Universal Pictures just released the official trailer for the much anticipated live-action musical adaptation of Wicked.
“Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?” we hear in a voice over as we see the Emerald City in the horizon.
A bespectacled Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) stands in the middle of the square, surrounded by students.
Glinda (Ariana Grande) astutely observes, “You're green.”
The voice of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) welcomes the newcomer, “Welcome to Shiz University, Miss Elphaba.”
Welcome to Shiz University
The headmistress then tells her that she's rooming with Glinda. Elphaba is then welcomed to their shared room to the tune of Popular. Glinda tells Elphaba that she has made room for her — a tiny bed behind one of her clothes hangers.
We're treated to a montage of the two main characters trying to live together. There's a goat teacher — as in a teacher who's a goat — lamenting to the class that, “In today's Oz, a real sorcerer who possesses true magic has become all too rare.”
Cue another montage of Elphaba performing feats of magic befitting a real sorcerer. This culminates in Madame Morrible pronouncing her as “the one the Wizard has been waiting for.”
Glinda “tricks” Elphaba into wearing a pointed witch's hat for a party — with the implied intention to humiliate her. However, when Elphaba dons the hat in the middle of the dance floor, the strains of Defying Gravity starts playing and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) tells Glinda, “She doesn't give a twig what anyone thinks.” Glinda has a change of heart and she embraces Elphaba.
The “Wicked Witch” and the Wizard in Emerald City
The scene cuts to Elphaba being summoned to meet the Wizard in Emerald City. She generously takes Glinda with her on the train. We're then transported to the Emerald City. And then we meet the Wizard — or at least its extended giant bronze face — is piloted by Jeff Goldblum.
As Elphaba declares that “something bad is happening in Oz,” we see the flying monkeys all over Emerald City's skies.
The Wizard has his own declaration: The best way to bring folks together is to give 'em a real good enemy. No better enemy than the only one who look different, as evidenced by the large unfurled poster with Elphaba's image on it. We also see the villagers burning an effigy of her. Madame Morrible also declares her the Wicked Witch.
The trailer ends with Elphaba truly owning the witch moniker by wearing the hat and taking hold of a broom — which she uses to bust out of the window and flying off into the sunset.
The film is based on Gregory Maguire's 2003 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn was based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Broadway musical first debuted in 1995. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won three. With its more than 7,500 performances, it's the fourth-longest Broadway show in history. The original production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.
Wicked will premiere on Nov. 25. Wicked Part Two will be released Nov. 27, 2025.
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