Paul Tazewell Shares Inspiration for WICKED Movie Costumes

For the extravagant costumes made for the upcoming Wicked movie, designer Paul Tazewell took inspiration from three primary sources. In a new Vogue piece, Tazewell revealed that he looked to Gregory Macquire's original novel (on which the stage musical is based) the iconic 1939 Wizard of Oz film, and the stage musical when designing the new costumes.

“It was important to engage that audience and not completely redefine what Wicked feels like," Tazewell said of taking elements from the stage show. 

One such piece was Glinda's "bubble dress," one of the more recognizable costumes in the musical. “Paul Tazewell is the most brilliant human being on the planet, from his shapes to the color story to the thoughtfulness behind each look,” Ariana Grande told Vogue. For her costume, Tazewell was inspired by butterflies and the Fibonacci (or Golden) spiral.

Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, had previously worked with Tazewell in the 2019 film Harriet. "[We] had this deep understanding of what it is to allow a character to express themselves through the clothes they wear,” Erivo said, adding that the designer would often take her suggestions for slight changes to her costume. Early in the film, the character is clad in bark cloth, mushroom pleats, and a mourning dress, a stark contrast to Glinda's bright outfits. Learn more about the costumes in Vogue.

Susan Hilferty designed the costumes for the Broadway production of Wicked, winning both a Tony and a Drama Desk Award for her work.

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!