Everything you need to know about Wicked

It’s been a long time coming but stage show Wicked has finally flown into cinemas, with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo leading the cast of the Broadway adaptation.

Based on the Tony award-winning musical, which was itself based on author Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a big-screen version of of this Wizard of Oz-set story has been gestating since way back in 2016.

After a stint in development hell where it was almost transformed into two different television takes, director Stephen Daldry originally signed on to direct a film adaptation in 2017 with a release date pencilled in for late 2019.

Production scheduling caused delays which were further hindered by the prolonged release date shuffling in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Eventually, Daldry bowed out and was replaced by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M. Chu, who wasted no time casting Grande and Erivo as his leads.

The reviews have landed and they’re largely positive, but what else can we expect from Wicked? Here’s your definitive guide to this hotly anticipated movie musical…

How can I watch Wicked?

Ready to be whisked away to Oz? We hope so, because Jon M. Chu’s Wicked is out in UK cinemas now. Eventually, Wicked will visit streaming services too but we don’t have details of those release plans at present.

When will Wicked: Part 2 be released?

The second part of the film, Wicked: Part Two, will be released on 21 November 2025. Chu, who previously spearheaded the musical movie In The Heights, said the film had been split into two parts in order to do its story justice.

“As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it,” Chu said in a statement. “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.

“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 surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”

Wicked songwriter Stephen Schwartz said the move would be “best for our story, our show, and our fans”, in part because of placement of show-stopper number Defying Gravity. “We found it very difficult to get past Defying Gravity without a break,” he said. “That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic.”

Is there a trailer for Wicked?

The full-length trailer for Wicked landed in May. It whisked us away to Oz where we met Elphaba and Glinda and saw the seeds of the tension at the centre of their relationship. We also got glimpses of Jeff Goldblum’s all-powerful Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh as magical headmistress Madame Morrible. Watch it below:

Before the trailer landed, a minute-long teaser made its debut during the 2024 Super Bowl in February:

What is the plot of Wicked?

Based on Maguire’s book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the plot of the original stage show sticks fairly closely to this title and follows Elphaba, the green-skinned heroine who ultimately becomes Oz’s notorious Wicked Witch.

Together with Glinda the Good Witch, the story chronicles the friendship of these two opposing magical beings while working itself around an appearance from Dorothy and her iconic Ruby Slippers and tracing Elphaba’s misunderstood fall to the dark side of Oz and unlikely redemption.

Read more: The cursed production of The Wizard of Oz

As per the film’s official synopsis, Wicked introduces us to Elphaba and Glinda as they “forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths.

“Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Maguire’s book was adapted for the stage by dramatist and screenwriter Winnie Holzman and composer Stephen Schwartz, both of whom return to help shepherd the story into cinemas.

Who is in the Wicked cast?

Leading the way is Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and musician-turned-actor Ariana Grande as Glinda, inheriting the roles made famous on stage by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, respectively.

They’re joined by an ensemble cast that features Jeff Goldblum perfectly cast as the Wizard of Oz, Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible and Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang as one of Glinda’s college pals, Pfannee. Described as one half of a “conniving” duo, Yang is joined by Harlots star Bronwyn James as ShenShen.

Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey plays handsome prince Fiyero Tigelaar while the star of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, Ethan Slater, appears as Boq, a munchkin who’s in love with Glinda.

Newcomer Marissa Bode makes her feature film debut as Elphaba’s favourite sister Nessarose, while The Greatest Showman’s Keala Settle plays Miss Coddle, a new character made especially for the film.

Wicked is out in cinemas now