'Wicked' starring Ariana Grande to be split into two parts

MANILA, Philippines — The film adaptation of the hit Broadway show "Wicked" starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will now have two parts, director Jon M. Chu confirmed.

The director who helmed "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In The Heights" said on Twitter the decision came during pre-production when it became clear cramming the story of "Wicked" into a single movie without ruining it was impossible.

"As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions felt like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years," Chu also said. "With more space, we can tell the story of 'Wicked' as it was meant to be told, bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters."

"Wicked" originates from Gregory Maguire's novel that acts as a prequel to the beloved children's book "The Wizard of Oz," following the friendship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch.

Grande will be playing Glinda while Erivo will be portraying Elphaba; no other casting announcements has been released.

Related: Ariana Grande reacts to viral video of huge 'pink' crowd singing 'Break Free'

"Cynthia, Ariana and I — and all of the cast and crew — pledge to create nothing less than an experience that honors its foundation for all the fans who've waited for this movie, and to offer a thrilling, fantastical world full of dynamic characters that invites those who are unfamiliar," Chu also wrote.

A number of movies have been released in two portions in the last few years, notable ones being "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" and most recently "Dune."

Since debuting on Broadway in 2003, "Wicked" has earned over $1 billion (P52.3 billion) and is second to "The Lion King" as the highest-grossing Broadway show of all time.

Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the score for the original musical, will be co-writing the movie with Winnie Holzman. The "Wicked" movies will be released in 2024 and 2025, both around Christmastime.

RELATED: How Aicelle became part of Wicked