Director Jon M. Chu confirms 'Wicked' movie release unaffected by actors' strike

Director Jon M. Chu reassures fans that the two-part release of the highly anticipated feature-film adaptation of the musical "Wicked" will not be affected by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, despite a temporary halt in production.

The star-studded cast of "Wicked" includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh. The movie is the first of two films adapted from the popular stage musical of the same name, which is based on Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and features characters from L. Frank Baum's classic work "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Set in the fictional Land of Oz, the film delves into the story of Elphaba, a green-skinned woman, and her journey towards becoming the infamous villain, the Wicked Witch of the West.

In an Instagram update, Jon M. Chu explained that the actors' strike had led to a temporary pause in production, with only the final scenes of the movie left to shoot. Despite the setback, Chu remains optimistic about meeting the release dates for "Wicked." Part One is scheduled for November 27th, 2024, and Part Two for November 26th, 2025.

"Wicked" has already faced multiple delays, initially planned for a 2021 release when announced in 2019, but the pandemic forced a postponement until July of the following year.