The first part of “Wicked” debuts in theaters on Nov. 25, with part two coming in 2025, also over Thanksgiving. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film stars Cynthia Erivo as the green-skinned Elphaba and Ariana Grande as the popular Glinda. Michelle Yeoh plays the headmistress at their school, and, the studio recently announced, Peter Dinklage will be Dr. Dillamond, a history professor and goat. Jeff Goldblum plays the man behind the curtain.
The three-and-a-half-minute trailer transports fans to Shiz University in the Land of Oz, where Elphaba and Glinda meet. The trailer showcases quick snippets of some of the hit musical’s biggest songs including “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”
Last month, producer Marc Platt shared that he always intended “Wicked” to be a movie after he first read the novel. But it was Stephen Schwartz who convinced him that it needed music and to go to Broadway first. The theatrical production made a big impression on the movie’s future director, too, who brought both a reverence for the stage show and a vision for big screen grandeur.
“We dreamed very, very, very big for ‘Wicked,’” Chu said.
First appeared on www.wgrz.com