Universal’s ‘Wicked’ Loses Director Stephen Daldry

Los Angeles: British filmmaker Stephen Daldry has exited Universal’s film adaptation of famous Broadway musical “Wicked”. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daldry’s exit from the movie was “amicable” and the studio is now searching for his replacement.

The project, which has been long in the making at the studio, is a prequel to “Wizard of Oz”, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel”Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. The book, which was adapted for the stage in 2003, followed thewitchesof theLand of Oz. Its plot begins before and continues afterDorothy Galearrives in Oz fromKansas.

Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics to the Broadway show, is adapting the screenplay with Winnie Holzman. Marc Platt, a producer on the musical, is also producing the film. “Wicked” is scheduled to be released in December 2021.