Jon M. Chu reacts to the Critics Choice Awards fixing the Golden Globes’ major ‘Wicked’ oversight

Awards shows are not unimpeachable in their nominations. Even for those nominated, not everyone gets a fair shake.

The Academy Awards were famous for neglecting to nominate Greta Gerwig for helming Barbie when the film gained many accolades. Now Wicked could receive a similar curse. The movie musical was nominated for four Golden Globes, including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for Best Actress and Best ing Actress, but the award for most glaring omission goes to the Globes themselves for failing to nominate the director in charge of making such a magical feat come to life.

Jon M. Chu may not have gotten a Golden Globe nod, but the Critics Choice Awards has made steps to rectify this. The director addressed his nomination as well as the film’s nods for technical and acting awards.

The Golden Globes are one of the most prestigious awards shows one can be nominated for in the entertainment industry, but gaining the critics’ appreciation is no small feat. Wicked in particular had a lot of people to impress. An adaptation of one of the most well-known stories that also became one of the most famous shows on Broadway is high stakes.

Chu somehow made a widely immersive film that appealed to the theater crowd while pulling in viewers who had never heard the name Elphaba. The director has achieved the impossible by creating a visually striking film that brings emotions to the front and only with half of the material. Chu’s Wicked film cuts off around the intermission of the Broadway show and is due to deliver the exciting conclusion in Wicked: Part Two, due next Nov. 21, 2025.

Wicked utilizes the medium of film

Movie musicals are divisive by nature and there is a large reason for that. Stage shows use theatrics to tell a story and those theatrics don’t always translate well to screen. Chicago is one of the famous examples of films that transcended its stage performance. Rob Marshall turned a stage show into an exciting musical experience for the screen. Jon M. Chu similarly translates a well-known story for the stage into an escapist fantasy that is so rarely put to the screen.

Fans were first introduced to Oz in the technicolor dream of The Wizard of Oz. Starring Judy Garland and her iconic voice, the film was a feast for the senses. Wicked honors that by telling the true story of the Wicked Witch of the West and giving visuals to drink in. Casting professional singers Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brings the film even closer to its Broadway roots. Wicked is chock-full of easter eggs and inclusions to appeal to any fan.

Wicked tells the classic tale of opposites attract in a universal story about friendship. For her entire life, Elphaba (Erivo) has faced prejudice because of the color of her skin. When she makes it to Shiz University, she crosses paths with the glamorous and popular Galinda — later Glinda (Grande). While they chafe at first, they eventually become the most important people in each other’s lives. History may paint them as adversaries, but they never faded from each other’s hearts in this emotional story. Viewers will have the chance to finish the franchise when Wicked: Part Two premieres next November.