Everything You Need to Know About the WICKED Movie

The hit Broadway musical Wicked is officially coming to the big screen! BroadwayWorld collected all the information we could about the upcoming film - including who's starring, what viewers can expect, and what will change from stage to screen.

The film will be released in two parts, the first being released on November 22, 2024 and the next part being released the year after on November 21, 2025. Part One was originally due to release on November 27 but, in July, Universal bumped the date up by five days. Part Two was originally set to release on November 26, but Universal moved this one up by five days as well.

Before Dorothy, before the flying house, and before the yellow brick road, there was Elphaba and Galinda. Born with emerald-green skin, Elphaba is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possesses extraordinary talent. When circumstances force her to room with the bubbly blonde and exceptionally popular, Galinda, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships.

From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, Wicked tells the story of Oz that you've never heard.

Find out what we know about the upcoming Wicked movie below! Additionally, BroadwayWorld put together an in-depth trailer breakdown for Part One, which can be found HERE. 

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2024

Who's in the cast of the Wicked movie?

The film will be led by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Grammy Winner Ariana Grande as Glinda. The pair's casting was announced through their Instagram accounts in November 2021.

In September 2022, it was announced that Jonathan Bailey had joined the film as Fiyero.

On December 7, 2022, it was confirmed that Tony nominee Ethan Slater would be playing the role of Boq.

On December 8, 2022, it was confirmed that Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum had joined the cast as Madame Morrible and the Wizard, respectively.

On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Marissa Bode had joined the cast as Nessarose, Elphaba's younger sister.

Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James will play Shiz University classmates Pfannee and ShenShen, respectively. The two characters are Glinda's conniving friends.

Keala Settle will play Miss Coddle, a new role created for the film. Aaron Teoh is Avaric and Colin Michael Carmichael is Nikidik, characters from the book.

Adam James will also be seen in the film in an unconfirmed role that is rumored to be Galinda's father.

In April, it was revealed that Peter Dinklage will be playing the role of Dr. Dillamond in the film, and in May, Andy Nyman announced that he will be playing Elphaba and Nessarose's father, Governor Thropp. 

Karis Musongole has been cast as Young Elphaba. It is unclear in what capacity she will be included and how flashbacks might be incorporated into the film.

According to the soundtrack listing, Courtney Mae-Briggs, Sharon D. Clarke and Jenna Boyd will also appear in the movie in unconfirmed roles.

A previous behind-the-scenes video revealed that original Wicked cast member Kristin Chenoweth was on the set of the film, all but confirming a cameo appearance in the movie.

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz has been confirmed to appear in the film as an Emerald City palace guard, likely during the One Short Day musical number.

Erivo made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as 'Celie' in the critically acclaimed revival of "The Color Purple." She first played the role in 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and her performance on Broadway earned her several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, a Grammy award as a principal soloist on original cast recording of "The Color Purple" (Best Musical Theater Album), a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the Drama Desk Award, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Erivo is also a two-time Academy Award nominee for her leading performance and original song for the film Harriet.

Ariana Grande began professionally pursuing her musical career at only eight-years-old. She appeared in the original Broadway cast of Jason Robert Brown's 13: The Musical and played Penny Pingleton in the 2016 NBC live telecast of Hairspray. With albums including "Sweetener," "Thank U, Next," and "Positions," Grande is the winner of two Grammy awards, one Brit Award, two Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, nine MTV Video Music Awards, and 26 Guinness World Records.

Bailey can most recently be seen starring as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton. Other film and television credits include Broadchurch, The Mercy, Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Crashing. He also appeared alongside Matt Bomer in Showtime's Fellow Travelers limited series.

On the stage, Bailey has most recently starred in Marianne Elliott's sold-out revival of Cock, which opened to rave reviews in March 2022. Bailey previously collaborated with Elliott for the award-winning Company, alongside Patti LuPone, for which he won an Olivier Award. He also starred alongside Ian McKellen in KING Lear in 2017.

Ethan Slater is best known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. He was most recently seen in the Off-Broadway revival of Assassins as Lee Harvey Oswald/The Balladeer.

