Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande’s Glinda Upland embark on an extraordinary journey to fulfil their destinies as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively, in the first trailer of Jon M. Chu’s upcoming musical fantasy Wicked, dropped by Universal Pictures on Sunday.
The minute long trailer begins with a visually striking juxtaposition — the privileged Glinda, clad in a lush pink uniform, expressing astonishment at green skinned Elphaba’s unusual complexion. As their destinies slowly unfold to the tunes of the movie’s signature anthem, Defying Gravity, the two overcome their differences, developing a deep friendship along the way. “Something just takes over me...And when it does bad things happen,” points out Elphaba who is advised by Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible to master her emotions.
“Don’t be afraid,” Glinda says soothingly to Elphaba, who firmly replies, “I’m not afraid. It’s the wizard who should be afraid of me.” The wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) voiceover had prophetically begun the trailer, stating “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy”.
A montage of flying mythical creatures, palatial buildings and spectacular landscapes captivates as the trailer moves towards the fruition of the wizard’s vision.
Adapted from Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz’s eponymous Broadway musical, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch, Wicked chronicles events preceding the arrival of Dorothy Gale, the protagonist of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The cast of Wicked also includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James and Keala Settle in key roles. Produced by Marc Platt, Wicked is billed as the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. While the first part premieres on Thanksgiving Day on November 28, the second part is slated to hit theatres on November 26, 2025.