‘Wicked’: Everything to Know About the Ariana Grande-Led Films Based on the Broadway Musical

After nearly 10 years of development, the long-awaited film adaptation of Broadway’s Wicked is finally on the way.

The film version of the musical, a theatrical staple since its 2004 Broadway debut, has been in development since 2012.

Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, tells the interconnected story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch long before Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy Gale dropped in. In the prequel, the two aspiring witches meet while students at Shiz University, navigating friendship, romance, magical training and learning to embrace their own identities.

It was announced in February 2021 that Jon M. Chu, known for directing Crazy Rich Asians and In The Heights, had been tapped to helm the two-part movie adaptation of Wicked. Chu cast Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Galinda and Elphaba, respectively.

Keep scrolling to find out everything we know so far about the highly anticipated Wicked movies:

The Stars
It was announced in November 2021 that the Harriet star and the “Positions” singer had landed the impressive roles of Elphaba and Galinda, roles which were originated by Menzel and Chenoweth on Broadway.

The casting news even fulfilled the Florida native’s long-held dreams after she tweeted in 2011, “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life! #DreamRole.”

The original musical songs — including the likes of “Popular,” “Defying Gravity” and “One Short Day” — have become classics in their own right. However, composer Steven Schwartz revealed his intentions to pen “at least two” new songs for the filmed version.

Schwartz told Variety in May 2017 that there are “new songs planned” and the movie won’t be an exact replica of the Broadway show. “There are things that work on stage but won’t work on film. In order to do something that will work on its own merits, you have to do something different,” he said at the time. “The only concern is people who would be coming expecting to see a filmed version of the play. They’re not going to see that.”

Chu announced in April 2022 that the film adaptation would be split into two movies.

“Here’s what happened: As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of WICKED into a single film without doing some real damage to it,” the director wrote in a statement via Twitter. “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. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one WICKED movie but TWO!!!! 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.”

Hello, Fiyero!
Chu confirmed in September 2022 that Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey would join the cast as leading man Fiyero.

“He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero,” the director excitedly tweeted at the time, shortly before Bailey and Grande applauded the news via their respective Instagrams.

“I think the fans of the original musical should prepare to get their minds blown,” Bailey told E! News in November 2023. “It’s such a psychologically rich material. And we know it as really exciting theater with an incredible score and amazing numbers, but when you put it on film, the reality of these characters and the nuances of their psychology, it’s just going to blow everyone’s mind.”

Bailey told Andy Cohen on his “Radio Andy” show earlier that month that he filmed Wicked, Netflix’s Bridgerton and USA’s Fellow Travelers concurrently.

Release Dates

The first Wicked movie will hit theaters on Friday, November 22, 2024. The second will premiere one year later on November 25, 2025.

Behind-the-Scenes Love

Before kicking off filming, Erivo and Grande have proved they are already as close as Elphie and Galinda. The Tony Award winner posted a sweet July 2022 Instagram video in which the pair embraced after her Royal Albert Hall concert in London.

Pink and Green Besties

“I love you @cynthiaerivo,” the “Dangerous Woman” singer captioned a September 2022 Instagram Story of the two women’s dancing shoes. While Grande’s Galinda wore delicate pink ballet slippers, Erivo opted for black slip-ons and green socks.

Rehearsals in Progress

“Somewhere in Oz,” Erivo captioned an October 2022 selfie with her fellow Wicked witch.

From Broadway to Boq
Ethan Slater, best known for his Tony-nominated role of SpongeBob SquarePants, is set to play Shiz University student Boq (and Nessarose’s eventual love interest) on the big screen.

“@EthanSlater it is an honor to have you attending [Shiz University],” Chu gushed via Instagram Story in December 2022. “I’ve been a big fan of yours for a long time and I can’t wait for the world to see you bringing Boq to life!”

Who Will Round Out the Cast?

Jeff Goldblum will portray the Wizard of Oz while Michelle Yeoh will portray the role of Shiz University’s headmistress, Madame Morrible.

Wicked completed its casting with Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael joining the film.

Bode will portray Nessarose, Elphaba’s sister, while Yang and James are set to play fellow classmates Pfannee and ShenShen, respectively. Settle, for her part, landed the role of Miss Coddle, and Teoh will play Avaris. Carmichael, meanwhile, was cast as Nikidik.

That’s a Wrap
After taking a filming hiatus during the SAG-AFTRA union strike in late 2023, they resumed production after the winter holidays. Filming concluded in January 2024.

“Thank you to the massive crew and cast and @universalpictures pictures for supporting the most ambitious cinematic production I have ever been a part of or, frankly, ever witnessed,” Chu gushed via Instagram. “We built real Munchkinland! A multi-level Shiz University Campus! I walked and shopped in a real Emerald City and met the actual Wizard head that moved in real time!! And to fill that space with the insane LIVE vocals of [the entire cast]?!! Most of the year my jaw has been on the floor and [my] heart in the clouds.”

Grande also marked the end of filming the “wildly large production” with her own social media tribute.

“With so many brilliant human beings who worked so so hard in every department … every single person that worked on these films was not only the absolute best at what they do but made every single day for over a year feel so incredibly safe,” she penned via Instagram Story. “My heart sincerely, physically aches that I will not be sharing every day with this crew anymore. Thank you for your brilliance and the many handholds and hugs along the way.”

The Trailer

Universal Pictures released the official trailer for Wicked in February 2024 during the Super Bowl. In the clip, Grande’s Glinda and Erivo’s Elphaba met for the first time as viewers got a glimpse at the colorful world of Oz.

First Look Photos

In March 2024, Vanity Fair gave fans a first glimpse at the entire Wicked cast in costume, as well as solo shots for characters such as Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Madam Morrible and The Wizard. One photo featured a first look at Glinda and Elphaba’s early days at Shiz University as Grande and Erivo posed on their characters’ respective sides of their magical dorm room.

Belting on Set

Despite the Wicked soundtrack being prerecorded by the cast, Chu told Vanity Fair in March 2024 that Grande and Erivo insisted on singing live on set. “When we were shooting it, those girls were like, ‘F—k the pre-records. We’re going live. … That’s what we do.’”

A Dr. Dillamond Is Found

During a June 2023 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Yang confirmed that the talking goat and Shiz University professor Doctor Dillamond will indeed be in the films, much to Andy Cohen‘s chagrin.

“The goat is staying, unfortunately, the goat is in,” the Saturday Night Live personality said as Cohen groaned and rolled his eyes.

When asked who was portraying the role, Yang replied: “Right now it’s a lovely puppeteer. They’re going to cast her later, but right now it’s a puppeteer named Louisa and she’s been doing amazing line reads.”

Universal Pictures announced at CinemaCon in April 2024 that it had found its goat in Peter Dinklage, who will voice the character of Dr. Dillamond in the movie musical.

Source usmagazine.com