Wicked: key details about Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s new movie

The highly-anticipated film adaptation of the hit musical that turned The Wizard of Oz will be released in the UK in less than three weeks.

Fans are excited to see how the two-part prequel will play out on the big screen. It will tell the story of Dorothy’s journey down the yellow brick road. It will also introduce Elphaba, the green-skinned witch who is the Wicked Witch of the West, and her sister Glinda the Good Witch.

It is a film adaptation of the hit musical that premiered on Broadway in 2003. In 2016, it earned over $1 billion (£770,000) in Broadway revenue.

Here’s everything we know about Wicked: Part One.

Wicked: Part One will be released in the US on November 22nd and in the UK on November 27th.

The second part will come out in November 2025.

Director Jon M Chu explained on social media last year why the film would be in two parts.

“Wicked Special Update / Thank you for all the support these past few months in anticipation of the WICKED movie,” fans said. “We have a lot of exciting things to share, but for now I’ll give you one… or two.

“Here’s what happened: When we were preparing for production last year, it became impossible to condense the story of ‘Wicked’ into a single film without doing real damage,” Chu said. “When we tried to cut a song or cut a character, that decision started to feel like a fatal compromise for the source material that has entertained us all for years. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie but two!

“With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it is told while bringing more depth and surprise to the journey for these beloved characters.”

Elphaba will be played by British actress Cynthia Erivo, 37. She won the Tony Award for leading actress in 2016 after starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple. Erivo played Aretha Franklin in the TV series Genius and has appeared in other TV shows including Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum and Broad City.

Pop star Ariana Grande, 31, will play Glinda. While famous for her music, Grande is no stranger to musical theater. He made his Broadway debut in the musical 13 at the age of 15. He then starred in the Nickelodeon series Victorious before embarking on a musical career.

Jonathan Bailey, 36, will play Fiyero. Perhaps best known for playing Lord Anthony Bridgerton on Netflix’s Bridgerton, Bailey is also an accomplished theater actor. He first appeared in a Royal Shakespeare Company production aged seven, before playing Gavroche in the West End production of Les Miserables.

Jeff Goldblum, 72, will play the Wizard. Goldblum is best known for starring in major films such as Jurassic Park, The Fly, and Independence Day – and several Wes Anderson films. Goldblum also appeared in Broadway and West End plays such as Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Music Man.

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, 62, joins the cast as Madame Morrible. Yeoh rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in Hong Kong action films. However, Western audiences will know her for films including Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All At Once – the latter of which won the 2023 Oscar for Best Actress.

Ethan Slater, 32, plays Boq. He is known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway, and he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018. He is rumored to be dating another star, Grande.

Fans are eagerly waiting for the film as it has been a hit musical for a long time.

Clips from the film released in the past few weeks have added to the excitement.

Fans have also noted how the transition from spectacular sets to on-camera filming has taken place.

And it’s not just super fans who are excited. At the final press screening of the film, all the actresses who played Glinda gathered.