They’re not in Kansas anymore, and they’re certainly not on Broadway, either.
“Wicked”, an immensely popular stage musical based off of the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” and inspired by the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” is set to hit theaters in Nov., eight years after initial talks and public buzz about the adaptation began in 2016. The film, having been split into two separate parts and releases, does not have a confirmed second-half release date.
The film is set to star Ariana Grande as Glinda, the loving yet ditzy “Good Witch”, and one of the titular characters of the franchise. Opposite her is Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the misunderstood “Wicked Witch” with a complicated history with “the Wizard” and all of Oz itself.
The film will follow both characters as they forge an unlikely friendship while uncovering corruption in Oz, and singing their way through the story.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, most notably recognized for his feature film “Crazy Rich Asians” and film adaptation of “In the Heights” off Broadway, brings a colorful and sharp perspective to the well-loved franchise. As well, familiar faces from the theater adaptation include lyric and music co-writers Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, with Marc Platt, the father of “Dear Evan Hansen” star Ben Platt, returning to produce.
While audience members can expect to hear their favorite tunes from the show on the big screen, there are at least four confirmed additional songs, some completely original to the film adaptation and some removed from the original musical lineup.
While no full-length trailer has been released, a teaser trailer premiered during Super Bowl LVIII, attracting nearly half a million views as of Feb. 15 on Entertainment Tonight’s YouTube channel. Clocking in at one minute and four seconds, the trailer features glimpses of the star-studded cast with a gradually swelling, triumphant score playing in the background, highlighting key moments that any Oz fan would recognize without giving too much of the plot away.
Catch “Wicked” only in theaters on Nov. 27.
