WICKED Movie's Ozdust Ballroom Will Depict 'The Underbelly of Oz'

It's thrillifying! In a new in-depth piece in Entertainment Weekly (with exclusive images), Wicked director Jon M. Chu has provided details about what viewers can expect from specific scenes in the upcoming movie, including "Dancing Through Life" and the setting of the Ozdust Ballroom.

Chu revealed that the large ensemble number begins in the Shiz library with moving, circular bookshelves. "This is a rotating bookshelf because everything in Oz has a very circular shape to it. In the library, they don't have regular shelves," he explained.

The song, led by Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero, showcases the character's rogue and rebellious personality and also serves as a way of setting up some of the other key plot points like Elphaba's hat (a moment shown in the trailers) and romances that play out in the story.

“Our conception of the Ozdust is very different than what we've seen on stage,” Chu shares. "We definitely wanted the underbelly of Oz. It’s a place where animals all get to hang out, and there's an animal band. It's not prom." This is similar to the Ozdust featured in the original novel by Gregory Maguire.

Chu also teases some of the changes to the Wizard, a threatening character with a lair to boot. "The designs in there are so unique and so beautiful,” Chu said. The designs themselves draw inspiration from L. Frank Baum's original Wizard of Oz book. Read more at Entertainment Weekly, where you can also take a look at the new images!

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 21, 2025. Pre-save the official soundtrack here. Also, be sure to check out BroadwayWorld's comprehensive guide to the Wicked movie!