Wicked director Jon M. Chu has shared the first look at the movie, featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as witches Glinda and Elphaba.
"You weren't told the whole story," the director wrote on Twitter. "What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? Here is your very FIRST LOOK of #WickedMovie … currently in production in Oz."
Two pictures accompany the tweet: one showing Grande's Glinda in a bright pink dress running up some stairs, while the other shows Erivo's Elphaba, broomstick in hand. Check out the pictures below.
You weren’t told the whole story. What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? Here is your very FIRST LOOK of #WickedMovie … currently in production in Oz. 🌪️🫧🧹@WickedMovie @UniversalPics pic.twitter.com/pKdTTmi6kDApril 16, 2023
"I've already been changed for good by these two women… #CynthiaErivo & #ArianaGrande as the Witches of Oz," Chu wrote in another tweet. "They will lift your spirits, break your heart and leave you speechless with their voices. So excited to introduce you into our world… SO much more to come…"
It seems the entire internet is in agreement about one thing, though: the pictures are way too dark. But Chu has assured people that the film won't be a dreary affair: "Don't worry we still have a year and half to show you our colors! Trust me, plenty of colors in Oz. ;) we still have 70 days to shoot left," he said, reiterating to another concerned person: "Don't worry, color is in my DNA… this is just the first tease. Plenty of time to show more… stay tuned"
The Wicked movie is coming in two parts, with the first film arriving in 2024. The project is an adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical of the same name.
"I don't know that you can compare them," Erivo has said of comparisons between the musical and the films. "It's like apples to oranges. The show is its own thing. The show is its own legend. I think this film is both an homage to the show and the book. We also get to create something really new and slightly different to what you'd be used to seeing. We're lucky, in that we have the space to really fill the world and to really fill these characters. You'll be able to get into the psyche of these women. You'll get to know them more. You will live with them a lot more, and you'll live with them a lot longer. I think it's really special that we get to reintroduce these two women to you, in a slightly different way."
Alongside Erivo and Grande, Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey stars as Fiyero, with Jeff Goldblum playing the Wizard, and Michelle Yeoh playing Madame Morrible.
The first Wicked movie will arrive on November 27, 2024. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of this year's upcoming major movie release dates.
