Intellectual property and franchising always mean trying to use some popular I.P. and spinning it however possible. And lord knows they’ve tried all kinds of riffs on “The Wizard Of Oz.” But the most recent and popular has been Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz’s stage musical “Wicked,” which itself is based on the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire (and yes, that’s based on the original “Wizard Of Oz” book). “Wicked” was such a sensation on Broadway that it made sense that Hollywood would eventually come knocking.
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Universal started this idea way back in 2012, but it obviously took several years and several iterations to finally come together. And it’s a two-part film as well directed by Jon M. Chu, known for musicals like “Jem and the Holograms” (2015) and “In the Heights” (2021), as well as successful dramedies like “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018).
The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles of Elphaba Throp/the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda Upland/Glinda the Good, respectively. The supporting cast includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, and Marissa Bode.
Set in the Land of Oz, “Wicked” revolves around Elphaba, a green-skinned woman, and explores the path that leads her to become the Wicked Witch of the West.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
It’s been a long journey for the film and principal photography on the film (though presumably both films), which was only wrapped in late January of this year.
“This was a wildly large production with so many brilliant human beings who worked so, so hard in every department,” Grande recently wrote in an Instagram Stories message to her fans. “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 … kind and thoughtful and inspired every day as if it were always the first.”
“Wicked: Part One” is scheduled for release on November 27, 2024, while “Wicked: Part Two” will be released on November 26, 2025. Watch the Big Game trailer spot for ‘Part One’ below.
