The Deseret News spoke with Chu Friday and asked him about his process, including how he cast beloved characters and why he split “Wicked” into two parts. Here is what he told us. This discussion has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

“There was no world where we wouldn’t invite them to come be a part of this,” director Jon M. Chu tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The question for us was, how, and how much are they willing to do in it, and how much can the story itself handle it? Because they’re such iconic people and especially to these roles.”

He never doubted it would work as a movie. He just hoped he would be the one to film it: “I have my own experiences with being green.”