Yeoh previously worked with Chu on Crazy Rich Asians. She was recently seen in Everything Everywhere All At Once, for which she won Hollywood Critics Association and Saturn Awards. She has also been seen in The School For Good & Evil, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Shang-Chi & the Legend of the 10 Rings, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Avatar: The Way of Water.

Goldblum is best known for his work in blockbusters "Jurassic Park" and "Independence Day." He starred in "Thor: Ragnorak" in 2017 and previously hosted his own show on Disney+, The World According to Jeff Goldblum.

Marissa Bode has performed in musicals like Little Shop of Horrors, The Diviners, Peter Pan, and Mary Poppins. Her training in the arts comes from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.

Bowen Yang is a performer and writer who has written and appeared in Saturday Night Live. Film roles include Fire Island, Bros, and Dicks: The Musical. Bronwyn James appeared onstage in the National Theatre production of the play Hangmen. In addition to Wicked, she is also set to appear in the upcoming live-action reimagining of DreamWork's How to Train Your Dragon.

Keala Settle has appeared on Broadway in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Hands on a Hardbody, Les Misérables, and Waitress. Onscreen, she played Lette Lutz in The Greatest Showman.

In 2022, Aaron Teoh appeared in the London production of But I’m a Cheerleader: The Musical at The Turbine Theatre. Colin Michael Carmichael's stage credits include The Exhibitionists, Da Da Music, and A Midsummer Night's Dream at Bristol Old Vic.

Adam James has played many roles across stage and screen. In 2015, he appeared on Broadway in the transfer of Mike Bartlett's play King Charles III.

Peter Dinklage is known for his many roles in film and television including Game of Thrones, Elf, and the musical film Cyrano. Stage credits include the title role in Richard III at the Public Theatre.

Andy Nyman's acting credits include the Royal Court production of Hangmen and the West End hit Ghost Stories, which he also created and starred in the film adaptation. He is currently playing the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! on the West End opposite Imelda Staunton's Dolly.

What roles haven't yet been cast in the Wicked movie?

Director Jon M. Chu has also revealed that "the door is always open" to the original Broadway cast of Wicked making appearances in the film. "I'm not gonna say anything. I'm not gonna do anything yet, but of course that original cast is amazing," Chu revealed to ET.

Who's directing the Wicked movie?

Jon M. Chu is set to direct the upcoming film. Chu recently directed the acclaimed film adaption of In the Heights. Chu's other directorial credits include Crazy Rich Asians, Now You See Me 2, and Jem and the Holograms.

Previously, Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) was attached to the project but has since departed.

Who wrote the Wicked movie?

The film will feature a screenplay by musical creators Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. The movie also features the iconic music by Schwartz, including "Defying Gravity," "For Good," "Popular," and "The Wizard and I." The film adaptation of Wicked is being produced by Marc Platt Productions.

In July, it was confirmed that film composer John Powell will be working alongside Schwartz to write new underscoring for the movie. Schwartz told The Schwartz Scene that he "basically used the existing [Wicked] themes," adding that "John Powell may wind up creating some new themes, but I didn’t." He also confirmed that the two musicians have "consulted closely with one another throughout the process.” 

Powell has previously scored numerous projects, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, the Bourne films, Don't Worry Darling, and the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

The soundtrack is available to pre-save HERE.

Who is designing the Wicked movie?

Paul Tazewell will be designing the costumes for the new film. Cynthia Erivo revealed to Variety in March that she had spoken to Tazewell on the phone to discuss his vision for the costumes.

Paul Tazewell was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his costumes for the 2021 film adaption of West Side Story. His work has also been seen on screen in NBC's The Wiz LIVE! and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Tazewell served as costume designer for the Broadway productions of Summer: the Donna Summer Musical, Hamilton, Ain't Too Proud, Memphis, In the Heights, The Color Purple, Caroline, Or Change, and more.

Cynthia Erivo has also revealed that they are currently deciding "how green we're gonna go and, like, what the stages are and whether or not it changes as she changes." She did confirm that she will be painted green and the green will not be CGI. 

It was confirmed in a Vanity Fair piece that CGI would be kept to a minimum in the film, with Chu prioritizing practical sets in the spirit of Steven Spielberg's Hook.

What is the Wicked movie about?

The film follows Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and 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.

