Fans of the Broadway blockbuster hit musical Wicked now have a first look at Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the movie version of the show.
She’s Wicked
Wicked is a Broadway musical that tells the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is based on the novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire.
The story follows two unlikely friends, Elphaba, the green-skinned “Wicked Witch of the West,” and Glinda, the popular “Good Witch of the North,” and how they became who they are.
The show explores themes of friendship, love, betrayal, and the corrupting influence of power. With an award-winning score by Stephen Schwartz, stunning sets and costumes, and memorable performances, Wicked has become one of the most popular and beloved musicals of all time, attracting audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
A few behind-the-scenes photos from the impending stage-to-screen adaption were posted by director Jon M. Chu, and boy, have they caused some social media users to go completely bonkers.
Ariana’s Defying Gravity
A few behind-the-scenes photos from the impending stage-to-screen adaption were posted by director Jon M. Chu, and boy, have they caused some social media users to go completely bonkers.
“I’M REALLY CRYING!” a Twitter user said, adding, “THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY.”
I’m going to be unbearable, I want you all to know that, a second said.
Another person said, “I thought they wouldn’t be able to capture the Broadway vibes, but I was wrong. It looks amazing.”
The ‘first-look’ photographs aren’t exactly particularly clear, as others have noted.
One user mocked the difficult-to-see photos by posting a picture of Grande squinting, saying, “‘First look’. All of us: [squinting meme].”
Someone else said, “[The word] ‘look’ doing some heavy lifting.”
A third person wrote, “Me in the movie theater trying to see anything,” next to an image of a man holding a headlamp.
They are, after all, teaser pictures.
Chu obviously wanted to avoid giving too much away, so he chose to take the ‘hard to see’ path that recently seems to have been popular in Hollywood.
Fans reacted similarly when they first saw Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid.
There were also several squinting memes circulated back then.
Anyhow, the upcoming Wicked movie, which has been thrilling audiences on Broadway for years, is surely exciting for fans.
The movie will be based on Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name, just like the play was.
The forgotten tale of Galinda and Elphaba, the two witches from The Wizard of Oz, before they met Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road, delights readers in this book.
While Erivo will play Elphaba, who later transforms into the notorious Wicked Witch of the West, Grande will play the ambitious and well-liked Glinda, who has had her name slightly changed for the film adaptation.
Along with Grande and Erivo, the ensemble cast also features Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero.
Additionally, the tale will be separated between two films.
The original Wicked Part I movie will premiere on November 29, 2024.
In 2025, the second movie will debut on Christmas Day (December 25).