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

Luft, the daughter of Garland and Sidney Luft and half-sister of Liza Minnelli, praised the musical prequel adaptation on social media. Luft especially applauded director Jon M. Chu and lead actors 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 is set before Dorothy, the character Garland played in ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ended up in the fantasy land of the title. “Wicked” premieres at Universal on November 22.

“This movie is amazing! It is epic, brilliant, moving and honest,” Luft wrote about the feature. “It’s breathtaking to watch… the sets, costumes, makeup, performances, choreography and the entire scope of the film are everything 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 them forward, thanking him for adding him to the family.”

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

“Cynthia and Ariana are absolutely fantastic! They take you on an emotional roller coaster, and you better hold on,” Luft added. “Vocally they are both phenomenal and breathtaking! 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 at 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 made with a lot of love and respect for the film. original. So all I can say is: go see it and let yourself be taken on the journey of the witches! And buckle up, because it’s a fun ride!”

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

“’Wizard of Oz’ is so personal to everyone; it is personal to my family,” Chu said. “When immigrants came through my family, (the idea of) the yellow brick road, the magician who would grant your heart’s desire. We all have our pieces in this. Are the American fairy tale, about the American dream here.” Regarding the story’s topical themes, Chu said, “What’s happening now didn’t exist when they wrote it, but these scenarios always existed. Everyone was always above it. The resilience of the people always went above and beyond. And I think that’s great, that we can remind people to just keep walking. So for me it was: how do you get the big scope and use the tools of cinema to blow people up? I really believe that films – which I saw with ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ – can really change things, really make a difference.”