Wicked Movie: Release Date, Cast And Other Things We Know About The Adaptation Of The Broadway Musical

Have you tried defying gravity? Because these two most certainly have.

When it comes to modern musicals, one that I always think about is Wicked. The play released early in the 2000s with Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the lead roles, and its songs are well-known throughout the world, like “Popular” or “Defying Gravity.” It was only really a matter of time before this fantastic Broadway musical got the movie treatment that we all know it deserved.

And now, it’s happening. It’s actually happening after years of hearing about it nonstop – we are getting a Wicked movie – or, rather, movies. If you’re as curious about Wicked as we are, here is what we know so far about the highly anticipated musical movie.

What Is The Wicked Release Date?

If you’re wondering exactly when Wicked is going to come out, the first part of the Wicked films will release on December 25th, 2024, according to Variety.

I know what you just did – a double-take, because you, like me, can’t believe that they’re splitting this movie up into two parts, but apparently that’s what’s happening. Sadly, we won’t be seeing either part 2023 movie schedule, but the fact that we, at the very least, have a release date after so much time waiting for some sort of news on it, is fine enough with me.

Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo Are Starring

When casting the famous Glinda and Elphaba, it’s hard to imagine anyone else besides Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the roles because they made them just so iconic. But there are two major singing stars who are casted in the main roles, and they are Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, according to Variety. Grande will be playing Glinda, and Erivo will be playing Elphaba.

Both of these stars have done their fair share of work in the film industry. Grande has been on Broadway before and was more recently in the 2021 Adam McKay movie, Don’t Look Up. Cynthia has won a Tony, Grammy and Daytime Emmy for her acting and singing talents, including her part of playing Celie in the revival of The Color Purple on Broadway, as well as parts in movies such as Harriet, Bad Times at the El Royale and many more.

With these two playing such incredible characters, I have a feeling that Wicked is going to be a wicked good time – alright, that was a bad pun, I’ll be quiet.

Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, And More Will Co-Star

But with any Wicked casting, we already know that the overall ensemble is going to be filled to the brim with talent, and we know exactly who is going to be playing who.

First off in the ensemble cast is Jonathan Bailey, according to Variety. You may know Bailey from his role as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton, especially when he was one of the main characters of Season 2, but now, he is going to be playing Fiyero from the musical. 

The next person we need to talk about is Jeff Goldblum, who will also be a main star of the cast, according to Variety. Goldblum has been around the block and back with his movies, appearing in big-films such as The Fly, Thor: Ragnarok, the Jurassic Park franchise, and many, many more, but now, you’ll get to see him as the Wizard of Oz – and I don’t think I could have imagined a better casting.

Moving on, we have Michelle Yeoh, who is confirmed to appear in the film, according to another article from Variety, and she is set to play Madame Morrible, the headmaster of the school that Elphaba and Glinda attend. Yeoh had an especially great year for herself in 2022 with her starring role in the hit film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has won her several awards, including a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as well.

Also set to star in the film is Ethan Slater, according to Variety, who will be playing Boq. Slater is a Broadway veteran who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Spongebob Squarepants in Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, so it’s awesome to see him back in a performing role – this time in a movie.

Several other stars have been announced as well to star opposite these big names. According to Deadline, these include Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael. This movie is already looking good.

The Film Will Be Adapted From The Broadway Musical Of The Same Name

According to the official announcement for the movie from The Hollywood Reporter, the Wicked movie is going to be an adaptation of the original stage production of the same name. The musical is loosely based on the novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, written by Gregory Maguire, which is a spinoff of the popular children’s novel, The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. 

The musical tells the story of the early years of Glinda and Elphaba when they were teenagers in school, and how at once, they were friends. But, in a world where Elphaba doesn’t feel appreciated for who she is, she takes her power into her own hands – causing Glinda and her to grow apart. Wicked is a story about everlasting friendship, and how just one person can change your life forever.

Jon M. Chu Will Direct

If that name sounds familiar, then you should get very excited. According to Deadline, Jon M. Chu is directing the Wicked films and is sure to blow it out of the water with how amazing his track record is.

‘Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu Talks Ariana Grande, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ And More

Check out what Jon M. Chu has to say about Wicked.

Chu directed the fantastic romantic comedy hit, Crazy Rich Asians. The film itself has earned rave reviews, and there is a sequel that is in the works that fans of the director can get excited for.

He also directed the fun 2021 musical, In the Heights, an adaptation of another famous musical from Broadway that was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He has also worked on many other music-based films such as the Step Up franchise and Justin Bieber’s concert films. Truly, having Chu as the director is such a win for this movie, and I have a feeling that it’s going to be amazingly done.

Chu Also Says The “Door Is Open” For The Original Elphaba And Glinda To Cameo

It wouldn’t quite be Wicked without the original Glinda and Elphaba, i.e. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. And according to Entertainment Tonight, Jon M. Chu is saying that the door for them to return to the film in some sort of way is “always open.”

If those two suddenly showed up in a cameo of some way I’m pretty sure I would end up screaming in the theater, and I wouldn’t know how to recover. Let’s all hope this somehow works out.

Wicked isn’t going to be in theaters for some time, but I have a feeling that when it does come, it’ll be so much fun – and it’ll be an opportunity for the soundtrack to get stuck in my head for hours on end again and again.