The film industry is ablaze with the opening of new Wicked movie. This film is an adaptation of the Wicked musical, a show that follows the complex friendship between Elphaba and Galinda. This widely anticipated film released on Nov. 22, 2024; a sequel following this first film a year later, releasing on Nov. 21, 2025. The cast features Ariana Grande, global pop icon, as Glinda the good witch; Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West; Jonathan Bailey as Elphaba’s love interest, Fiyero Tigulaar. The film is watchable in theaters worldwide and after that, available to be streamed on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service.
When asked if she was watching Wicked when it came out, Junior Nadia Chambers said, “Of course I am! I love Ariana Grande so much and she has put in so much hard work into this movie.” She planned to go watch this movie along with her friend, another huge Ariana Grande fan. She described her emotions in anticipation of this movie as “excited” and “thrilled.” These feelings are reciprocated worldwide as millions of fans are waiting for this movie’s release.
In a Nov. 7 Teen Vogue interview, Ariana Grande described theater as one of her passions. “I love acting, I love musical theater” she said, “Reconnecting with this part of myself, who started in musical theater and who loves comedy … heals me.” Her fans, although disappointed about her lack of new music for the foreseeable future, are supportive of her doing what she finds most beneficial for herself. Chambers described her acting as “a breath of fresh air” and “genuine.”
In light of the upcoming release date, a screening of the film was done and the original Broadway cast was invited to join. Kristin Chenoweth, the original Broadway cast for Glinda, was in shock after the screening. “Oh my gosh I just saw the movie and I’m dying. I’m deceased, I’m actually dead, I’m not here,” she said. “People are not going to be well when they see this film. It is so good, it is so special.” This dramatic comment has fans stirring with excitement for this movie. The People magazine covered this screening in their Oct. 29 article, “Kristin Chenoweth Praises Wicked Movie After Watching Screening with Broadway Cast: ‘I’ll Never Be the Same.’”
When asked a final question about what she is excited to see in the new movie, Chambers stated that she was excited for the “evolving of the characters” and the “special effects.” The Wicked movie used many special effects to put together an engaging picture for its audience. According to The Oklahoman’s “Behind the scenes of ‘Wicked’ are some high-tech effects” by Lillie-Beth Brinkman, “The electrics department uses enough power to supply about 12 houses. If you include sound and automation departments, the total would increase to 18 houses.” This demonstrates the immense effort put into the production of this movie and as the release date got closer and closer, our anticipation increased for this wickedly marvelous movie.
