"Wicked" Movie Part 2 Will Be Released Earlier Than Expected

Have you ever wondered what makes one witch decide to be good and what inspires another to be bad? What about the true villain origin story of two close friends apart and the circumstances that led to them becoming mortal enemies? Get ready, the tale of two beloved witches is coming to the big screen in Wicked. Yep, that’s right. After years of delays and rescheduling, the Broadway musical has been adapted into a film.

If you can’t wait to learn more about the film adaptation of Wicked — which will be released in two parts — keep reading. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming musical.

Are there any pictures from the set of Wicked?

We officially have our first look at Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked. “You weren’t told the whole story. What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? FIRST LOOK of the #WickedMovie … currently in production in Oz. 🌪️🫧🧹,” director Jon M. Chu wrote on Instagram, alongside photos of Elphaba and Glinda against dark, moody backdrops. Elphaba appears to be in a tower, while Glinda ascends a flight of stairs.

“It’s been wonderful making magic with you 💚💚💚💚💚,” Cynthia commented. “i ♡ you,” Ariana wrote underneath a separate post of the same photos.

What about our lead stars’ love interest? Well, on May 14, the first images of Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero — a prince who gets tangled up in a love triangle with Glinda and Elphaba — surfaced and we are 😍. Per a photo obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the actor wears a green-and-gold military-style jacket and keeps his arm wrapped around Glinda’s (aka Ariana’s) waist. Ariana, with her hand resting on Jonathan’s chest, wears a billowing tulle ballgown and an opulent crown atop her head.

As for other behind-the-scenes moments, in July 2022, Ariana and Cynthia took to Instagram to share cute clips from set. The Positions singer shared a black-and-white photo alongside her onscreen frenemy during what appeared to be a table read. Cynthia replied, “I love you Xx.” The Aretha star followed up by sharing a carousel post that included a black-and-white video of her embracing Ariana in a hug on set.

What is the cast saying about the film?

In March 2023, Ariana Grande shared a lengthy Instagram post as an ode to Oz. The singer posed under a stunning rainbow with her pup, Toulouse, and wrote a love letter about what it's been like to play her dream role of Glinda, which she credits for "transforming and healing parts of me that I never knew needed it."

"Savoring every millisecond left with my Galinda (although she’ll be with me irrevocably, forever). She shows me so many new things every day," Ariana wrote. "I am so grateful, I don’t know what to do or say… To be here in Oz where everyday is a life changing one… To be feeling, learning and growing so much at such a disarming speed… To feel so much love around me, to begin each day before the sun is up and to end after it set."

"To hold my brilliant twin flame / sister Cynthia’s beautiful, green hands every day… To work in the safest, most beautiful and loving, biggest-yet-most-intimate/tiny-feeling spaces…" she shared sweet words about her co-star, revealing that the films are halfway through production. Ari also praised director Jon M. Chu, who she described as "thee most thoughtful, brilliant, compassionate and warmest possible director on this planet, my other Ozian best friend ever."

Cynthia Erivo also opened up about her role in Wicked. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres show where she spilled the tea to guest host Tiffany Haddish about starring as Elphaba in the highly anticipated movie. “It’s really, really, really exciting. It’s really cool," she said. “It feels like it might be the role of a lifetime.”

In 2022, Cynthia said she and Ariana Grande had been bonding to prep for their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively — “I saw her a couple of months ago, we’ve been FaceTiming and talking,” Cynthia explained to Variety. “I get to speak to her a lot now. We’re gonna be in each other’s lives for a bit.”

“The most exciting thing about bringing [Elphaba] to the screen is getting to ground her out and seeing the reasons why she is the way she is. Finding the beginning stories where we know her and just trying something different and new. I’ve never played anything like that before,” Cynthia shared.

Who is in the Wicked movie cast?

Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights director Jon M. Chu announced that he’d be leading the film in February 2021. According to People, he tweeted, “Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It’s time to trust my instincts. Close my eyes and leap...” #WickedMovie @UniversalPics #StephenSchwartz #WinnieHolzman #MarcPlatt it’s time. So... Twitterverse, who should we cast?”

On December 9, 2022, Deadline announced that Fire Island and Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang has joined the cast as Pfannee, Elphaba and and Glinda’s classmate at Shiz University in Oz.“Welcome #BowenYang to Shiz University in Oz. Please cause lots of trouble on campus for us,” Chu tweeted.

