I have to wipe my brow because it's getting a little warm in this room.

Winnie, forgive me for being human here.

Oh, listen.

You know how I feel about you.

I've already told you.

Oh, thank you.

You provide this beautiful book review that makes me feel smart.

I will take the compliment and wipe my brow again.

Hello. I'm Gilbert Cruz, editor of the New York Times book review, and this is the book review podcast.

Books and movies have always worked hand in hand in some of the New York Times book review, and this is the book review podcast. Books and movies have always worked hand in hand, and some of the best films of all time

have been based on either bestsellers or works of high literature.

I've personally always been interested in the process of adaptation, and this is the last

in our series of conversations with directors and screenwriters

behind this year's Oscar-nominated films that started as books.

And today, I'm here with Winnie Holstman.

Many years ago, after creating the beloved TV series My So-Called Life,

Winnie wrote the book, the script, to the musical Wicked,

which tells the story of Alphaba and Galinda,

the characters who we used to know as the Wicked Witch of the West and Linda, the Good Witch of the North.

In two or so decades after working on Wicked, which is now one of the highest grossing Broadway musicals of all time,

Winnie co-wrote the screenplay with Dana Fox for the film version.

No one mourns the Wicked.

...