“Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?” questions the Good Witch of Oz, Glinda, in her opening anthem No One Mourns the Wicked. Played by singer/actress Ariana Grande, she states that her role in Wicked was a “beautiful gift and really special and really challenging in the most delicious ways.” Catch up on the most anticipated film of the year before its epic conclusion.
Shooting for Wicked began in December of 2022 and wrapped in January of 2024. Now, Wicked is not anything new to the scene. The film was based on the 2003 Broadway sensation, which itself was based on Gregory Maguire’s novel from 1900. To adapt the show to stage, producer Marc Platt turned to director Jon M. Chu to tell the witch’s tale. He says this about Jon: “Jon has a skillset as a visual director, but what I love the most is his heart and humanity. Wicked is a story of humanity, about people, and Wicked wears its heart on its sleeve; so does Jon. He was born to direct these films. With the brilliant creative vision of Jon, Stephen (Schwartz) and Winnie (Holzman), together, we have ventured to create a world that can only be realized on film.”
At first, Chu was hesitant to add star power like Ariana to his film, but Grande had been manifesting this part since 2011, when she tweeted how Glinda was her dream role. Famously, Grande dyed her hair bleach blonde for the character, which sparked some controversy among fans. For their other, less popular, more unusually and exceedingly peculiar witch Elphaba, Cynthia Erivo was cast. Erivo was most well known from her role in The Color Purple and various other Broadway and screen works. Immediately as they met, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo became inseparable, forming a “sisterhood bond to last a lifetime.” Other actors include Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fieyro, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessa Rose.
The first film, based on the first act of the Broadway musical, was received fantastically at the box office, grossing $112, 508, 890 in the opening weekend and over 757 million worldwide. Here is what students had to say about Wicked: Part one and the fast approaching finale. 71% of all HAHS students have seen the Wicked movie and 56% plan on going to see the upcoming conclusion. An overwhelming amount of students favorite part was the song and dance number Dancing Through Life, Jonathan Bailey’s big solo. Of course followed in popularity by the movie’s finale, Defying Gravity. It acts as the turning point in the Wicked Witch’s past when Elphaba is labeled the villain because of her green skin and powers, finishing out the 2 hour and 40 minute run time with a battle cry, a now famous riff adopted by social media.
Wicked: For Good is meant to hit theaters November 21, 2025 and the press tour has kicked off successfully. The finale will have the whole audience asking themselves, “Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”
“I’m through with accepting limits, ‘cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change, But ‘til I try I’ll never know!” – Elphaba, Wicked
For more information on Wicked: Part Two please visit https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/everything-you-need-know-about-wicked-ahead-universal-pictures-film
