Wicked Footage Reaction: A Gorgeous And Lush Trip To The Land Of Oz [CinemaCon 2024]

Based on the book by Gregory Maguire, the hit Broadway stage musical "Wicked" opened on October 30, 2003, at the Gershwin Theatre, and has been running there ever since. It recently surpassed "Cats" to become the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history, although it has a long way to go to supplant "The Lion King" as the third-longest. The musical is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," depicting the Wicked Witch of the West as a young green-skinned woman named Elphaba whose reputation has been wildly misunderstood. The show won three Tonys upon its release, and the accompanying soundtrack album won an Emmy. One might say that "Wicked" is very ... POPULAR.

The musical only runs about two hours and 30 minutes (with intermission), but that runtime hasn't stopped director Jon M. Chu from adapting "Wicked" into a massive, two-film epic. "Wicked: Part One" is due in theaters on November 27, 2024, while "Wicked: Part Two" will be released on November 26, 2025. Cynthia Erivo is playing Elphaba, while pop star Ariana Grande is playing Glinda. Also appearing are Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Bowen Yang. Given the films' collective length, it's wise to posit that they will contain every song from the Broadway show, along with some already-confirmed new ones. We can also rest assured that Chu will handle the material well, given his expertise on display in films like "In the Heights" and "Step Up 3D."

Those details will be filled in by Universal, which unveiled some new "Wicked" footage at the ongoing CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. /Film's own Ryan Scott is there reporting, and he has the following information to share.

The Wizard of Oz himself, Jeff Goldblum, showed up first, speaking about how unique it was to work on the film. "I have never — and this is the truth — been part of the particular flavor that is this movie, or should I say movies," he said, before praising the movie's practical sets and hyping up the props and costumes. "I got to wear a delicious long green coats ... The whole experience has been to me, in a word, dreamy."

After him, producer Mark Platt and director Jon M. Chu took the stage. Platt, who produced the play, spoke about how he originally intended "Wicked" to be a movie, but was talked into doing it as a play first. Afterward, Chu described working on the movie as a "dream job," one where he wanted to "honor the source material" while building "a new world of its own."

Then Jonathan Bailey (playing Fiyero Tigelaar) took the stage alongside Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible). Yeoh confirmed that she sings in the film, joking that it was a "terrifying" experience. Chu, reportedly close to tears, joked that if Yeoh could play a rock in a movie, she can do anything. (The joke's referring to Yeoh's Oscar-winning lead role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once.")

The two leads, Cynthia Erivo (playing Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (playing Glinda), then came on stage. Mark Platt said he and Chu "claimed" their roles after looking at thousands of woman, and Chu noted that both leads had "more than lived up to every demand." Erivo and Grander were holding hands on stage, and seemed really happy to be there. "We gave it all we absolutely, possibly could," Ariana said. "I think it's safe to say that you and I are bonded for life," Cynthia said to Ariana.

The new footage begins with a big establishing shot of Oz, the castle in the distance, and then shows us Glinda's shock at seeing Elphaba green for the first time. The latter part was already shown in the Super Bowl trailer, but the trailer quickly dives into new material from there: It shows Glinda and Elphaba in their new school (called Shiz University), and displays an odd couple dynamic between the two leads. Ryan Scott describes the school as having a lot of the same magic and whimsy as Hogwarts, but with far more lively colors.

The footage features bits of "Defying Gravity" as the trailer shows us Glinda and Elphaba's friendship starting to blossom. The two are shown journeying to the Emerald City together, and then the trailer cuts to more glimpses of Oz and those flying CGI monkeys, purple and terrifying. Goldblum's Wizard of Oz is featured, looking great in his vibrant outfit and hairstyle, having a conversation with Elphaba. "The best way to bring folks together, is to give them a real good enemy," Oz tells her. "You have no real power" Elphaba says, and Oz responds, "That's why I need you."

The end of the trailer features a shot of a wooden version of the Wicked Witch burning in the city streets, with Elphaba's voiceover ("It's the wizards who should be afraid of me," she says) concluding the footage. Overall, Scott describes the trailer as having some imagery from the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz," but he reports that the movie very much seems to be going for its own distinctive look and feel.

"Wicked" releases in theaters November 27, 2024.