Long before Wicked made the jump from stage to screen, the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel had Hollywood in a frenzy.

Jon M. Chu‘s recent movie musical adaptation marks a long journey to the big screen for the Wizard of Oz prequel, with Whoopi Goldberg vying for the rights to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West shortly after the bestseller’s debut.

“This is true,” Goldberg’s rep told Vanity Fair. “Whoopi loved the book and tried hard to get the rights.”

According to Maguire, Goldberg wasn’t the only actress to throw her hat in the ring. “People who had expressed an interest in the first six months included Whoopi Goldberg and Claire Danes. Salma Hayek had had some interest, and Laurie Metcalf,” he recalled.

The author was hoping to work with Demi Moore, who optioned the rights through her production company Moving Pictures,...