One of the most anticipated films of the year, Wicked, hits theaters on November 21st, 2024. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, alongside many other big names in the entertainment industry, will bring the characters of G(a)linda and Elphaba to screens across the world. Get ready to wear your pinks and greens and sing along to “Defying Gravity” like you never have before!
Wicked’s Backstory and Origin
Wicked the film is an adaptation of both its preceding novel and Broadway musical, which share the same title. The plot follows the backstory of Elphaba-the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda-The Good Witch. Wicked the novel was written by Gregory Maguire and was published in 1995. Maguire is famously known for crafting the backstories and futures to the stories we know and love. Maguire’s work went on to inspire the hit Broadway musical Wicked, which put the novel’s work into an on stage production. Wicked the musical took the world by storm when it first debuted in 2003, and it is still running on Broadway today. All three Wicked adaptations are derived from L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, which is a novel that remains in the public domain. The film version of Baum’s book, featuring beloved Judy Garland, is copyrighted by Warner Brothers through 2035. Therefore, all adaptations derive from the original book, to avoid legality issues.Â
Wicked: Part 1
The Wicked premiering in November is the first part of a two part film. The musical version of this story includes two acts. Essentially, this first film will depict act one of the musical. It is revealed that part two will follow an exact year later, premiering November 21, 2025. The run time for the first film is 2 hours and 40 minutes. Songs and music from the original musical are included in this movie, and it’s speculated that we might get a dual perspective from both Galinda and Elphaba as well. Fans of the Netflix show Bridgerton will also be thrilled to hear of Jonathan Bailey’s role as Fiyero within the film.Â
Ariana Grande’s Dream Come True
Arianators know that singer/actress Ariana Grande has dreamed of playing Galinda since she was a little girl. Grande has stated in many interviews that she would do anything to get the chance to bring Galinda to life in a film adaptation. She grew up loving Wicked, as she was heavily involved with musical theater in her youth. Grande had a heartwarming reaction to finding out she was cast as Galinda, which brought her to tears as she claimed she would “take such good care of her”. Grande has been outwardly thrilled to work alongside Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, who is most famously known for her role as Ceile Harris in the Broadway musical edition of The Color Purple. Grande also came out with a Wicked collection for her beauty line R.E.M Beauty, to show her love and endorsement for the film.Â
Merch and Brand Collabs
Like Grande’s beauty line, brands everywhere have jumped on the Wicked trend and released collaborations with the movie. One of my personal favorites is the Betty Crocker color changing cupcakes. The newly released boxed mix of cupcakes can either turn pink or green upon mixing, and consumers are unaware which color they will get until they start the baking process. Another favorite of mine is the BEIS X Wicked collection. BEIS is a luxury luggage brand that has recently released special shades of both pink and green suitcases, along with other traveling essentials in each color. The ombre effect on both designs is the perfect Wicked touch to your everyday luggage needs. Brands such as Target, Loungefly, Stanley, and many more, have released their own respected Wicked products, ranging from clothing to children’s toys.
Takeaways
Wicked is a film that everyone can enjoy with an MPAA rating of PG. This movie will truly have something for everybody. So grab your favorite people, some popcorn, and a pink or green accessory, and head to the theaters in November to experience this musically driven fantasy on the big screen!