Wicked, which bills itself as the untold story of Oz's witches, serves as a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel on which the classic 1939 movie is based. Still, the Broadway musical-turned-movie has fans wondering where, exactly, in The Wizard of Oz's timeline Wicked takes place. Directed by John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), Wicked is a duology of movies that centers on Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who will turn out to be the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), and Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande).

With so many spin-offs, adaptations, and takes on Oz out there, it can be a challenge to keep The Wizard of Oz's timeline straight. In fact, even the first Wicked movie, which chronicles Elphaba and Glinda's university days, unfolds in a very different Oz than the one chronicled in the second of best parts of Wicked's Broadway musical — and Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel — is the way Wicked features so many Wizard of Oz Easter eggs, references, and in-jokes. Knowing Oz's timeline makes these nods even better.

Wicked's Story Takes Place Many Years Before The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard Of Oz Prequel Serves As An Origin Story For The Witches

Despite being an origin story, Wicked isn't exactly a conventional prequel, which makes it difficult to say how many years before The Wizard of Oz the story is set. Maguire's novel is a revisionist take on Baum's source material, so while some of The Wizard of Oz's characters, geography, and history remain intact, there's not a super precise timeline of events. In the Wicked novel, the Wizard remains in power for roughly 40 years before he abdicates his all-powerful ruse in the Emerald City in his trusty hot air balloon. Like the musical, the movie will follow this track.

...the first Wicked movie probably unfolds a decade or so before Dorothy lands in Oz.

During the Wizard's stint in Oz, the Emerald City is renovated and the iconic Yellow Brick Road is completed, but there are also challenges. Social unrest takes hold, especially in Munchkinland, thanks to the Great Draught. That unrest leads to the (literal) scapegoating of others, with anti-animal laws being enacted throughout the land during Elphaba's time at Shiz University. Since Elphaba is likely around 18 years old when she attends Shiz, and then goes into hiding for a bit as she consolidates her power, the first Wicked movie probably unfolds a decade or so before Dorothy lands in Oz.

How Wicked Impacts The Wizard Of Oz Timeline

Wicked Enriches Dorothy's Wizard Of Oz Story Too

In addition to showing how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West, Wicked delves into the political and social issues that led to what Oz looked like in The Wizard of Oz — or at least how Maguire envisioned it. Wicked sets up the enduring friendship between Glinda and Elphaba; introduces Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, who's destined to be crushed by an airborne house; and even provides insight into how Wicked's cast of characters, including the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, became the characters know and love in The Wizard of Oz.

Most significantly, Wicked doesn't shy away from showing the Wizard's true colors. While he's a scam artist in both Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, he's portrayed as a bit more bumbling and unaware in the original story. Wicked shows a more nefarious side to the Wizard, with his dubious actions being both more intentional and damaging, especially where Elphaba's reputation is concerned. Although Wicked's Oz may not be an exact replica of Baum's, there's no denying that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Wicked enriches the preexisting story.