There is certainly going to be a lot to be thankful for come this year’s Thanksgiving, as we look to the Western sky and gleefully await the arrival of the cinematic adaptation ofWicked: Part One. As part of the promotional materials for the film’s premiere later this year on November 27,a new poster has been released teasing the musical’s two leads sharing a magical touch. After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, and overcoming years of a complicated development process,Ariana GrandeandCynthia Erivoare set to dazzle on the big screen. Hopefully, it is a brilliant, compelling cinematic event.
Wickedwill tell the untold story of the witches of Oz with the new poster showing Erivo as Elphaba covered in green from head to toe and clad in black with a pointy hat. Grande’s Glinda keeps it strictly pink and ornamental, with sparks flying when the pair make contact. The poster arrives justas the film’s premiere trailer takes us on an electrifying journey to the fictitious land of Oz. Already promising brilliant performances from Erivo and Grande,Wickedwill follow Elphaba, a gifted young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who is yet to tap into her full potential, and Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. Students at Shiz University,the pair strike up an uncommon friendshipthat will ultimately bind them to one another,as Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda becomes the Good Witch.
Based onGregory Maguire’s novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Broadway musical premiered in 2003. WithIdina Menzelas Elphaba andKristin Chenowethas Glinda, Wicked went on to grab ten Tony Awards nominations, winning three, including a best actress award for Menzel. This cinematic experience will be orchestrated byJohn M. Chu, who has worked on a number of Broadway musical adaptations over the past few years. The director helmed the adaptation ofLin-Manuel Miranda’s musical,In the Heights, with another project inJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatalready in the works.
A Stellar Cast for ‘Wicked’
Wickedwill tell its tale in two parts, and director Chu will be bringing the Tony Award-winning musical to life on the back of a stellar cast. While Grande and Erivo have hugged much of the limelight, Wicked will also featureJeff Goldblum(Independence Day) as the great and powerful Wizard of Oz,Jonathan Bailey(Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, Oscar winnerMichelle Yeoh(Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Madame Morrible, andMarissa Bodeas Nessarose. Others includeBowen Yang(Saturday Night Live) as Pfannee,Ethan Slateras Boq,Keala Settle(The Greatest Showman) as Miss Coddle, andAdam Jamesas Glinda’s father.
Wicked: Part Onewill premiere on November 27. Check outeverything we know about the film here, and watch the newly released trailer below:
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
