‘Wicked’ musical will hit movie theaters in 2019

Something Wicked this way comes. 

Universal Pictures announced Thursday the smash Broadway musical about the witches of Oz is getting the big screen treatment. Wicked will fly into theaters on Dec. 20, 2019.

The award-winning musical, an alternative take on The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and has since been a pop culture phenomenon thanks to iconic songs like "Defying Gravity." Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth famously played lead roles Elphaba and Glinda back in 2003. 

The duo recently teamed up to celebrate the famed musical, performing a gorgeous rendition of "For Good." 

A film adaptation has been in the works for a long, long time. Back in 2012, the musical's lyricist Stephen Schwartz said production was "gearing up," and producer Marc Platt (Into the Woods) said they were aiming for a 2016 release date, but he stressed that musical production like this takes a long time. 

"It took 27 years to make Into the Woods into a film from its original stage production, and 30 years with Les Mis," he said. "Some things take time for a reason.”