At Cannes Lions 2025, director John M. Chu, actor Bowen Yang, and global creative Debbie Vandeven took us behind the scenes of the new Wicked adaptation and showed how great stories are made of tough choices, real risks, and a deep connection to who we are.
In a packed room at the Palais, still under the clear skies of the European summer, the Wicked panel brought together names representing different sides of entertainment and advertising. The tone wasn’t promotional. It was intimate.
John M. Chu, director of the film set to premiere in November, opened by sharing his personal connection to The Wizard of Oz. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, he recalled growing up believing the yellow brick road was a metaphor for the American dream. Today, as a father of five, his view has shifted. Maybe that road wasn’t made for everyone. Maybe it’s time to build new paths new, possible futures.
Bowen Yang, actor and comedian, brought a different perspective. Between laughter and reflection, he shared how his role in Wicked, though small, represents the audience’s point of view within the story. “My character says what people would say. He’s the one who observes, who feels. He is all of us.”
Debbie Vandeven, global chief creative officer at VML, broadened the discussion to the world of brands. She spoke about the responsibility of reinventing narratives without losing their essence and drew a parallel between Wicked’s longevity and that of brands like Kit Kat. Reimagining doesn’t mean erasing it means knowing what to preserve and what to transform.
Between each speaker’s turn, those in the audience were visibly moved. Lais Franklin, part of Sarça’s curatorial team, summed up the experience: “Without courage, bold ideas don’t move forward. Creating also means standing firm. And what we saw in this panel was a masterclass in creative sensitivity and strategic bravery.”
One of the most symbolic moments came at the end, when the three guests were asked to choose between brain, heart, and courage the classic trio from The Wizard of Oz.
Chu chose courage. “Creativity only happens when we take risks. You cast someone and hear half your team say it was a mistake. You need courage to stand by it.”
Yang spoke of the desire to let go of excessive rationality and create from the heart. Debbie emphasized that no brand can endure without passion and neither can any story.
More than just presenting a film, the Wicked panel showed that lasting brands, people, and narratives all have something in common: they reinvent themselves when they have the courage to look inward.
