Glinda and Elphaba’s theater reign is on the horizon. The highly-anticipated first trailer for Wicked: Part One, based on the hit Broadway musical, debuted during the 2024 Super Bowl on February 11. The footage gave us a glimpse at Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba in the movie musical, and starts out quite dramatic. One of the most beloved songs from the musical, “Defying Gravity,” can be heard over the footage.
In addition to Ariana and Cynthia, the cast features Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Jeff Goldblum as Oz. The cast was just days away from filming when the SAG-AFTRA strike took effect in July 2023. Once the strike was over, production started back up again in January 2024 and finished in two days.
Wicked has been split into two parts. It was originally intended to be one movie, but director Jon Chu announced in April 2022 that Wicked would actually be turned into two movies. He wrote in his statement that 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.”
He added, “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 of these beloved characters… Cynthia, Ariana, and I — and all of the cast and crew — pledge to create nothing less than an experience that honors its foundation for all the fans who’ve waited for this movie, and to offer a thrilling, fantastical world full of dynamic characters that invites in those who are unfamiliar.”
Back in 2023, Ariana wrote about how “grateful” she was to be a part of Wicked. “To be here in Oz where everyday is a life-changing one,” her Instagram message began. “I don’t want it to end. So while I am still here, present, now, I just wanted to….exclaim my tremendous gratitution ! and allow my heart to overflow. I hope this isn’t all a dream because as present as i am attempting to be, it sure does feel like one.”
Wicked: Part One will arrive just in time for the 2024 holiday season. The movie will be released on November 27, 2024. Wicked: Part Two will hit theaters a year later on November 26, 2025.