Ariana Grande is getting ready to take over Oz, as she has shared brand-new images teasing the production of the Wicked movie through her Instagram account. The acclaimed pop artist is set to play the role of Glinda, a talented witch who might appear superficial, at first. The character is focused on popularity, good impressions and making a name for herself through her charisma, when she meets Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). Elphie is an introvert, and she likes to focus on her work above everything else. The musical tells the story of how a sweet girl became who everyone on the country would eventually call the Wicked With of the West.
The original Broadway musical debut around 2003, and it featured Idina Menzel in the role of Elphaba. Years before she took the world by storm as the Queen of Arendelle, Menzel became the talk of the town when she soared through the air belting out the final notes of “Defying Gravity”, making a statement to the industry regarding her potential as a musical star. On the other hand, Kristin Chenoweth played Glinda and, while she has also built a successful career in the industry, she opted for remaining on the Broadway spotlight. This brand-new version of Oz was clearly here to stay.
At the beginning of the last decade, when Broadway film adaptations such as Les Misérables were taking Academy Awards home, studios started looking for more Broadway hits to take to the big screen, and since Wicked defined an era of musical theater, it was only a matter of time before someone took a crack at it. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t an easy yellow brick road for then adaptation after it was announced, facing numerous delays due to different reasons across the years. But with cameras rolling on the story of these two young witches, it looks like the current November 27, 2024 release date for the project might actually do the trick.
The Director’s Gift for Musicals
John M. Chu is in charge of helming the adaptation, which will be split into two parts in order to adapt the storyline without rushing some of its plot points. The filmmaker has plenty of experience when it comes to adapting Broadway musicals, given how he directed In The Heights a couple of years ago. The movie version of the popular Lin-Manuel Miranda musical displayed Chu’s ability to capture complicated dance sequences, and the way he translates the feelings a song wants to convey to something more suited for film. It looks like the fate of Oz is in good hands.
While you wait for Wicked: Part One to open in theaters on November 27, 2024, you can check out the images shared by Ariana Grande below:
