Entertainment
Ariana Grande already tipped for Oscars as first Wicked trailer sends fans wild-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
Something has changed within us.
The first trailer for Wicked is here! (Picture: Universal Pictures)
We have our first trailer for the movie adaptation of the Wicked musical and, as to be expected, the internet has lost its marbles.
The first teaser trailer for Wicked: Part One debuted during Super Bowl Sunday, offering us the footage we’ve been anticipating for months – Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s award-winning Broadway show will be released in two parts, with the first landing on Thanksgiving and the second on November 26, 2025.
A mere glimpse of Part One has already caused a frenzy online, with the production proving to be nothing less than extraordinary.
Pop sensation Ariana looks ethereal as Glinda, donning a series of gorgeous pastel outfits.
In stark contrast, green-skinned Cynthia truly sinks her teeth into the role of Elphaba and even offers a preview of her rendition of Defying Gravity as the trailer ends on the world-famous high note.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ Ariana’s character reassures Elphaba in the clip.
‘I’m not afraid, it’s the Wizard who should be afraid of me,’ the London-born star replied.
Someone theatre fans might be surprised to see in the trailer too is Dorothy, who makes an appearance despite never being seen in the Broadway show.
Reacting to the trailer online, fans have already predicted major things – including EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) status for Ariana.
‘The next best supporting actress Oscar winner goes to Ariana Grande for Wicked’, predicted X user FdezzGarciiia.
‘ariana grande and cynthia erivo are coming for their first oscar win’s next year for “wicked”, mark my words’, wrote attentionforari.
‘Can’t Believe Ariana is gonna win an Oscar for Wicked and AOTY for Eternal Sunshine in the same year can you say legendary’, said CAdreamboy.
Alongside Ariana and Cynthia, the cast of Wicked is pretty amazing.
Ariana Grande looks stunning as Glinda (Picture: Universal Pictures)
Fans are already anticipating Oscar buzz (Picture: Universal Pictures)
The pop queen transformed into a blonde for her dream role (Picture: Universal Pictures)
Joining them is Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
Ethan Slater also plays Boq, having struck up a controversial romance with co-star Ariana during filming.
Teasing fans previously about the project, its director said at CinemaCon 2023 in April: ‘This movie has everything: giant musical numbers, big action pieces, and using a classic story you all know, The Wizard of Oz.’
‘At the end of the day, it’s actually not about those things,’ he added.
‘It’s about change and [how] it’s necessary for things to get better.’
Written as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked tells the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West.
The original production hit Broadway in 2003, starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda.
Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba (Picture: Universal Pictures)
She and Ariana are a dream duo in the preview (Picture: Universal Pictures)
Since its debut, Wicked has become a firm favourite amongst musical fans, grossing well over $1billion in total.
The movie version, meanwhile, has been in the works for years but previously faced obstacles in making its way to the silver screen, including director Stephen Daldry departing.
Speaking about what the role meant to her while shooting, Grammy winner Ariana said she was ‘savouring every millisecond’ of the journey.
She also praises her character Glinda for showing her ‘so many new things every day.’
The Yes, And? hitmaker added that she was struggling for words due to being ‘so grateful’, hailing co-star Cynthia her ‘brilliant twin flame’ and ‘sister’.
As for the decision to split the movie into two parts, the director previously explained: ‘Here’s what happened: 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.’
He added in his 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 Part One arrives in cinemas on November 27.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Jennifer Aniston celebrates 55th birthday with tear-jerking message
MORE : 1970s TV icon, 80, shuts down claim he’s ‘loaded’ and reveals truth about income
Entertainment – MetroRead More
