Rejoicify! We’re six months away from the theatrical release of Wicked, and it feels like we’ve been waiting forever. Rumors of the movie’s development have swirled for well over a decade, with so many stops and starts that many fans were beginning to believe it would never happen. Well, we can believe it now, and the first full-length Wicked trailer is here to give us our first in-depth look at Oz. We get to see extended looks at Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh, along with more of the dazzling world of Wicked as interpreted by director Jon M. Chu (In the Heights).
Wicked has always been a particularly meaningful show for me, personally. It’s inspired me as a musical theatre writer, provided the backdrop for some turning points in my life, and even been the reason for forming treasured friendships. Over the course of 20 years, I’ve listened to the cast recording on repeat, seen the show several times, worked the tour as house staff, and even stood on the stage of the Gershwin Theater after seeing a friend perform as one of the principals.
I guess that’s my way of saying that I’m exactly the right person to geek out about the details of the Wicked trailer! Without further ado, let’s get started.
Iconic Lines from the Stage Musical
The Wicked trailer knows exactly who its audience is, and it leans into it from the start. The first seconds feature a voiceover of Grande’s Glinda, delivering a familiar line from the musical. “Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?” It’s a reassurance for longtime fans of Wicked — like me — that this movie will be a love letter to the stage musical.
Throughout the rest of the Wicked trailer, other iconic lines also appear. There’s Elphaba’s giggling “Boo!” to spook Glinda during “What Is This Feeling?” In the Ozdust sequence, we get Fiyero and Glinda’s exchange about an embarrassed yet defiant Elphaba. “She doesn’t give a twig what anyone thinks.” “Of course she does. She just pretends not to.” The Wizard delivers his cheerfully chilling, “The best way to bring people together is to give them a really good enemy.” And of course, there’s Elphaba’s “I’m not afraid. It’s the Wizard who should be afraid — of me.”
We also get a few silent moments that are sure to send Wicked fans squealing with glee. Glinda’s “Popular” acrobatics, Elphaba touching Fiyero’s face during the “lion cub” sequence, Glinda and Elphaba dancing together at the Ozdust, and Madame Morrible stepping up to the mic to defame Elphaba are all visible. We also catch glimpses of Elphaba putting on her hat and summoning her broom — both powerful moments on stage and, apparently, on film too.
There’s exactly enough of the stage show to let us feel like the beloved story is in good hands while expanding the story and the world in gorgeously cinematic ways. Every actor seems utterly dedicated to capturing the nuances of these characters that are already so loved. And that, more than anything, is what longtime fans needed to know.
The Wicked Trailer Doesn’t Hide That It’s a Musical
There’s been a trend for a while that many movie musicals seem to shy away from highlighting musical elements. Fortunately, the Wicked trailer leans a little more into its musical roots. In the first half, we get our first listen at Grande’s take on the iconic Glinda song, “Popular.” She’s got the bubblegum pop sound (and gleefully chaotic energy) the number calls for. We have yet to hear her “legit” voice for Glinda’s serious soprano numbers, of course, but it’s a smart choice to lead with the familiar joys of “Popular.”
In the first Super Bowl teaser, we heard the first snippets of Erivo’s Elphaba, specifically her take on the famed “Defying Gravity” riff. The second half of this Wicked trailer is largely underscored by the song, and it’s good. From the delicate intro of “Something has changed within me” to the final riff, Erivo puts her own spin on the song that every musical theatre woman of a certain generation has belted out in the mirror at least a few times.
Could there be more explicit musical numbers? Sure. We don’t physically see the characters in the act of singing except for a few moments. But Wicked, I think, is different from other recent movie musicals like The Color Purple and Mean Girls. Those movies are better known as non-musical movies, not their stage adaptations. Wicked, on the other hand, is one of the best-known Broadway musicals in the world. We all know it’s a musical, so I think it’s okay to focus more on just teasing a few of the best-known songs.
Oz Is a Visual Feast
One of the most delightful aspects of the Wicked movie is its commitment to practical world-building. Instead of being a CGI-fest, it relies to a large degree on practical sets and effects (as seen in its behind-the-scenes reel).
The full Wicked trailer shows off the gorgeous world of the movie. Vibrant costumes evoke the feeling of memorable Broadway looks without being exact replicas. The sets have the color-saturated, steampunk look we know and love, but with an even grander feel. By using practical effects, Wicked ties into the long heritage of Oz adaptations, including not just its Broadway predecessor, but all the way back to the 1939 The Wizard of Oz, which broke new ground in its use of special effects and, of course, color.
Watch the full trailer below, then tell us: which scenes are you most excited about when Part One of Wicked hits theaters on November 27?