Wicked director Jon M. Chu defends film's lighting following criticism
7 January 2025, 15:41
Some of the cinematography choices in Wicked have divided fans and now Jon M. Chu has spoken out.
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Director Jon M. Chu has responded to criticism surrounding Wicked's lighting and explained the reasoning behind it.
There's no denying that Wicked is one of the most successful films in recent memory. Not only has the movie broken box office records but it's also become the highest grossing musical adaptation of all time. On top of that, Wicked's earned rave reviews with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande receiving award nominations for their performances.
However, like any film, Wicked has received some criticism. People have questioned Wicked's aesthetic and argued that the film is too heavily backlit with multiple tweets complaining about the lighting going viral online. Now, Jon M. Chu has defended Wicked's backlighting in a new interview.
- Read more: Wicked's Ariana Grande says her voice may sound like Glinda's forever
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Meet Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero in Wicked
Speaking with Business Insider, Jon said: "I think the movie is absolutely gorgeous. There's a colour of the rainbow in every frame of this that evolves through the movie. I love the aesthetic. I love that it doesn't feel like we're on a back lot, that there's actually life, that there's environment, and that it's not perfect, that you see scratches and dust."
Referencing films like E.T., Jon revealed that it was important for him to give the film a naturalistic feel despite being set in the fantastical fictional universe of Oz. He explained: "To me it was like putting Oz in a world that was natural and beautiful, but didn't take away from the spectacular color and grand landscapes."
Jon also discussed the lighting in a separate video with Vanity Fair. Discussing the 'Dancing Through Life' sequence, Jon divulged that production designer Nathan Crowley designed the library to feature natural light and that director of photography Alice Brooks made sure to make use of it.
Jon said: "Things that people would be scared of, like backlighting, is actually what I love about [Alice's] stuff."
So there we have it! The backlighting was a directorial choice. Move along.
Read more about Wicked here:
- Wicked's Marissa Bode explains how they've changed problematic Nessarose scene in Part 2
- Wicked's Ariana Grande reveals iconic line was almost replaced until she fought to keep it in
- Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked audition tapes are going viral
- Every actress who auditioned for Elphaba in the Wicked movie
- Every actress who auditioned for Glinda in the Wicked movie
WATCH: Wicked cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'
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