The world is invested in the new Wicked movie premiering on November 22. Wicked, (or Wicked, part one) is a musical adaptation of the Broadway classic of the same title. With big-name actors including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jeff Goldblum, this film is predicted to be a box office hit.

  Wicked, originally a novel written by Gregory Maguire in 1995, is a prequel to the famous book and movie The Wizard of Oz. Wicked follows the story of two young witches as they attend Shiz University. However, these witches are completely different. The popular girl who loves pink, Glinda, becomes the roommate of a wicked witch with green skin, Elphaba. The story follows their complex relationship before and after Dorothy lands in Oz. Wicked is the fourth-longest-running musical on Broadway, and has become a phenomenon for theater buffs. As someone who has seen Wicked on Broadway, I know the movie has large shoes to fill.

  Unfortunately, the movie breaks the show into two parts because of the musical’s length. The first part (opening November 22) will take the audience to intermission, which is the song Defying Gravity. This song has become renowned on its own. Sung by Elphaba as she decided to embrace her wickedness, this is the turning point of the show. If the film needs to be split into two parts, this is a good place to stop, and the dramatic effect of the song will make people eager to see the next part (dropping on November 21, 2025). 

  In an ABC Interview with director Jon Chu, he describes the Emerald City constructed for the production. “You could walk through the Emerald City, go into the bakery shop, and look at what kind of sweets they had. You could go into the salon and sit in a chair,” said Chu. After reading this, and hearing him describe how 9 million tulips were planted, I am even more excited to see this movie. Obviously, the production team did not skimp and put everything they had into this. 

  In addition, Wicked’s promotional team has done a fantastic job promoting the film. They have collaborated with top consumer companies, including Hershey, H&M, LEGO, Crocs, and many more. The Wicked Suite was also created in a Manhattan Hilton. With a throne room, a green and pink bar, and a fantastic bedroom, this room is made for true Wicked fans. 

  Ariana Grande’s long-standing ambition to play Glinda the Good Witch has captivated many. In a Vanity Fair interview, Chu revealed that she has been pursuing this role since 2013 and auditioned multiple times. Grande, known for her role on the Nickelodeon show Victorious, became a pop star soon after. However, at age 15, she was in the Broadway musical “13”. Since then, people have wondered why she never went back to Broadway. She embraces her theater background by making this movie, finally giving audiences what they want. 

  I will be seeing this movie the day it opens, and I cannot wait to see the fans’ excitement and cosplay. Stay tuned for the review after the movie premieres.