of Amazon
