The magical world of Oz will soon return to the big screen in epic fashion. Universal Pictures has unveiled the magical first trailer for the long-awaited cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway smash hit Wicked.
Directed by Jon M. Chu (In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), the musical tale about the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good is brought to soaring life by stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who showcase their stunning vocals in the trailer’s centerpiece song “Defying Gravity.”
Charting the origins of Oz’s most famous witches, Wicked has officially been split into two films to properly translate the story to screen while “bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters” in Chu’s words. Part One flies into theaters this Thanksgiving, bringing Erivo and Grande’s chemistry to the forefront alongside co-stars Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum.
The trailer offers a visually resplendent first look at Chu’s Oz. After opening on the famed Yellow Brick Road, viewers are transported into the halls of Shiz University where the young Elphaba (Erivo) and Galinda (Grande) first meet and ultimately form an unlikely bond. Erivo’s mighty pipes are spotlighted in a brief rendition of “Defying Gravity,” as she vows to fearlessly combat the sinister machinations of the Wizard of Oz himself (Goldblum).
In adapting Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, screenwriter Winnie Holzman (composer Stephen Schwartz also returns) traces Elphaba’s ostracization and turn toward darkness while exploring complex themes of xenophobia, tyranny and social outcasts.
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Chu’s films promise to bring astonishing visual spectacle, humor and heart-wrenching emotion to the beloved tale of how two opposites, the earnest Elphaba and bubbly Galinda, become the Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good.
Part One of Wicked debuts in theaters on November 22, 2024 while Part Two will close out the story on November 25, 2025. Strap in for a magical ride over the rainbow when two of pop culture’s most iconic witches touch down in theaters Thanksgiving weekend 2024.
