Wicked trailer: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande experience the wonders of Oz

Are people born wicked? That is the question posed in the latest trailer for Wicked, Universal Pictures’ long-awaited adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical.

Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, a young woman with green skin who enrolls at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. Soon after arriving at the school, Elphaba meets the bubbly and popular student, Glinda, played by pop singer Ariana Grande. Together, Elphaba and Glinda form an unlikely friendship. After meeting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the duo’s lives change forever, as Elphaba and Glinda begin their transformations into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively.

The dazzling footage teases two of Wicked’s most popular musical numbers: Popular and Defying Gravity. Watch the official trailer below.

Wicked - Official Trailer

Besides Erivo and Grande, Wicked stars Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, and Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond.

Jon M. Chu, the director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, directs Wicked from a script by Winnie Holzman. Producers include Marc Platt and David Stone.

Adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, Wicked is based on the musical by Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. The film depicts the events before Dorothy Gale arrives in The Wizard of Oz. The Broadway production is the second-highest-grossing musical production ever, behind The Lion King.

Wicked is the first film in a two-part adaptation. Wicked arrives in theaters on November 27, 2024. Wicked: Part Two is scheduled for release on November 27, 2025.