Exciting news incoming for all fans of the musical Wicked. It’s being adapted into a movie! Well, two movies. So, get your broom sticks ready and prepare to defy gravity in 2024.
Wicked is a spin-off of The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of two witches living in Oz, Elpheba and Glinda. The witches have a bumpy relationship, and the musical is all about that. They’re very different witches, as Elpheba is (aptly named), wicked, and Glinda is good. They share some similar views, as well as the same love-interest. The musical also captures how Elpheba became wicked. It’s an amazing story and has had great success on Broadway. So how will it fare as a movie?
Who is directing the Wicked movie?
In the musical version, Wicked is divided into two acts. The movie similarly will be split into two different films, one premiering in December 2024, and the other following a year later.
Jon M Chu is directing the movie. You may be familiar with Chu’s work, as he also directed Crazy Rich Asians. Chu defended his decision to split the film into two earlier this year. Citing issues with cutting important songs and characters, he felt it better to leave it all in (and maybe add some plots)!
Who is in Wicked the movie?
Of course, two vocal powerhouses are necessary if you’re casting Wicked, right? Well, have no fear in this case! Cynthia Erivo is taking on the role of Elpheba. Erivoo is a singer and actress and has numerous awards to her name. She starred in The Colour Purple on Broadway (and won a Tony and a Grammy for it!). She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Harriet Tubman in Harriet. More recently, she was nominated for an Emmy for her role as Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha.
Starring alongside Erivo is none other than Ariana Grande herself. Her four-octave vocal range will hit all the right notes as Glinda. Grande is a very well-known singer but has also starred on Broadway herself. She also starred in the Netflix film Don’t Look Up. Wicked is set to be her next film appearance.
But who will portray the love interest Prince Fiyero? He may have only been a Viscount before, but Jonathan Bailey will take on the role and join the cast of Wicked. Most famous for his performance as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton in hit-Netflix show, Bridgerton. We’ll finally get to hear his singing voice!
That’s it for cast announcements for Wicked. It’s likely we’ll hear more as time draws closer. With just over a year to wait for the first movie, we can’t contain our excitement!