Good news to all musical theater fans.

After many of years of being stuck in the production cyclone, a movie adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical phenomenon, Wicked, is finally landing in theaters this November.

Wicked: Part One and then next year’s Part Two are directed by filmmaker Jon M. Chu (who directed 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians and the 2021 summer musical blockbuster In The Heights adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2005 musical hit).

Chu truly has an epic vision for this movie adaptation starting by casting talented and strong singers Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the iconic witches of Oz, Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

Chu has also booked Stephen Schwartz, the musical’s original composer and lyricist, to compose the music for the film with two new songs for the adaptation.

During the Super Bowl in February, the first Wicked trailer dropped surprising many musical fans as it showcased a bright and colorful look for the movie in theatrics, picturesque and breathtaking cinematic scenery, and magical architecture of Oz, the Emerald City, and tender moments of Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship highlighting Erivo and Grande’s chemistry. We also got a first listen to Erivo’s vocals in the iconic feminist empowering showstopper, “Defying Gravity” as well as a glimpse of the story’s classic characters the flying monkeys, the heroic Dorothy Gale with her glittering silver shoes, and the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and a rather realistic Cowardly Lion.

So join us on that yellow brick road as we introduce you to the movie characters . . .

We start with meeting the defiant green and mean (or so it seems) Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp, a misunderstood young woman who has been ostracized by all, even her own family, for her peculiar green skin that she’s had since birth. She is seen as nothing but wicked and pure evil, when really there is so much more to her, and that is one of the very hearts of the musical.

As the Wizard himself says in the trailer, “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy,” that enemy title falls upon Elphaba who is nothing but a strong-willed young woman with powerful magic who doesn’t stand for the corrupt laws that the Wizard, a man she once admired and hoped to join in his ranks, has inflicted on Oz.

Elphaba endures negligence for her green skin, endorsement for her magic gift, friendship, love, and antagonization from the people of Oz, and overall she is empowered to come to terms with knowing herself which gives her enough strength to stand up against the Wizard and all oppressors and to bring justice to Oz.

Next, we have Glinda the ever-so bubbly Good Witch of the North who is beloved by everyone in Oz and is seen as the voice of the people, and so it is with that voice that she tells her and Elphaba’s true story.

In her youth, Glinda, then known as Galinda Upland, attended Shiz Academy along with Elphaba, who unlike Elphaba was seen as the most beautiful and popular girl at the academy and therefore showered with adoration.

As roommates, Elphaba and Galinda formed a mutual dislike as their personalities clashed. However, after Galinda, “out of the goodness of her heart,” pulled a cruel joke on Elphaba by giving her one of the outrageous hats that her own grandmother gave her, one that if worn would surely embarrass Elphaba at the dance with (the hat we recognize later on the Wicked Witch of the West) Galinda sees the error of her ways. Galinda and Elphaba then form an unlikely friendship.

Galinda and Elphaba’s friendship would be put to the test with their different viewpoints, love, and their ultimate roles. After Elphaba’s fall from grace, Galinda would become Glinda the Good Witch of the North. However, through it all Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship remains the heart of the musical with a message that true friendships are ones with people who come in and out of your life, and be that as it may, it stands that the person can ultimately be that light you need in your life who can change you to be a better person.

Speaking of Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, here we meet someone the witches share a common interest in, and he is one of the trials of their friendship: the charming cavalier Fiyero played by the handsome Jonathan Bailey who is most notable for his role as the imposing viscount Anthony Bridgerton from Netflix romance hit Bridgerton.

Fiyero is the heartthrob Winkie prince who gladly dances through life and makes his way to Shiz Academy. He is quick to win Glinda’s heart with charm and shallow philosophy; however, as the story progresses his affections turn to Elphaba, who unlike everyone else doesn’t judge her for her appearance as he comes to see her for the strong-willed person she is. And Elphaba in turn helps better him as a person of nobility who comes to Elphaba’s defense when she is persecuted.

School’s in session at Shiz Academy and it is kept in order by headmistress Madame Morrible who helps Elphaba manifest her magic abilities. Morrible however has more tricks up her sleeves that she keeps to herself, and one of those tricks involves being in cahoots with the Wizard of Oz and his corrupt government. She is portrayed by the magnificent Michelle Yeoh, an Oscar-Winner and long-time professional Hollywood actress who previously starred in Chu’s hit film Crazy Rich Asians, and she is ready to play her first musical film role.

Next we meet Glinda and Elphaba’s classmates, and some characters who have quite important tragic roles as the story progresses. Introducing the class of Shiz Academy, 2024: Nessarose Thropp, Boq, Pfannee, and ShenShen.

First, we have newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba’s younger sister, their father’s favorite child. Nessarose is the main reason for Elphaba coming to Shiz—to keep an eye on her as the girl was born paraplegic and must use a wheelchair, and unfortunately the girl is plagued with a whirlwind of tragedies to come.

Next, we have Ethan Slater known for his role as SpongeBob in the 2016 Broadway musical who plays Boq of Munchkinland. Boq has a huge crush on Glinda who doesn’t return his heart’s affection, and so tries to turn his affections to Nessarose.only has eyes for Fiyero, and ultimately Boq’s attempt at trying to win Glinda’s heart by meeting Nessarose’s needs misleads the young girl whose feelings for Boq are as unrequited as Boq’s feelings for Glinda.

Rounding out the class of Shiz, we meet Glinda’s friend posse members: Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang who also appears in the upcoming live action How to Train Your Dragon. Bronwyn James plays Pfannee and ShenShen, who are basically the Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith to Glinda’s initial Regina George-like character, just not Mean Girls but more of the superficial as Pfannee and ShenShen honestly have a toxic influence on Glinda and were the ones who encouraged her to give Elphaba the wicked hat.

Last but not least we have the amazing Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. With a hat filled with imagination, he has helped built up the exquisite Emerald City, a city that’s architecture is liveried in a glamorous green, and a road of bright yellow brick. Unbeknownst to the people of Oz, this Wizard also has many nasty tricks up his sleeves as in addition to great wonder, he has also brought Oz government corruption which he blames on our true hero, Elphaba.

Additionally, it was just announced at Cinema Con on April 10, we have Peter Dinklage as the anthropomorphic goat history professor, Dr. Dilamond, who becomes great friends and inspiration to Elphaba as he unfortunately is a tragic victim to the Wizard’s corrupt government, which involves animal oppression.

The cast look absolutely marvelous in their costumes, something brilliantly brought together by Tony Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell who has designed costumes for over a dozen Broadway productions and for some musical film adaptations, the most notable ones being Hamilton, The Wiz Live, West Side Story, Harriet, and In the Heights.

Wicked is truly going to blow away everyone—from old to new fans—with a surprise in musical talent by Grande and Erivo as confirmed in Vanity Fair Magazine by Director Chu who said, “When we were shooting it, those girls were like . . . ‘We’re going live.’” Skeptical, Chu asked, “There’s going to be a lot of wind in your air pipes. Is that okay?” To which the girls optimistically replied: “Yeah, that we can do.”

And it appears they’ve already defied gravity.

See Wicked Part One and Wicked Part Two in theaters November 27 and November 26, 2025.