Jon M. Chu’s ‘Passion Project’ Featurette About the ‘Wicked’ Movie

Jon M. Chu’s ‘Passion Project’ Featurette About the ‘Wicked’ Movie

by Alex Billington
May 13, 2024
Source: YouTube

“I want them to feel what I felt going into that theater for the first time. I want to make them laugh, to make them sing.” Universal has revealed a new featurette for the Wicked musical movie event, arriving in theaters as two parts in 2024 / 2025. After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Directed by the very talented filmmaker Jon M. Chu (of Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba Thropp, a young woman with green skin who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Ariana Grande co-stars as Glinda, along with Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, plus Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. This is an exciting look at the making of the movie, with Chu & Erivo & Grande all talking about how much they adore Wicked and want to make this movie just right. The full trailer drops this week.

Here’s the newest “Passion Project” featurette for Jon M. Chu’s Wicked movie, direct from YouTube:

You can rewatch the first teaser trailer for Jon M. Chu’s Wicked movie right here, for even more footage.

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy, Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo 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 those around her, will have unexpected & 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.

Wicked is directed by American filmmaker Jon M. Chu, director of the films Step Up 2: The Streets, The LXD, Step Up 3D, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Jem and the Holograms, Now You See Me 2, Crazy Rich Asians, and In the Heights previously. The screenplay is written by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. It’s adapted from Holzman and Schwartz’s stage musical Wicked, which is based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Produced by Marc Platt and David Stone (of the Broadway musical). Universal Pictures will debut Chu’s Wicked in theaters starting November 27th, 2024 during Thanksgiving later this year. Wicked Part Two is then scheduled to arrive in theaters November 26th, 2025 the next year. Looks good? Will you watch?

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