Stephen Daldry May Direct 'Wicked' Movie

Tony winner and Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry is in talks to helm Universal's screen adaptation of the mega-hit musical "Wicked," according to Deadline.com. Previously, directors Ryan Murphy, Rob Marshall, J.J. Abrams, and James Mangold were rumored to be the front-runners.

Daldry won Tony Awards for directing "Billy Elliot" and "An Inspector Calls," and was nominated for an Academy Award three times, for "The Hours," "The Reader," and "Billy Elliot." He recently directed the film adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."

Inspired by Gregory Maguire's novel, "Wicked" is a prequel to the iconic "The Wizard of Oz," highlighting the hitherto untold relationship between the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West and her improbable friend, Glinda. The book is by Winnie Holzman, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. "Wicked" opened in 2003 and walked off with three Tonys.

Still running after nine years, it continues to fill houses on Broadway and in London's West End. The wildly popular show is continually on tour throughout North America.