It seems even the land of Oz isn’t immune to the spell of Michael Jackson. During a recent interview, Wicked director Jon M. Chu opened up about how the King of Pop’s groundbreaking creativity directly influenced one of the film’s key musical sequences.
“Michael Jackson is a part of the American story as well,” Chu said. “When I was growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, his music videos—his short films—were the new musicals.”
Chu explained that Michael Jackson’s ability to command a crowd, build atmosphere, and turn dance into storytelling left a deep mark on his approach to Wicked. One sequence in particular, the Ozdust Ballroom scene, owes a creative nod to MJ’s iconic “Smooth Criminal.”
“In the Ozdust, when they arrive, we took sort of nods from Smooth Criminal and we actually used the rhythm of Smooth Criminal when we were rehearsing it just to get us into the vibe,” Chu revealed. “The music team came in and replaced it all in rehearsals and said, ‘Hey, we get the vibe you’re going for. We could take ‘Dancing Through Life’ and make it like this and have a live band there.’”
That creative spark led to a whimsical twist worthy of Oz itself.
“We thought, oh yeah, the live band could be animals,” Chu continued. “It could be like Captain EO, where there was a fun element to play with that, but it sparked us into another space.”
From Smooth Criminal’s stylish swagger to Captain EO’s sci-fi magic, Chu’s comments show how Michael Jackson’s influence continues to ripple through modern cinema, even in the most unexpected worlds.
It’s another reminder that Michael Jackson’s artistic spirit, his innovation, rhythm, and storytelling, continues to inspire generations of creators. Even in Oz, you can still feel a little bit of MJ magic.
Watch the full interview below with the “Smooth Criminal” section at 5min in:
