Wicked’s First Trailer is Out Now and Absolutely Magical
Universal Pictures has just dropped the first full trailer for its upcoming Wicked adaptation, and it’s everything fans of the musical could have hoped for.
The first full trailer for Wicked runs for three and a half minutes, and shows off the world and its characters in gorgeous detail. We see Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba Thropp – the woman who’d later become the Wicked Witch of the West – and Ariana Grande’s Glinda Upland striking up an unlikely friendship at Shiz University, with Glinda exclaiming at Elphaba’s green skin on their first meeting.
From there, it’s a whirlwind of shots with incredible renditions of the musical score, including a very good performance of Popular from Ariana Grande. The two seem to have their good moments and bad throughout the trailer, before Elphaba gets invited to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, played by Jeff Goldblum, a casting that seems to be utterly perfect.
We also get a good look at a few of the expanded cast, like Madame Morrible, the headmistress at Shiz University played by Michelle Yeoh, and the goat professor Doctor Dillamond, voiced by Peter Dinklage, among many more. What we don’t see is a single shot of any of the cast actually singing, but hopefully Ariana Grande being on screen while her singing echoes in the background will be enough for audiences to put two and two together.
Honestly, the whole thing is looking and sounding incredible, from the set design and character costuming to the gorgeous use of color and sound. The film is being directed by Jon M. Chu, best known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians and the film adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights musical, and it definitely seems like it’s in good hands.
Alongside the trailer, Universal provided a pretty in-depth description of the film:
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.
Wicked will be released in theaters in the US on November 27, 2024. A follow-up with the second half of the story, tentatively titled Wicked Part Two, will be released a year later, on November 26, 2025.
