New Wicked Featurette Builds the World of the Highly Anticipated Adaptation

Wicked director Jon M. Chu talks creating the world of Wicked.

By Jamie Jirak

2024 has proven to be a huge year for movies, and there are still a lot of big releases to look forward to. One highly-anticipated release that's set for November is Wicked, the first of a two-part adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical. Moviegoers have already been treated to a full-length trailer, and musical fans are eager to see how Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) brings the story to life on the big screen. If you're interested in some behind-the-scenes content, you're in luck, because Universal Pictures just shared a new featurette titled "Building the World of Wicked." 

"'If you want to be inside that world, you have to build it.' Director Jon M. Chu talks about bringing the world of #WickedMovie to life in this new featurette," Universal captioned the video on YouTube. "We knew that we wanted Wicked to be immersive," Chu says in the video. You can watch the full featurette, which shares a look at how some of the Wicked sets were created, below:

What Is Wicked About?

wicked-movie-trailer.jpg
(Photo:

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked. 

- Universal Pictures)

You can read the official description of Wicked here: "Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway's The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film also stars Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University's regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway's Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba's favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots), and a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman).

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Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration."

Wicked flies into theaters on November 22nd while Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.

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