The Wicked movie has Lorna Luft’s approval.
The daughter of The Wizard of Oz star Judy Garland took to Instagram to post an enthusiastic review of the Jon M. Chu-directed adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s hit Broadway musical. Captioning a shot of her at a screening in New York with Chu himself, she called the film “breathtaking to look at” and “everything I wanted it to be.”
“I told the genius Director Jon Chu,” wrote Luft, 71, “that he had picked up the torch, the broom, and the wand, and carried it forward; and thanked him, for adding to the family.”
Garland, who died in 1969 at age 47, starred in the 1939 classic adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Dorothy opposite Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch and Margaret Hamilton as Almira Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West.
The “astonishing” new trip to Oz, as Luft said in her review, stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch. “Cynthia and Ariana are nothing short of magnificent! They take you on an emotional roller coaster, and you better hold on tight. Vocally, they both are phenomenal and jaw dropping! Their performances are honest, subtle, funny, and absolutely perfect.”
She added that Wicked is “a lot of fun, and done with a great deal of love and respect for the original. So all I can tell you, is go see it and be taken on the journey of the witches! And buckle up, because it’s one joy filled ride!”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Garland and Sid Luft, the actress’ third husband, were parents to Luft and her brother Joey. Their half-sister Liza Minnelli hailed from Garland’s second husband, Vincente Minnelli.
During a joint appearance on Entertainment Tonight in 2022, Minnelli and Luft reflected on what would have been their mother’s 100th birthday. “We’ve all had tragedies in life, but we’re not tragic,” Luft said at the time. Garland “had such an extraordinary sense of humor, and that was her survival guide. That is what I can tell you has been my lifeline is to find the funny.”
Wicked: Part One is in theaters Nov. 22, with Part Two slated for Nov. 26, 2025. Adapted by Holzman and Dana Fox, the movies costar Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Ethan Slater as Boq, Peter Dinklage as the voice of Dr. Dillamond and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
Go behind the scenes of Wicked with PEOPLE’s new special issue, available here.
Read the full article here
