Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande Defy Gravity In The Stunning Wicked Super Bowl Trailer
Hollywood has long sought to turn Stephen Schwartz's hit musical "Wicked" into a film adaptation, but this project remains dormant despite attempts over many years to do just that. As early as 2010, news stories regarding potential directors surfaced, long before Jon M. Chu stepped forward as director for "Wizard of Oz" prequel movie retellings like In the Heights and eventually signed on with this endeavor. Universal Pictures recently unveiled the trailer for Dorothy Before Oz, which chronicles Dorothy's life before entering Oz. This adaptation of a beloved musical follows two witches on their fateful friendship journey - Galinda (played here by pop superstar Ariana Grande) who will eventually become Good Witch of the South while Elphaba, later become Wicked Witch of West played by Broadway veteran Cynthia Erivo).
As this trailer suggests, years-long wait may have been worth it: Chu and his team appear to have produced an epic film which treats this story with all of its due care and love that its most avid followers could hope for. Erivo and Grande appear committed as ever, while it's always wonderful seeing Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) and Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard of Oz) make special guest appearances too!
Hollywood's latest two-parter is underway.
One major roadblock could prevent this adaptation from becoming an instant classic: its abrupt ending may leave viewers feeling like there is unfinished business remaining to tell. One major critique leveled at films such as 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and "Fast X" last year was their incomplete stories due to abrupt, open endings. Universal announced in 2022 they would divide "Wicked" into two separate events - which may prove risky in telling this epic saga. Studio executives appear to be betting that audiences won't react as negatively to this split as other examples have shown them to. Chu could split this film similarly to how it was structured on stage: using "Defying Gravity," an epic and memorable song from the musical, as an epigraph at the conclusion of part one will ensure audiences leave on an exhilarating note and hopefully alleviate some of their concerns about having to pay later to see part two.
Universal Studios initially targeted this movie for release around Christmas time; however, part one of "Wicked" has since been moved closer to Thanksgiving: currently scheduled to hit cinemas on November 27, 2024.