Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo shine in ‘Wicked’ trailer
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — The trailer for the highly anticipated “Wicked” two-part movie musical event made its debut on Sunday, with the film’s first look airing during the Super Bowl LVIII.
The movie’s stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are featured as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in the trailer as Erivo can be heard singing her chilling rendition of the ballad “Defying Gravity.”
“Something just takes over me,” Erivo’s Elphaba is seen saying in the clip. “And when it does, bad things happen.”
The trailer is a kaleidoscope of color as audiences get their first introduction into director Jon M. Chu’s world of Oz, with massive fields of flowing flowers, the Emerald City and fantastical landscapes showcased throughout.
In the trailer, Grande’s Glinda tells Elphaba to not be afraid.
“It’s the Wizard who should be afraid of me,” Elphaba stoically says in reply.
The two-part “Wicked” movie is a cinematic adaptation of the famed Broadway musical, which is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” It tells an alternate version of events in Oz before Dorothy’s arrival and explores the story of how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West as she navigates being framed by the Wizard.
According to the theater news website Broadway World, “Wicked” is one of the most commercially successful musicals of all time, making $14.8 million at the Broadway box office last year alone.
Jeff Goldblum, Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang also star in the film.
“Wicked: Part 1” will hit theaters on November 27. “Wicked: Part 2” will follow in late 2025.
The-CNN-Wire
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