Universal acquired the rights to “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by American novelist Gregory Maguire shortly after it was published in 1995. And in 2003 they opened the Broadway musical, eventually becoming the second most successful Broadway music ever (after Disney’s “The Lion King”).

Director Jon M. Chu has carved an interesting path into the often unforgiving corridors of Hollywood. Having started out as a director-for-hire on franchise projects, he has evolved into something of an auteur.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in Universal's highly anticipated adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical.

Chu told HuffPost’s Ellen Lee how “Wicked” transcends its magic, challenges the status quo and echoes his pursuit of the American dream beyond the “yellow brick road.”

Many longtime fans of the Broadway musical are bursting with questions on how director Jon M. Chu translated the stage show for the screen. The Deseret News spoke with Chu Friday and asked him about his process,

“There was no world where we wouldn’t invite them to come be a part of this,” director Jon M. Chu tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The question for us was, how, and how much are they willing to do in it, and how much can the story itself handle it? Because they’re such iconic people and especially to these roles.”

As reported last year, Wicked: Part Two will also feature two new songs, both composed by Stephen Schwartz, the mastermind behind the original musical. Chu reiterated this news in a recent interview with Games Radar, saying, “We get maybe a new song—or two. We get more into the meat, and the best is yet to come with these characters.”

Jon M. Chu urges filmgoers to ensure their theaters are presenting the new Wicked movie in the "way it was intended" to be enjoyed.

Wicked' director Jon M. Chu has insisted cinemas need to turn up the volume for screenings of his new movie-musical to allow audiences to watch the film as it was "intended".

Wicked Director Jon M. Chu had a quest for fans this premiere weekend when they head to movie theater to see the musical and fans were not having it. Many even pointed out that the theaters simply wouldn't comply,