Ariana Grande fans rejoice: director Jon M. Chu has shared a first look at his upcoming adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked,” including a sneak peek at the pop star as Glinda the Good Witch.
Just be warned: it’s a very dark first look. In a pair of wide shots, we can see Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba — a.k.a. The Wicked Witch — preparing to take off on her broom with her face shrouded by her iconic hat.
In the other shot, Grande is a dim light in the growing darkness as Glinda the Good Witch, climbing a dark staircase in an immense pink dress.
“Wicked” has aims to join the likes of “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman” among the ranks of hit holiday musicals, adapting one of the biggest hit Broadway shows of the past quarter century with a loaded cast. Along with Grande and Erivo, the movie will also include “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey as Elphaba’s beloved Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the corrupt Wizard of Oz, and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, who appeared in Chu’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” as the power-hungry headmistress of Shiz University, Madame Morrible.
Universal is so confident in the film’s success that it has divided “Wicked” up into two films. Part one will be released in theaters on Thanksgiving weekend in 2024, while part two will be released on Christmas Day in 2025.
