Judy Garland’s daughter says ‘Wicked’ honors ‘The Wizard of Oz’ legacy

According to late “Wizard of Oz” icon Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft, “Wicked” defies filmmaking gravity.

Luft, who is the daughter of Garland and Sidney Luft and half-sister of Liza Minnelli, took to social media to praise the musical prequel adaptation. Luft especially applauded director Jon M. Chu and lead stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for honoring the legacy of the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.”

“Wicked” is based on the 2003 Broadway musical. The musical takes place before Dorothy, the character Garland played in “The Wizard of Oz,” landed in the fantasy land of the title. “Wicked” opens in theaters Nov. 22 from Universal.

“This film is amazing! It’s epic, brilliant, moving and honest,” Luft wrote of the feature. “It’s breathtaking to look at…the sets, the costumes, the makeup, the performances, the choreography and the whole scope of the film is all I wanted it to be.”

Luft continued, “I told the brilliant director Jon Chu that he had picked up the torch, broom and wand and carried it forward and thanked him for adding to the family.”

Luft cited Grande and Erivo’s respective performances as Glinda and Elphaba as outstanding turns.

“Cynthia and Ariana are nothing short of magnificent! They take you on an emotional rollercoaster and you better hold on tight,” Luft added. “Vocally speaking, they are both phenomenal and jaw-dropping! Their performances are honest, subtle, funny and absolutely perfect. The rest of the cast, including Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and more, are also phenomenal!”

She continued: “I sat in the talkback after the film and listened to them all talk about what it was like to make this epic film, which was a lot of fun and done with a lot of love and respect for the original. So all I can say you, is to go see it and be taken along on the witches’ journey! And buckle up, because it’s one trip full of joy!”

Director Chu previously said during a “Wicked” post-screening Q&A at the DGA theater in New York that “The Wizard of Oz” was a particularly personal IP to join.

“’Wizard of Oz’ is so personal to everyone; it’s personal to my family,” Chu said. “When immigrants in my family came over, that (idea of) the yellow brick road, the wizard that would give you your heart’s desire. We all have our pieces in this. It is the American adventure, about the American dream here.” Regarding the story’s current themes, Chu said, “What’s happening now didn’t exist when they wrote it, but these scenarios always did. Everyone always rose above it. The resilience of the people always rose above it. And I love that we get to remind people to just keep going. So for me it was: How do you get the big scale and use the tools of cinema to sweep people (up)? I really believe that movies — I saw with ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ — can really change things, can really make a difference.”