The highly-anticipated first trailer for “Wicked,” featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted during the Super Bowl on Sunday. The film, an adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical and the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire, is scheduled for release this Thanksgiving.
Set in the Oz universe before Dorothy arrives from Kansas, Grande takes on the role of Glinda, also known as Glinda the Good Witch, while Erivo portrays Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The film is expected to delve deeper into the plot than its stage counterpart, earning three Tony Awards and a Grammy in its original Broadway production.
The trailer captures the pivotal moment when Glinda and Elphaba first encounter each other in school, initiating an improbable and eventually intricate friendship that spans their lives. The preview also provides glimpses of other cast members, including Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Jeff Goldblum as the formidable Wizard Oz.
The star-studded lineup also features Bowen Yang and Grande’s real-life boyfriend, Ethan Slater, in the role of Boq, a munchkin deeply enamoured with Grande’s character. The off-screen romance between Grande and Slater garnered considerable attention during the film’s production. The Thanksgiving release of “Wicked” promises to bring the beloved story to new cinematic heights.