The original author has weighed in on Wicked. The 2024 Wizard of Oz prequel movie, which was directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West) opposite Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda (the future Glinda the Good Witch), is based on the 2003 stage musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. In turn, that musical was based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked, which was originally published in 1995.

Maguire recently sat down for an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. When asked about his opinion on the new movie, he said that "I hardly recognize it as my book anymore," though he also shared that he found it to be "far better than it has any right to be." He particularly praised the work of Cynthia Erivo, who he says maintained the core of the "sharp,...