'Wicked' Trailer Welcomes Fans Into the Emerald City as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Sing 'Defying Gravity'

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singer 'Defying Gravity' in the first look of the highly anticipated adaptation.

A Wicked teaser trailer is finally here, thank goodness! 

During Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Universal Pictures finally shared a first look at the film adaptation of the Broadway musical which has taken more than a decade to bring to the big screen. 

The movie stars Ariana Grande as Galinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the two main characters in the unofficial prequel to The Wizard of Oz. The story follows Galinda and Elphaba's friendship and explores the origin of how they became known throughout the land of OZ as Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. 

In the new promo, fans get their first peek at Emerald City as audio of Grande and Erivo singing "Defying Gravity" plays in the background.

After the promo aired, Vanity Fair released a first-look portrait of Grande and Erivo in character, as well as an interview with the actresses. 

Grande called their characters' bond "a really selfless love and friendship," adding, "They're both each other's first real friend, a person who accepts them for everything that they are."

"Once they figure out that they're actually different sides of the same coin, they see each other clearly," Erivo adds, before sharing of the lesson she hopes viewers take away.

"We are all different and the same, and the differences that we have actually make us really special," she says. "Hopefully we use those differences to introduce ourselves to one another. We aren't pushing people away because they're different, but we're opening up because they’re special."

Sophy Holland/Universal Pictures, via Vanity Fair

Earlier in the day, the film's director, Jon M. Chu -- best known for directing Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights -- seemingly teased the release of a promo trailer for the highly anticipated movie ahead of kickoff. 

"Oh, look. It’s tomorrow," Chu, 44, said in a tweet before the big game. 🩷

Later, Chu shared the first poster for the film, which features Galinda touching her wand to Elphaba's broomstick, making a shadow in the shape of the letter W.

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey plays Fiyero, the himbo love interest who finds himself caught between the two, and recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh plays their reigning headmistress, Madame Morrible.

Wicked: Part 1 releases on Nov. 27, 2024 and Wicked: Part 2 is slated to debut in theaters on Nov. 26, 2025. 

Super Bowl LVIII – which is airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+ – is at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers. Keep checking ETonline for more from the big game, including photos, exclusive interviews and more. 

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