‘Wicked’ First Look: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in costume

Ex-theatre kids around the world, take a breath: we’re officially getting our first look at Ariana Granda and Cynthia Erivo in ‘Wicked.’

Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the “Wizard of Oz” prequel — which won three Tony Awards and became one of the highest-grossing Broadway musicals ever — has made waves with high-profile casting announcements. But while production has been going quietly in London, fans haven’t yet had a chance to see the star cast in action.

But on Sunday morning, Jon M. Chu took to his personal Instagram account — which has become the primary source for announcements about the film — to reveal two new images of Erivo and Grande in costume. Erivo donned green makeup and a broom to play Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West), while Grande wore a pink dress as she walked down the stairs as Glinda, the Good Witch.

“You haven’t been told the whole story” Written by Chu. “What happens when you go off the Yellow Brick Road? FIRST LOOK of the #WickedMovie… currently in production in Oz.”

Along with Grande and Erivo, Wicked stars Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Adam James, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Ethan Slater and Colin Michael Carmichael. Winnie Holzman, who received a Tony nomination for best book of a musical for the original Broadway production of “Wicked,” returned to write the screenplay.

The “Wicked” adaptation promises to be a huge cinematic experience, unfolding over the course of two films that will hit theaters in December 2024 and 2025, respectively. Chu announced last year that he would split it into two films, explaining that the extension was necessary to expand the narrative of the original musical without cutting out his favorite songs.

“We decided to give ourselves a bigger screen and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie, but two! Chu wrote in a 2022 Instagram post announcement of the decision. “Having more locations allows us to tell the story of ‘Wicked’ the way it was meant to be told, while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.”

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