Wicked, one of Broadway’s biggest and most enduring musicals over the past two decades, is FINALLY coming to the big screen! We have to wait until Thanksgiving – for PART ONE – and wait another whole year for part two!! So start brushing up on that score, listening to Kristen Chenoweth’s version of Popular on TikTok, and be ready to buy your tickets.
The first trailer for the film was released yesterday during the Super Bowl, all candy-colored and star-studded!
courtesy Universal Pictures 2024
The film’s official synopsis:
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Cynthia Eribo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Photo courtesy Universal Pictures 2024.
The film also stars several other big names – Michelle Yeoh, also known for many action films and a recurring role on Star Trek: Discovery, as headmistress of Shiz University, Madame Morrible; and perpetual favorite Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz! SNL‘s Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James, from Harlots, play Glinda’s schoolmates. A new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, will be played by Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman).
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- Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. Photo courtesy Universal Pictures 2024.
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- Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz. Photo courtesy Universal Pictures 2024.
Wicked is adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire, based of course on Frank L. Baum’s The Wizard of Oz (who among us wasn’t terrorized by the flying monkeys? They don’t look any less scary in this trailer!). The film is directed by John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights), with a score by Stephen Schwartz. The stage play debuted in 2003.
I have not seen the stage version (I know, I live in the Chicago area and have had plenty of chances, my bad), but I’m thrilled that this will be out in what looks like a beautifully put-together version! My biggest issue is that the film is divided into two parts and we have to wait a full year for the second half. Let’s hope that part one is so popular, it’s gonna be popular, that it carries us through!
