After two decades of delighting audiences on stage, the musical Wicked finally arrives on the big screen this year.
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.
Today, Universal Pictures revealed a special behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming feature. The clip includes commentary from the film’s stars Erivo and Grande, as well as director Jon Chu. You can watch both Erivo and Grande as they first learn they’ve landed the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, as well as their recollections on seeing the musical for the first time and what the production means to them.
“On my 25th birthday I took myself to see the show. I’d never heard anything or seen anything like it,” Erivo says in the clip.
Check out the featurette below to see more BTS footage and hear from the cast and director.
In Wicked, Elphaba and Glinda meet as students at Shiz University 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. These adventures will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
“I want people to see Wicked and experience it in a way they’ve never experienced it before,” Chu says in the clip.
The musical will play out over the course of two feature films. The first releases this fall on November 27. Part 2 will premiere a year later.
Meanwhile, stay tune to THS for more updates; we’re supposed to get a new trailer this Wednesday.
