As the release date for the highly anticipated live-action Wicked film quickly approaches, a new featurette and poster for the upcoming Wicked film has just been released.
On the poster, the female protagonists Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo can be seen holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes, with Oz and Shiz University in the background.
Both actresses are fully dressed in their iconic costumes, with Grande in her bright pink dress as Galinda Upland, a popular young girl who later becomes Glinda the Good.
Then there’s Cynthia Erivo in her wicked attire, for her role as Elphaba Thropp, a misunderstood young woman who was born with green skin and later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
In the new teaser video, the two stars, along with director Jon M. Chu and co-star Jonathan Bailey, discuss the characters’ bond and the power of friendship, while also showing off more footage from the highly-anticipated musical film.
The promotional push for the live-action film adaptation of Wicked continued with the release of a new poster showing stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes, with Oz and Shiz University in the background.
“For me, Wicked is fundamentally about friendship,” Chu, 44, explained. “And it starts off with a really funny look at how these two young women were so different from each other, they were forced to be roommates and they didn’t get along at all.”
“And so we have to learn from each other to get to know each other,” Erivo says of the story.
“These two very different women fall madly in love with each other,” adds the Thank U, Next star, 31. “And that’s a similar experience to what Cynthia and I went through.”
Erivo chimes in: “It just… gave me chills. I guess we both found each other… We understood each other immediately.”
“We clicked immediately,” the British actress, 37, shared about their bond as women and their incredible on-screen chemistry.
“There’s some kind of wild spiritual connection between the two of them that’s a very complementary chemistry, but they’re very different,” co-star Jonathan Bailey, 36, said of the two stars’ relationship.
Following the release of new promos, some fans are speculating that one of the original stars of Wicked will appear in the new live-action film version.
The star in question is Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the story’s first stage adaptation at the George Gershwin Theatre in 2003-2004.
The promotional campaign also included a new featurette that showcases the stars in scenes from the film, as well as Erivo and Grande talking about their incredible chemistry on and off-screen.
“For me, Wicked is fundamentally about friendship,” said director Jon M. Chu, 44. “And it starts off with a very funny look at how these two young women were so different from each other, they were forced to be roommates and they didn’t get along at all.”
Those curious fans think they’ve spotted Chenoweth’s signature blonde locks just behind Grande, who is at a side angle as she chats with her co-star.
While the character in question is not clearly seen in the photo or clip, they believe the Broadway legend is the one with her hair styled in an elaborate updo.
In fact, the scene in question appears around minute 1:54 of the featurette.
If Chenoweth is indeed in the upcoming Wicked film, then it raises the question of whether actress Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, will also make a cameo.
In addition to Eviro and Grande, the cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Peter Dinklage, Aaron Teoh, Grecia de la Paz, Colin Michael Carmichael, Adam James and Andy Nyman.
The film is about an unlikely friendship that develops between Elphaba and Glinda, two warring witches in the magical land of Oz.
If Chenoweth is indeed in the film, it raises the question of whether Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba, will also make a cameo; the two Broadway stars are seen in October 2003 at the George Gershwin Theatre in New York City.
Some fans are convinced they saw Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the story’s first stage adaptation at the George Gershwin Theatre in 2003-2004, in the background of a scene, right behind Grande, which was captured at the 1:54 mark of the new featurette.
Elphaba is unfairly considered an evil witch as she attempts to expose the fraudulent and corrupt wizard who rules the land.
Wicked is the origin story of ‘a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.’
It serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring the narrative before Dorothy’s arrival and delving into the long-standing friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
Wicked is set to be released on November 27, followed by a direct sequel, Wicked Part Two, a year later.