The outlet also confirmed that Marissa Bode and Bronwyn James have joined the star-studded cast. Marissa plays Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister, while Bronwyn portrays ShenShen, a fellow classmate of Glinda and Elphaba’s at Shiz. Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael round out the cast as Miss Coddle, Avaric, and Nikidik, respectively.

On December 8, 2022, Variety reported that Crazy Rich Asians’ Michelle Yeoh will star as Madame Morrible, the Crage Hall headmistress at Shiz University. The outlet also announced Ethan Slater’s casting, who will appear in the film as Boq, the romantic interest of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose.

A September 2022 report by Variety (and an official Twitter announcement from director Chu), revealed that Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey is set to play Elphaba’s love interest, Prince Fiyero.

Back in November 2021, Chu announced that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Ervio would be starring as Glinda and Elphaba. He took to Twitter writing, “Goooood Newwwws!!! The incredible #CynthiaErivo and @ArianaGrande will be our Elphaba and Galinda in @WickedMovie @UniversalPics Get ready for a match-up like you’ve never seen!!! In pink and green!!!”

He shared the good news on Instagram, too, writing, “These two witches!! The emotional moment I got to tell @cynthiaerivo and @arianagrande that they were our Elphaba and Galinda in the @WickedMovie for @unistudios 😭😭😭wait until you see what they bring!! It is otherworldly. Ahhhhh!!!”

Ariana Grande’s addition to the film’s cast fulfilled a longtime dream. Back in 2011, she revealed that playing Glinda would be her “dream role.” She tweeted, “Loved seeing Wicked again... amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life! #DreamRole.”

Both leading ladies celebrated their new roles on Instagram with heartfelt posts.

Ariana wrote, “thank goodness 💘 @jonmchu @cynthiaerivo @wickedmovie,” alongside her post.

While Cynthia followed suit writing, “Pink goes good with Green 💚💚💚
@wickedmovie @jonmchu @arianagrande.”

What is Wicked about?

Wicked examines the unlikely friendship between Glinda, The Good Witch and Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. Based on Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name, Wicked provides insight into how Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship in their youth led to their roles in the iconic film, The Wizard of Oz.

The Broadway play debuted in 2003, starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. It won three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award.

Idina Menzel revealed how she feels about not playing the role she originated, explaining in a Broadway.com interview, “I know it’s in great hands and I’ve sent so much love to Cynthia and Ariana, and I’m there for them if they need me. And yes, I’m a little sad that I’m just older and can’t play the role, you know? And that’s the honest truth. I’d like to say I’m so valiant [and] I can’t wait, but it’s hard.”

The Broadway star also joked that the producers could “put a little Vaseline on the lens, throw some green makeup on me, use a little CGI” if they asked her to reprise her role as Elphaba at the age of 51.

When is the Wicked movie coming out?

There will be not one but two (!!) Wicked movies. On March 14, 2023, Director Jon Chu revealed that the first Wicked film will be released earlier than expected. "We are deep into production on WICKED and everyday we get more and more excited to share with u the mischief we’ve been up to," he wrote on Twitter. "So…We’ve decided to get it to you all a little earlier than planned. OUR NEW RELEASE Date is NOV 27th 2024! A little Thanksgiving treat!"

In June 2023, Deadline reported that the second Wicked film will also have an earlier release date. Wicked part 2 was originally supposed to be released in December 2025, but like its predecessor, it will come out closer to Thanksgiving instead.

According to People, Wicked was originally set to be released on December 22, 2021, but COVID-related delays forced the film to get pushed back. The Hollywood Reporter reports that filming was scheduled to begin in Atlanta in March 2022 but was pushed back to June. The outlet claimed the film will now be taped in the UK, as the first production to shoot on stages at Unviersal's Sky Studios.

Why are there going to be two Wicked movies?

To preserve the integrity of Wicked without altering too much of the storyline, Chu explained his decision to extend it in April 2022.

He took to Instagram to share a screenshot on official Wicked letterhead that read, “As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one WICKED movie but TWO!!!! With more space, we can tell the story of WICKED as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprises to the journeys of these beloved characters.”

You Might Also Like

• 18 Best Leggings Brands That Will Make Your Butt Look Like an 11/10

• 37 Selena Gomez Hairstyles to Copy If You're Trying to Level-Up Your Hair Game

• 11 Waterproof Makeup Products You Have to Try