Jon M. Chu is setting forth on a new musical adventure with his adaptation of Wicked: Part One in the first trailer for the film. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Glinda, the two women destined to become known as the Wicked Witch of the West and the ‘Good’ Witch. Based on the stage musical Wicked, based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, the film is only part one of the two-part franchise. Set in the land of Oz, the film follows the meeting between Elphaba and Glinda and their burgeoning friendship.
Chu has dabbled in the world of musicals with his 2021 adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. That said, there’s a particular grip that Wicked has on a certain generation. The musical served as a bridge to those who adored musical theater and those who stayed away. With catchy numbers such as “Popular” and the bombastic, emotionally explosive “Defying Gravity,” fans are ready to see reinterpretations of their favorite moments from the musical. We only hear snippets of the big number in the trailer, but even that ensures an epic scale.
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What is Wicked About
In an alternate look at the land of Oz, the true heroine is wrongfully cast as the “wicked” witch and actually turns out to be a freedom fighter who battles against the wizard for her homeland.
Cast & Crew
- Cynthia Erivo (Luther: The Fallen Sun)
- Ariana Grande
- Jonathan Bailey (Fellow Travelers)
- Ethan Slater (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
- Jeff Goldblum
- Michelle Yeoh
- Bowen Yang (D*cks: The Musical)
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writers: Winnie Holzman, Stephen Schwartz
Producers: Marc Platt, David Stone
Release Date
Wicked: Part One arrives in theaters November 27, 2024 from Universal Pictures.