What's different about the movie?

As recently announced, the Wicked movie will be released in two parts. The films will be released a year apart, with the first coming out on November 22, 2024. The second will be released on November 26, 2025.

"As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but TWO," director Jon M. Chu released in a statement.

The films will expand upon the characters and storylines from the musical, bringing "more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters."

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz has revealed that the first film will most likely end after the musical's act one closer, "Defying Gravity." There will be two new songs found in the second part movie and several of the musical's existing songs are being reworked to fit the storytelling.

While most details for the film have been kept under wraps, Cynthia Erivo has teased that the film will be "unlike anything you've ever seen before."

"We are going to try and put our own spin on what we know already and show you a story about two women that are sisters," Erivo continued to state to ET on the SAG Awards red carpet in March.

A first look at the Wicked film's logo was revealed at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. While not the film's final artwork, take a look at the initial film poster below!

When did filming begin?

The Wicked movie began filming on December 7, 2022. The cast and creative team of the film have been rehearsing in the U.K. since September 2022. The filming process will likey last one year. Deadline has reported that Wicked will be one of the first projects to be filmed at Elstree Studios in the U.K.

Ariana Grande teased her arrival in England to film the new movie on July 12. She shared photos of hot air ballons flying over a field and a framed photo of the Scarecrow from the original Wizard of Oz film.

On August 30, Grande took to Instagram to share a photo of her with a binder and wig cap looking at busts of characters from the original Wizard of Oz film, including Glinda the Good Witch. The post most likely signals that Grande is currently rehearsing for the upcoming movie.

Following the SAG-AFTRA Strike, production on the film was halted during the summer of 2023 with just 10 days left. It then picked back up in January 2024.

Filming on the Wicked movie wrapped on January 26, 2024, with Grande, Yeoh, Yang, and more finishing within the prior days. Now the filming has ended, the movie is in the post-production phase.

In a piece for Vanity Fair, Jon M. Chu revealed that Grande and  Erivo decided to sing their numbers live on set while filming the movie.

"These are live vocals," Chu said. "When we were shooting it, those girls were like, 'F*ck the pre-records. We’re going live.'"

What will Wicked merchandise look like?

In May, it was announced that a plethora of Wicked-themed merchandise will hit shelves to coincide with both entries of the highly-anticipated film adaptation.

The merchandise spans several categories including apparel, accessories, footwear, home décor, beauty, toys, role play, publishing, collectibles, and more. 

Some brands partnering with Universal include Mattel, LEGO, Funko, Hasbro, Amazon, Hot Topic, and many more. Take a look at the full lineup HERE.

In a promo video for the Wicked movie, Madame Morrible, played by Michelle Yeoh, invited prospective students to apply for enrollment at Shiz University.

In the video, Morrible details the subjects offered at Shiz including Logic, Literature, Linguification, and Sorcery, which she teaches. She prompts students to participate in the application process by answering a series of questions. 

What songs are included on the soundtrack?

The first soundtrack for the film will drop on November 22, and all of the songs from Act One of the stage show will be included. Rather than also opting to include the underscoring by Stephen Schwartz and John Powell, the soundtrack only features the sung numbers. However, it's possible that a deluxe soundtrack could be released sometime down the line.

The album will be available in a picture disc vinyl, a standard black vinyl, a standard CD, a Target exclusive CD, and a Barnes & Noble exclusive CD. Take a look at the different options HERE.

Will the Wicked movie be on streaming services?

You can watch the Wicked movie in theaters on November 22, 2024, which is five days earlier than originally announced. It will now debut the same weekend as Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, leading to speculation that the blockbuster weekend may be another Barbenheimer. The second part will debut in theaters on November 26, 2025.

On November 25, NBC will be airing a brand-new behind-the-scenes special centered on the new film adaptation. For the special, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will be joined by Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, and more where they will share their personal memories, intimate video diaries, and secrets of the making of Wicked, culminating in the debut of a scene from the film. 

The film will not be available to watch on streaming services until a few months after its theatrical release. Since it is from Universal Pictures, the film will most likely eventually be available to stream on Peacock.

BroadwayWorld will be sure to fill you in on additional changes and updates as we hear about them!