Trailers for the upcoming two-part screen adaptation of Broadway's Wicked had many fans expecting a lot of CGI, but according to a new featurette spotlighting the films' production design (by Nathan Crowley), a shocking amount of practical sets were built and used—including 9 million tulips and a 16-ton train! See director Jon M. Chu and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande talk about the films' visuals in the video above.
Wicked hits movie theatres November 22, with Wicked: Part Two set to follow Thanksgiving 2025.
Tony winner Erivo and Grammy winner Grande co-star as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Joining them in the cast are West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, 2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first wheelchair-using actor in the musical's history to take on the role.
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, SNL's Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael also play roles new to the musical's screen version, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
READ: 15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer
The screen adaptation, which will include new songs by Stephen Schwartz, is helmed by In the Heights screen director Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman has penned the screenplay, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell designed the costumes.
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical has subsequently been performed in more than 100 cities across 16 countries and is now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
Watch the full trailer for the movie musical below.
