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Wicked debuts exclusive first look at new footage CinemaCon. Here's how it differs from the musical.

Galinda and Elphaba find themselves in a whole other world

Still from Wicked trailer — Image credit: Universal

News by Tiffany Babb, Contributing writer

Published on Thu Apr 11 2024

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Die-hard Wicked fans have been excited (and nervous) about the upcoming John Chu film adaptation of the hit Broadway show since it was first announced... And they have a right to be nervous, as musicals are famously difficult to adapt for the screen, and after the diaster that was Cats and the middling slop of Into the Woods, is there a possibility that the magic of Wicked can really make it onto the big screen?

That question needs to wait for the film's release date to be answered, but we just saw a sneak peek of Wicked Part One at CinemaCon, and it is very clear that the adaptation is straying quite far away from the Broadway musical. While classic moments, like Galinda giving Elphaba that iconic hat, do appear, much of the dialogue and drama shown seems new.

In the footage shown is a central throughline of Elphaba being a sorcerer - a rare thing in these times, apparently. Though this magic throughline is present in the musical, it happens later on and is less central to Elphaba and Galinda's relationship. In the footage, we also see a lot more of Shiz, the school Elphaba and Galinda attend.

Another thing to note - though this was an extended sneak peek and there were snippets of popular Wicked songs (including Popular) playing behind the footage, there wasn't that much active singing on screen. (Honestly, I don't remember any, but I could be wrong.) Perhaps this is simply following that new trend of marketing musicals as non-musicals, though that seems like an odd tack for this movie specifically.

Wicked Part One hits theaters November 27, 2024.

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