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Ariana Grande and her powerhouse lungs are ready for the role of a lifetime: Glinda the Good Witch in the film adaptation of hit Broadway musical Wicked. Or, to put it another way, Ari said “yuh”.
Fans of the iconic stage production have been waiting patiently for the film’s premiere, with Universal first announcing plans for a 2021 release date. Fast forward three years and the Wicked release date is nearly here! On November 3, the film celebrated its global premiere in Sydney, Australia, with most of the cast stepping onto the ‘yellow brick road’ (see: red carpet) in their Wicked-fashion finest.
Directed by Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), Wicked welcomes Grande as Galinda alongside Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. To whet your appetites while we wait patiently for the very imminent release date, everything to know about the Wicked movie below.
Who Is In Wicked The Film?
As we know, Ariana Grande is appearing in the film as Galinda alongside powerhouse, Cynthia Erivo as the star, Elphaba. Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey will appear as Fiyero, while Jeff Goldblum is the Wizard. Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, SNL‘s Bowen Yang, and Ariana’s new flame, Ethan Slater, round out the cast.
Stephen Schwartz, who composed the music for the Wicked Broadway show, is set to adapt the screenplay, along with Winnie Holzman.
Although fans were hoping for the Broadway original stars, Kristen Chenoweth and Idinia Menzel, to cameo in the production, this does not appear to have come true. Instead, the stars took to social media to congratulate Grande and Erivo. On Twitter, Chenoweth shared an old tweet from Grande where she revealed her hopes in playing Glinda in the future, along with a photo of a young Grande with her grandmother meeting Chenoweth backstage at Wicked on Broadway.
“I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this proud. From the very first day I met you, you were destined for this role,” Chenoweth wrote. “Congratulations @ArianaGrande! The best Glinda you will be with Cynthia by your side. I love you!!”
As for Menzel, the former Elphaba took to Instagram to share a tweet by the film’s director. Menzel offered her congratulations in the caption. “Congrats to two amazing women. May it change your lives for the better forever and ever as it has for us. So much love. @cynthiaerivo @arianagrande”.
Is There AWicked Film Trailer?
We finally have our first proper glimpse into the Emerald city, with the first full-length trailer of Wicked‘s big-screen adaptation officially available.
What Is The Plot Of Wicked?
The story of Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling book of the same name, which tells the story of Glinda, the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West before the world came to know them in The Wizard Of Oz.
As per the tale, the pair meet as roommates at Shiz University, where they refer to each other simply as Glinda and Elphaba. Not long after their meeting, the duo begin an unlikely friendship, and must work through a variety of life’s hurdles, including: fighting over the same love-interest, differing opinions on the Wizard’s corrupt government and Elphaba’s fall from grace.
How Many Wicked Movies Are There?
Universal’s big-screen adaptation of Wicked will be told via two films, which will premiere a year apart.
While it was initially supposed to be one film, director Chu wrote on Twitter: “As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it. As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but TWO!!!”
What Is The Release Date For Wicked?
The first film, simply titled Wicked, will be released in Australian cinemas on November 21, 2024.
Wicked: Part Two will reportedly follow the next year on November 27, 2025.
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The post Everything You Need To Know About ‘Wicked’ The Movie appeared first on ELLE.