WickedandThe Wizard of Ozboth explore the wonderful world of Oz, but they came out 85 years apart. Therefore, there were bound to be some major changes to how Oz would be presented onscreen. In 1939, Dorothy entered the world of Oz and traveled along the yellow brick road. Along the way, viewers were introduced to characters like the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the South.Wickedserves as aprequel to 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz, and is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the 1995 novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
The story ofWickedfollows Elphaba, who will later become known as the Wicked Witch of the West, as she forms an unlikely friendship with Glinda at Shiz University. Thecast ofWickedincludes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Ethan Slater. Slater plays Boq inWicked, a Munchkin who is a student at Shiz University. However, Slater looks muchdifferent from how Munchkins looked inThe Wizard of Oz.
Wicked’s Munchkins Are The Right Height Based On The Book
Munchkins Are Meant To Be The Same Height As Dorothy
After seeing Ethan Slater portray a Munchkin inWicked, some fans who have only seenThe Wizard of Ozmay be confused, since he is taller than the Munchkins that Dorothy meets in that film. However,Munchkins are actually described as the same height as Dorothy in the originalWizard of Ozbook. In the book, Dorothy is only 10 years old. Since Judy Garland was 16 when she played Dorothy, they aged the character up and established that she was 12. Therefore, Munchkins are meant to be the same height as a girl around the age of 10-12.
Many fans have come to believe that Munchkins are meant to be shorter than Dorothy, but Boq’s height inWickedis actually accurate, according to the book.
Obviously, this isn’t very tall, but it is taller than how Munchkins are portrayed inThe Wizard of Ozmovie.The Munchkins who Dorothy meets are all significantly shorter than her. This is a majorchange betweenThe Wizard of OzandWicked, and was also one of the most significant changes betweenThe Wizard of Oznovel and the movie. Since the movie is more well-known by general audiences than the book, many fans have come to believe that Munchkins are meant to be shorter than Dorothy, but Boq’s height inWickedis actually accurate, according to the book.
Why The Wizard Of Oz Changed The Munchkins' Height
The Portrayal Of Munchkins In The Wizard of Oz Is Very Controversial
There is no known reason why the creative team behindThe Wizard of Ozmovie decided to change the Munchkins heights. However,The Wizard of OzandWickedare a prime example of different creative decisions being made for movies that are being filmed at different times.The Wizard of Ozwas made at a time when people were a lot less conscious of how certain creative decisions could offend people. Therefore,all the Munchkins inThe Wizard of Ozare played by people of short stature.
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This was an unnecessary change from the book, butsince they are called Munchkins, it is possible that the producers ofThe Wizard of Ozthought it made the most sense for them to be drastically shorter than other characters. However, the team behindThe Wizard of Oztook this a step further and viewed the Munchkins as comic relief in the movie. This makes their portrayal in the 1939 movie even more controversial, since it doesn’t seem like any of the Munchkins are being treated seriously as characters.
Wicked’s Casting Kept The Munchkins Shorter Than Other Cast Members
Ethan Slater Plays Boq, The Main Munchkin Featured In Wicked
In reality, the Munchkins are actually very important in the world of Oz. They reside in Munchkin Country, one of themain regions of Oz, and are known for their farming skills. InWicked, Boq is a Munchkin who is an important supporting character in the story. The Wicked Witch of the East abuses Boq as her personal servant and acts as a tyrannical leader for the Munchkins. At the end ofWicked’sstory,Boq will be turned into Tin Man, who plays a crucial role inThe Wizard of Oz.
Since Boq is such a notable character inWicked, his casting was very important for the film.Wickeddirector Jon M. Chu ultimately ended up casting Ethan Slater, who is 5 ft. 5, for the role of Boq. Therefore, just like the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical, Munchkins are still shorter than most people in theWickedmovie. This can be seen in the film when Boq has to stand on some books to be at eye level with Fiyero. However,Boq and other Munchkins inWickedare not nearly as short as they were inThe Wizard of Oz.
Wicked’s Director Wanted To Reinvent The Munchkins With The Movie
Slater Became The Blueprint For Munchkins In Wicked
How the Munckins were portrayed inThe Wizard of Ozhas increasingly been viewed as more controversial as the years have gone by. Therefore, the Broadway musical portrayed Munchkins as more accurate to the book, and theWickedmovie has followed suit. In fact, Jon M. Chu wanted to reinvent Munchkins in theWickedmovie. After casting Ethan Slater as Boq,Chu decided that all Munchkins would be modeled based on Slater’s likeness. Therefore, Munchkins inWickedall have reddish hair and a fair skin complexion.
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Chu did not perceive Munchkins as having to be a specific size, which is different to how they were perceived in the 1939 movie. While Chu acknowledged that Munckins are typically shorter than most of the other characters, he made sure that their portrayal inWickedwould not be offensive. Compared toThe Wizard of Oz, in which Munchkins come across as more subservient, Boq and other Munchkins inWickedare clearly a lot more individualistic. This is a positive change to the world of Oz, and shows how much our own world has progressed sinceThe Wizard of Oz.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
