Video: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & More Sing Live in New WICKED Promo

They're doing it live! In a new promo video for the Wicked movie, the cast and crew of the upcoming film discuss the decision to sing live on set. Despite some exceptions (like 2012's blockbuster Les Miserables movie), most onscreen musicals choose to lip-synch to pre-recorded vocals for their performances. However, Jon M. Chu and the cast of the Wicked films opted to record the vocals live on set as they were being performed.

"We chose to sing live because it meant that we would be further connected to the words we were saying," Cynthia Erivo explains in the video. Ariana Grande adds, "It was an immediate no-brainer for Cynthia and I."

The video features some new behind-the-scenes looks at several numbers from the film, including "Popular," "Defying Gravity," "Dancing Through Life," "I'm Not That Girl," and more. Watch the video now!

About WICKED

The Wicked film adaptation stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Joining them is Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. 

Marissa Bode will portray Nessarose, Elphaba's younger sister. The cast of characters also includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots), and a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman). Aaron Teoh joins as Avaric with Michael Carmichael as Nikidik. Emmy-Winner Peter Dinklage is set to play Dr. Dillamond in the film.

Part One of the film will be released on November 22, 2024, with the second part hitting theaters on November 26, 2025. Pre-save the official soundtrack here. Also, be sure to check out BroadwayWorld's comprehensive guide to the Wicked movie!