The Broadway Hit Is Finally a Movie

After years and years of stops and starts, Wicked is finally a movie.

Technically it’s finally two movies — they split the story in half and are releasing it in two parts this fall and next fall — but whatever. Wicked is now coming to the big screen later this year. Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande is Glinda, the future Good Witch.

As in the Broadway show that inspired the film — and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on stage — the movie of Wicked shows the origin of these two witches, explaining how they became the characters from The Wizard of Oz. The first trailer for the film features some of “Defying Gravity,” the show-stopping musical number from Broadway — although it doesn’t actually show anyone singing onscreen.

Watch the trailer below:

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When I showed my Wicked obsessed six-year-old that clip her response was: “I don’t want to see that movie… I need to see that movie.” So that’s probably a good sign for the filmmakers that hardcore fans are going to be excited for this thing.

Here is the film’s official synopsis:

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked is scheduled to open in theaters on Thanksgiving. While thte trailer just called it Wicked, the YouTube video description does confirm this is still a two-part movie, with the second half (Wicked Part Two) expected in theaters on November 26, 2025.