The American epic musical fantasy film Wicked, aka Wicked: Part 1, is directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The film is set to premiere in 2024 in two parts. The first instalment of the Wicked movie version of Stephen Schwartz and Holzman's stage musical of the same name is set to release this November! The musical was in turn based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 book of the same name. Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum are among the supporting actors in the picture, which also stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The wickedly talented cast of the Wicked movie
Among the other notable actors in the Wicked movie are Michelle Yeoh, the Oscar-winning actress who will be seen in the movie for her role as Madame Horrible, and Jonathan Bailey, fresh off his role as the towering Viscount Bridgerton, who plays the role of Fiyero. Boq is played by Ethan Slater, who has been nominated for a Tony and is more popularly known for playing the role of Spongebob Square Pants in its live-action adaptation, and Marissa Bode makes her feature-film debut as Elphaba's sister, Nessarose. Finally, pop-culture icon Jeff Goldblum plays the role of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Wicked movie honestly boasts of a star-studded cast!
What is the Wicked movie about?
For the uninitiated, think of the Wicked movie as the prequel to the cult-famous Wizard of OZ. Set in Oz, before Dorothy Gale comes from Kansas, the story follows the events of the first act of the musical, which begin with green-skinned Elphaba's studies at Shiz University and her journey to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West. She also forms an unlikely friendship with a classmate who goes on to become Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
The Wicked cast of the Broadway musical is still fondly revered by theatre nerds! In 2003, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel made their Broadway debut as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in the musical Wicked, and are still known for their magical rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’! The Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West have a history that predates Dorothy's magical journey to Oz. The prequel explains how the two ambitious witches had an unexpected connection when they were younger, but how their friendship eventually turned into an enemy, altering the course of their lives and the course of Oz's history forever.
The movie will heavily feature Glinda (played by Grande) and Elphaba (played by Ervio) as their main characters. Glinda and Elphaba, the heroines of Gregory Maguire's Wicked, are college students at Shiz University. Despite their differences, they form a relationship, undergo magical training, and even fall in love while finding themselves. But when Elphaba is unfairly labelled the 'wicked' witch, the opposing perspective on Oz takes a twist. The movies will supposedly follow her backstory as she evolved into the evil we know her as well as her relationships with other popular Oz characters.
All the news about Wicked release date
In 2012, the film adaptation was announced by Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, the same partners that developed the stage musical. Chu was hired to direct the picture after it had been in development for a long time and had been delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first hires of the Wicked cast were Erivo and Grande, who were cast in their roles in 2021. The decision was made to divide the film into two parts so that it could meet the demands of its epic scope and expand upon the characters' journeys and relationships without removing any songs or major plot points.
Wicked release date delayed due to SAG AFTRA strike
The two films' principal filming started in England in December 2022, but it was interrupted in July 2023 by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. It resumed in January 2024 and finished in January 2024.
Is the Wicked Trailer out?
Yes! On May 15, 2024, after much anticipation, the first official trailer for Wicked was released; you can go see it now here! A clip of Elphaba and Glinda's rendition of the ubiquitous 'Popular' plays in the background while the teaser portrays their first encounter. In terms of music, we hear a snippet of 'Defying Gravity' as we see the two witches' relationship shift and the Wizard's arrival.
Remember the date! On November 22, Wicked will have its international debut in theatres throughout the globe. At a later date, the films will be available digitally.