It’s time to paint your face green and grab your pointy hat and broom as Wicked makes the move from the stage to the big screen.
Since its official opening on Broadway in 2003, Wicked has become one of the most popular musical productions in history. The musical then opened in London’s West End in September 2006 and continues to run in the Apollo Victoria Theatre to date.
Finally a movie adaptation has arrived, with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu at the helm.
Here’s all you need to know about the Wicked film adaptation.
What is Wicked about?
Wicked is the story of misunderstood young witch Elphaba, long before becomes her evil older self: the Wicked Witch of the West, as seen in classic MGM musical The Wizard of Oz.
Elphaba meets Glinda the Good Witch at school and after initially clashing, the pair eventually bond. The self-absorbed Glinda gives Elphaba a makeover to make her more popular among students.
As her magical powers develop, Elphaba is granted an audience with the Wizard of Oz, but discovers a sinister plot against the animals in the kingdom. Elphaba comes into conflict with almost everyone, except the handsome Prince Fiyero.
Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of the magic.
Why are there two Wicked movies?
Director Jon M Chu has said that spreading Wicked across two movies was a ‘necessary’ decision to avoid having to cut any musical numbers, characters, or storylines.
The movie adaptation adds in more backstory of Elphaba’s childhood that isn’t seen in the stage version, giving the movie a runtime that is essentially the same as both acts combined of the musical.
‘As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it,’ Chu explained.
‘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.’
Who is in the cast of the new Wicked movies?
The cast for the Wicked movies is nothing short of bewitching, pardon the pun.
Pop superstar Ariana Grande and theatre legend Cynthia Erivo were confirmed to have landed the two lead roles of witches, Glinda and Elphaba.
Bridgerton hunk Jonathan Bailey portrays Fiyero, the love interest and fellow student at Shiz University. Expect to see a lot more of him in the second movie.
Jurassic Park legend Jeff Goldblum takes on the role of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the mysterious ruler of the magical land.
Newcomer Marissa Bode portrays Nessarose, Elphaba’s paraplegic younger sister.
Ethan Slater stars as Boq Woodsman, a Munchkin who falls in love with Glinda.
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) appears as Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz University.
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) lends his voice to Doctor Dillamond, a professor at Shiz University who faces persecution for being an animal.
Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) stars as Miss Coddle.
When will the Wicked movie be released?
Wicked arrives in cinemas on Friday November 22, with the movie going toe-to-toe with Gladiator 2 in the US.
When will Wicked Part 2 be released?
Luckily the wait for the final act isn’t too long, with Wicked Part 2 arriving in cinemas on Friday November 21, 2025.
Both movies were filmed back-to-back in 2023 and the second part will feature two brand-new songs.
If you really can’t wait that long, then the musical production is still running in London, with a UK tour reaching Cardiff and Manchester over the coming months.
When was the Wicked movie premiere in London?
London was transformed into the Emerald City for the UK premiere of Wicked on Monday, November 18.
The dazzling event was held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank.
In true British fashion, the rain didn’t stop as the stars of the movie and VIP guests made their way along the suitably green carpet.
The London premiere is the final stop in a world tour of premiere events that included Sydney, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and New York.