Bullying of the green-skinned witch in movie musical Wicked has been labelled as “discrimination” by UK regulators.
The film, which serves as a prequel to the The Wizard Of Oz (1939) and is billed as “the untold story” of Elphaba and Glinda, has been given a PG rating by the British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC).
In its classification breakdown the organisation explains that there are depictions of discrimination when a woman with green skin is “mocked, bullied and humiliated because of her skin colour”.
It also highlights a disabled woman being “treated in a condescending manner by able-bodied people” and talking animals being “persecuted in a fantastical society”.
Wicked is the origin story of Elphaba, who is misunderstood due to her green skin, and becomes villainised by the rulers of Oz after rebelling against them.
British theatre star Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba in the film, which has been split into two parts, while US singer Ariana Grande stars as her classmate Glinda.
Earlier in the month, Erivo, 37, told US chat show The View that feeling like an outsider and “not fitting in” drew her to the role of Elphaba.
“I hope that people see Elphaba and understand if they feel different, and if they feel like they’re on the outside, that that only makes them more special,” she said.
The BBFC has also said the film contains violence, detail of injury, and occasional threatening scenes, including “fantastical creatures and human guards chasing after two women”.
The blockbuster has proved popular, surpassing Gladiator II and Paddington In Peru to secure the biggest opening weekend of 2024 at Vue International.
While promoting the film, Erivo and Grande, 31, paid homage to the original Broadway production with their choice of outfits – and were even joined by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda respectively, for the LA premiere.
