It’s not strange for Hollywood to look for inspiration in Broadway. Hairspray, Chicago, Grease, Les Miserables, Hamilton, Tick Tick… Boom! and many more have been adapted from the stage to the silver screen. Now, it’s time for Wicked to have its own movie.
The Tony-winning musical is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” and tells the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. It will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who recently helmed “In the Heights.”
The two films, as it will be divided into two parts, are being produced by Universal, and it will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Here, check out everything we know, including release date, cast and more.
Release date: When is Wicked coming out?
The first film will arrive on November 22, 2024. While the second is expected to arrive on November 26, 2025. In a statement for Variety, Chu wrote that they decided to split the story in two because “with more space, we can tell the story of ‘Wicked’ as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”
Wicked trailer: Check out the first teaser
The first teaser of the film was released during the Super Bowl 2024. Check out the first look for the movie:
Wicked cast: Who is playing who?
Besides Ariana Grande, who is returning to acting after her cameo in “Don’t Look Up,” and Cynthia Erivo, whose most recent projects include the recent remake of Pinocchio, Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has been confirmed to play Fiyero. Bailey has plenty of experience in theater, and he has won an Olivier Award in 2019 for his work in the London production of “Company.”
Other confirmed stars are Jeff Goldblum, who will play the Wizard, and Academy-Award winner Michelle Yeoh, who is portraying Madame Morrible. The rest of the cast includes: Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Aaron Teoh as Avaric and Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, according to Variety.
Who is behind the adaptation of Wicked?
Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the original Broadway show, is behind the script alongside Winne Holzman, who co-wrote the musical. Marc Platt will produce the films for his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions. David Stone will also produce.