THE EXCITEMENT for the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical “Wicked” went through the roof after Universal Pictures dropped its official trailer.
The magical three-minute clip opened with Elphaba (played by British stage actress Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (portrayed by American pop star Ariana Grande) meeting for the first time, having been paired as roommates in Shiz University.
It also featured “Crazy Rich Asians” star Michelle Yeoh giving life to the role of the school headmistress.
“Bridgerton” actor Jonathan Bailey also made an appearance in the trailer as Fiyero, who is at the center of the love triangle with Elphaba and Glinda. But it seemed in the trailer that the frenemies weren’t the only ones interested in Fiyero but also other new students in the university.
“Wicked” wouldn’t be a film adaption of the award-winning musical without a teaser of the lead stars’ version of the show’s iconic songs, “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”
The trailer also featured Jeff Goldblum playing the role of the Wizard, who met Elphaba and Glinda in the Emerald City. Trouble ensued in Oz as citizens were made to believe that Elphaba was a villain who discovered that the Wizard had no real magic.
The video ended with a courageous Elphaba saying, “I’m not afraid. It’s the Wizard who should be afraid of me.”
The film adaptation will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who is best known for his 2018 romantic comedy film “Crazy Rich Asians.” It will be split into two parts, with the first installment premiering on November 27, 2024.
Behind-the-scenes
Before the trailer’s release, Universal Pictures dropped a “Passion Project” video featuring Chu, Grande and Erivo, who reflected on making the forthcoming movie.
Grande shared her “incredible” experience of meeting the original cast of “Wicked” when she was 10 years old.
“I just felt an immediate bond,” said the pop star.
An interview of her also showed Grande choosing Glinda when asked about who among the two witches she had dreamed of portraying.
Erivo, meanwhile, became emotional when she shared how she felt being one of “Wicked’s” cast members.
“It’s been a really long journey, and I’m really grateful for it,” the actress said. “I never thought in my lifetime that I would get to be part of something like this.”
As to what viewers will expect from the film, Chu said that they will experience it “in a way they’ve never experienced before.”
“I want them to feel what I felt going into that theater for the first time. I want to make them laugh, to make them sing. To make them feel that after they’ve watched it, they’ve been changed for good,” said the filmmaker.
