Movie musicals are a tried and true genre in the film industry, with some musicals even winning Best Picture at the Oscars. The next of these projects heading to theaters is Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Wicked, which will be split into two films. A new trailer revealed Ariana Grande’s take on the song “Popular,” and I’m officially sold on her casting.
What we know about Wicked is fairly limited, but hardcore fans of the Broadway sho like myself know the story all too well. While the first Wicked trailer teased the movie’s visuals, this new one showed off way more footage, including excerpts from songs like “Popular.” And yes, Ariana Grande sounds killer as Glinda.
The first Wicked movie will follow Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch of West and Galinda aka Glinda the Good, as they meet at Shiz University. They’re forced to be roommates, and go from enemies to friends. Of course, there’s a larger storyline about Oz and the Wizard also at play here.
While trailers for recent musicals like Mean Girls seemingly hit that it was full of songs, that wasn’t the case for this new Wicked trailer. In addition to hearing a glimpse Ariana Grande’s version of “Popular”, we also got to hear some of Tony winning actress Cynthia Erivo put her spin on the show’s anthem “Defying Gravity.” The pair of leading actresses are both outstanding vocalists, so smart money says the soundtrack is going to be incredible.
The cast of Wicked all get moments to shine in this new trailer, aside from its pair of leading ladies. Michelle Yeoh is featured heavily as Madame Morrible, while Bridgerton breakout star Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero is looking dreamy. We also got to see SNL’s Bowen Yang as one of Glinda’s friends at Shiz.
It should be interesting to see the way that Jon M. Chu changes up Wicked for the film adaptation. The trailer showed a flashback of a young Elphaba, which never happens in the stage musical. Although the trailer does make it seem like an overall faithful adaptation of the beloved Broadway show.
This new trailer notably only contained footage from the first Wicked movie, leaving the entirety of the second installment a mystery for moviegoing audiences. The first trailer confused some fans, as it seemed like some plot points that would occur in the second film were included in the teaser. Specifically the inclusion of The Wizard of Oz‘s Dorothy and her friends.
Overall the trailer for Wicked makes the movie look like a gorgeous musical spectacle. And this new footage particularly sells the acting and singing strength of Ariana Grande, who is going back to her Broadway roots.
Wicked will hit theaters on November 27th. In the meantime, check the 2024 movie release dates.