Wicked is a musical. It is, in fact, a hugely successful, award-winning, long-running stage show crammed full of memorable tunes. But you might not suspect that from this first look at the film version (or at least the first part), which like Mean Girls, The Color Purple and even Wonka before it, is promoted in such a way as to almost completely hide that. Still, this initial footage from John M. Chu's adaptation certainly has some magic to it…
Drawing from the show, which itself adapts Gregory Maguire's novel, Wicked is the untold story of the witches from The Wizard Of Oz. Here, we learn that Elphaba (the green-hued Wicked Witch Of The West, brought to the screen by Cynthia Erivo) isn't the villain the movie makes her out to be. And Glinda (the seemingly perfect Good Witch here embodied by Ariana Grande)? Not as perfect as she appears.
With the stage book writer Winnie Holzman and composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz on hand to bring their talents to the screen, John M. Chu's two-part film certainly appears to channel the musical's undertone of metaphors about racism and using fear to control the populace. It's also looking spectacular.
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang are in the cast for this one, with Part One due on 29 November this year, and Part Two landing on 28 November 2025.