Cynthia Erivo's Wicked Witch is Public Enemy No. 1 in Wicked: For Good Trailer (WATCH)
The musical sequel arrives in theaters everywhere Friday, November 21.
Ding! Dong! Cynthia Erivo's Wicked Witch of the West is back in the first trailer for Wicked: For Good. The first-look footage from the sequel debuted at the conclusion of special, one-night only screenings of Wicked nationwide.
Flying into theaters everywhere this November, For Good adapts the second act of Wicked, the acclaimed, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical upon which the two films are based. The title refers to the song of the same name, which basically serves as the "Defying Gravity" in the latter half of the story.
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After defying the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), who was revealed to be a power-hungry fraud in the first movie, Elphaba (Erivo) is now a hunted pariah throughout the land of Oz, though she still fights for the silenced Animals and a chance to expose the Great and Powerful con artist for what he really is. Meanwhile, her old school friend, Glinda (Ariana Grande), has become a glamorous symbol of good, occupying a posh palace in the Emerald City. She doesn't deserve any of it, given the fact that she's following the Wizard's every order. What's more: she's getting ready to marry Elphaba's old flame, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), who is now head of the search for the Wicked Witch. Talk about a messy love triangle!
Hoping to solve the turmoil, Glinda attempts to broker a truce between Elphaba and the Wizard to no avail. This only serves to drive a further wedge between the two friends, while transforming Fiyero and Boq (Ethan Slater) forever. If you know, you know, but we shan't be spoiling anything here!
Things get even more complicated in the Merry Old Land of Oz when a young girl named Dorothy Gale suddenly arrives from Kansas via tornado and accidentally drops an entire house right on top of Elphaba's little sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), and receives instructions from the Wizard to retrieve the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick. With that, we officially leave prequel territory and jump straight into the events of The Wizard of Oz, albeit from a very different perspective.
"As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time," reads the official synopsis. "With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good."
Watch the debut trailer for Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good
Beyond Erivo, Grande, Goldblum, Bailey, Slater, and Bode, the follow-up also sees the return of Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Bowen Yang (Pfannee), Bronwyn James (ShenShen), and Sharon D. Clarke (Dulcibear). Jon M. Chu — director of Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights — helmed both installments, working off a mega-sized screenplay from writing duo Winnie Holtzman (writer of the book for the original stage production) and Dana Fox (Cruella, The Lost City). Stephen Schwartz's original songs from the stage version will be joined by two new compositions written by the lyricist/composer just for this movie.
“I think the meat of what Wicked is all about happens in movie two," Chu said in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. "To me, this is why this story exists. This is where our childhood dreams collide with our adult selves.”
He later added: “We want to finish this story in the way that this beautiful memory of Wicked can actually come full circle and can be with you for the rest of your life,” he says. “We want you to look at both movies in the end and feel like it was one all along.”
For Good is produced by Marc Platt David Stone, both of whom were instrumental in getting the musical to the stage over two decades ago. Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox are executive producers.
The first movie grossed over $756 million at the worldwide box office and nabbed 10 nominations at the 97th Academy Awards — including one for Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress (Grande). It went on to win two Oscars for Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell) and Best Production Design (Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales).
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Check out the first images from Wicked: For Good
When does Wicked: For Good open in theaters?
Wicked: For Good arrives on the big screen Friday, November 21. While the sequel is not yet rated, odds are good (no pun intended) that it will receive a PG designation like its predecessor. Tickets are not yet on sale.
Feel like defying gravity? Wicked is now streaming exclusively on Peacock!
