Yahoo Lifestyle Everything We Know About Jon M. Chu’s ‘Wicked’ So Far
Universal Pictures’ two-part Wicked has become a highly anticipated film for the holiday seasons of 2024 and 2025.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie musical will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba with several other famous faces taking on iconic roles in the land of Oz. Wicked Part One has shifted release dates a few times to land where it now sits in November 2024, and Part Two will follow in November 2025 as of right now.
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For everything else we know about Wicked, find more information and details below.
When Will Wicked Part One come out?
Wicked Part One almost went head to head with Disney’s Moana 2 on November 27, 2024, and before that, it was set to bow Christmas 2024, but it moved up a week to the Friday before Thanksgiving, November 22, 2024. Its new opponent will be Paramount’s Gladiator II starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal among others. Goodbye, “Barbenheimer,” hello “Glicked”!
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A separate set of dates was applied to the film before Chu came to the helm. It was announced in 2016, and it originally had a 2019 release date, but it was pushed back to 2021.
When Will Wicked Part Two come out?
The second film was set to release November 26, 2025, or the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but now it will come out earlier on November 21, 2025.
Who is in the cast of Wicked?
Aside from pink and green duo Grande and Erivo, stars of the film include Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater.
Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) will play Prince Fiyero, who claims that he is “self-absorbed” and “deeply shallow” with pride, and Ethan Slater will portray Boq, a man who does all of Glinda’s bidding.
Michelle Yeoh will play Madame Morrible, headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University and colleague of Goldblum’s The Wizard of Oz.
Peter Dinklage will play Dr. Dillamond.
Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James were cast in December 2022. Bode will play Elphaba’s sister, who uses a wheelchair, Nessarose. Yang and James will play Glinda’s and Elphaba’s Shiz classmates Pfannee and ShenShen.
Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael also joined alongside Bode, Yang and James. Settle will portray Miss Coddle, Teoh will play Avaric and Carmichael will play Nikidik.
Who else is behind Wicked?
Jon M. Chu actually took over the directing role, as reported by Deadline after Stephen Daldry exited the helm of the Universal Movie Musical Adaptation in October 2020. Daldry was attached to the film in 2016, and Chu was tapped to direct in February 2021.
Winnie Holzman, the book writer who adapted the stage musical from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel, is behind the script with songwriter Stephen Schwartz, who also executive produces alongside Jared LeBoff and David Nicksay. Producers include Marc Platt and David Stone, with whom Platt produced the musical.
RELATED: ‘Wicked’: Ariana Grande Shares Behind The Scenes Photos Alongside Cynthia Erivo
What is Wicked about?
Originally based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which became the 1939 movie from MGM, Wicked is a prequel that tells the story of how Elpheba became the Wicked Witch of the West in addition to Glinda’s path to becoming the good witch who greets Dorothy when she lands in Oz later.
The first part of the duology’s soundtrack will arrive Nov. 22 with the first film.
Is there a trailer for Wicked Part One?
Yes, Universal has released two trailers so far, a first-look in February and a fuller clip with a glimpse of Jonathan Bailey’s Prince Fiyero in May.
Watch them below:
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