Everything we know about the movie “Wicked”

For many decades The Wizard of Oz has enchanted children as a bedtime story, introducing them to the magical land of Oz, where characters such as a frightened lion, a tin man and a scarecrow come to life. While the narrative focuses on the magic of courage, encouragement and kindness, the truly magical side of Oz is missing – here Evil comes in, a musical based on Gregory Maguire's prequel.

With a star cast with many familiar faces, Evil will adapt one of the most popular musicals of all time for the screen. The film will explore the backstory of the Land of Oz and feature mysterious and magical characters such as the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard of Oz and the Good Witch of the North. Highly anticipated Evil As the release date draws ever closer, there is plenty of information about the development for fans to enjoy.

Cynthia Erivo plays the Wicked Witch of the West

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Cynthia Erivo is known for her leading role in the critically acclaimed Broadway revival, The colour purple, This earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album in 2016. In 2018, she ventured into films and received a nomination for the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Now, Erivo plays the lead role in Evil as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Erivo and her co-star Ariana Grande formed an unusual friendship that changed them both while working on the musical, which reflects their characters' journey in the film. The former was very complimentary of Grande's singing and acting skills, saying, “I just have to say that I don't think people realize that she has what it takes.” Grande returned her sentiment and praised Erivo, saying, “[Erivo] has my favorite voice. When I watched [her] wanted to sing at the Oscars, I said, “I hope I can sing with her one day.” It looks like her dream has come true.

Ariana Grande will lead the rest of the cast of “Wicked”

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Although an unknown actress was originally considered for the role of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, Ariana Grande's persistence and passion for role-playing won her over. EvilThe director is over. The singer has admitted that she “stalked” producer Marc Platt, the man behind the Broadway production and the film, for the role. “It was literally 10 years of me being like, 'Knock, knock, is there anything new? Is there an audition this year or next year? I would love to start prepping today,'” Grande told Vanity Fair.

Since being chosen for the role, Ariana Grande has shown overwhelming enthusiasm for Evil. Not only was she rumored to arrive 30 minutes early for auditions, but she also began training intensively as soon as her name was in the running.”Every time she came to the audition, she was at least 30 minutes earlysaid the director of the film.I saw her car driving in circles. I thought, “Who is that?” “That's Ariana Grande.” “Why is she here so early?”“The singer compared her training to that of a boxer and when she finally opened her mouth during the audition, the casting directors' decision was made immediately. “Marc and I looked at each other and thought, 'We're done,'” Chu commented.

The rest of the cast looks Everything everywhere at once Star Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Thor: RannorokJeff Goldblum (the Grandmaster) as the Wizard, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Ethan Slater as Bow, Bowen Yang as Pfanee and Bronwyn James as Shenshen.

Release date

Evil is scheduled for release on Thanksgiving this year. When asked why it took so long for the beloved musical to be adapted for the big screen, Platt revealed that the pressure to excel in another format played a big part in the process. “If you've done something well in one sandbox, there's pressure to do it in the other sandbox,” the producer revealed. “Perhaps subconsciously I thought, 'I'm not quite emotionally ready for this.'”

Part two of Evil appears one year later after part one, suggesting that the film studio has long-term plans for the franchise. Although this largely depends on the success of the first film, it is a hopeful sign for fans of Evil.

What is “Wicked” about?

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Set long before Dorothy's arrival in the magical land of Oz in The Wizard of Oz, Evil follows the story of Elphaba before she becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and explores her relationship with Glinda, the future Good Witch of the North. The pair's dynamic will be full of contradictions and tension. Elphaba, the green-skinned witch, is not only magical but also a passionate political activist trying to bring change to the troubled land of Oz, while Glinda is a spoiled rich girl. Amid their rugged personality differences, there is also the heartthrob Prince Fiyero and the troubled man, the Great Oz himself, a con artist and foreigner. The films will follow Elphaba's life journey – from birth to college and all the events that shape Elphaba and eventually lead to her being known as “evil.”

Evil serves as a background story for The Wizard of Oz. In the last two decades, the action Evil has taken on a musical form and is one of the most popular musicals on stage. The upcoming film will adapt this long-celebrated musical for the big screen with a modern twist. The 2024 film will be a reimagining of the classic.

What happens in the official trailer?

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The official trailer of Evil arrived on May 15, 2024. The trailer opens in a spectacular, magical high fantasy world and shows Elphaba and Glinda's first meeting on their first day of school. Glinda is shocked by Elphaba's green appearance (Elphaba also discovers that she is the only one who is green). Despite their differences, the two seem to have become roommates and best friends with underlying rivalries. Elphaba struggles with her power. Apparently, she has too much power and has a problem controlling it. It seems that even in the magical land of Oz, where witches and magic are normal, Elphaba is seen as “the witch” in social contexts. Glinda, wanting to make fun of Elphaba, gives her a witch's hat, which Elphaba wears to the party. However, their relationship transforms from plastic sisters to best friends who support each other that night.

Glinda follows Elphaba to the Emerald City to meet the famous Wizard of Oz. When Elphaba finds out that he is nothing more than an imposter, she decides to stand up to him. However, the Great Wizard is not so easily defeated. Glinda helps Elphaba fight the Wizard, but fans familiar with the plot of L. Frank Baum's novel know that the Great Wizard of Oz remains in power for many years until Dorothy's time, and Elphaba later becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

What happened to Elphaba and Glinda in The Wizard of Oz?

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Glinda appears in the second chapter of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Not only had the Good Witch sent Dorothy on her journey to find the Wizard of Oz, but she also gave the little girl an introduction to the land of Oz. When a tornado took Dorothy to the magical land of Oz, her house landed on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. When Dorothy came outside, she found herself surrounded by Munchkins and the Good Witch of the North, who told Dorothy that her house had killed the Wicked Witch of the East, resulting in an unfair verdict against the Munchkins. Although the Good Witch wanted to help, she was not strong enough. She then showed Dorothy the way to the great wizard and told her to take the silver shoes, which Dorothy used to return to Texas at the end of the book.

Elphaba appears much later in the story. When Dorothy found Oz and asked him for help, Oz demanded that the gang defeat his enemy, the Wicked Witch of the West, before he could grant any of their wishes. Dorothy then set out on a journey to find the Wicked Witch, who had only one eye and sent bees and monkeys to destroy her. After a very ugly fight, Dorothy accidentally melted the wicked witch with waterwhich meant the end of Elphaba. It is safe to assume that the rivalry between Elphaba and Oz was never resolved and their conflict may have been the reason that drove Glinda and Elphaba apart.

Evil

Release date

27 November 2024

Pour

Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang

Authors

Winnie Holzman, Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz

Main genre

musical