Jon M. Chu Says ‘Wicked’ Reflects American Conflicts: ‘Hearing Each Other Means Getting Out of Your Bubble’

So are you team Elphaba or team Glinda? Green or pink? Moody baddie or bubbly queen?

It seem like, as with all things in America currently, “Wicked” aims to reflect the toxic factionalism our society can’t help but be wrapped up in. Speaking at a Q&A held at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles yesterday, director Jon M. Chu discussed why he felt the musical film speaks to the woes we presently face in this country and offers a different angle on dealing with our problems.

“Hearing each other means getting out of your bubble a little bit,” Chu said, referencing the bubble Glinda the Good Witch travels by. “And that takes courage to pop your bubble and to also see these other things and to hear it and to forgive each other and give each other grace for these things. Because I think that’s the spot we’re in right now. In America, the world has always gone through these motions and now technology has literally made us roommates and we hate each other because we’re messy.”

Despite this discomfort towards one another, Chu believes we need it in order to become who we’re supposed to be. He specifically references an early song in “Wicked” called “What Is This Feeling?,” which sees new roommates Elphaba and Glinda express their frustration over one another in a soft duet turned ensemble banger.

“We always said in ‘What is This Feeling’ that it’s not loathing, it’s you always resist the person that’s gonna change the rest of your life — because nobody wants to change — and I love that,” said Chu. “So I hope that in this moment of change that we can try not to cover it up and paint over it.”

This sentiment was felt throughout production as Chu and cast members Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were all going through issues in their real lives that filtered into the film. In turn, coming away from shooting, they realized they had all needed this project to move them forward.

“What we discovered is that change is a constant and it is very messy and very uncomfortable and we have to be OK with being uncomfortable. We have to be ok with the confrontation of somebody saying what they feel,” Chu said to the crowd at the DGA. “Elphaba always said what she felt and Ozians were always like, ‘I can’t believe you would be so angry. We’re supposed to be happy,’ but it’s a necessity for that next step. And I love that about this. So I hope that this movie shows the necessity of that.”

Additional reporting by Alison Foreman.

Universal Pictures releases “Wicked” in theaters on Friday, November 22.