Ariana Grande, romance rumours, and flying monkeys. Absolutely everything we know about Wicked.

The list of 2024 new releases is ever-growing, but there are a select few we are counting down the days to see. We are, of course, talking about the highly-anticipated Wicked movie. 

Aside from an extremely talented cast and a director with an extensive background in musicals, Wicked is an adaptation of a Broadway musical, so famous that we couldn't hype it down if we tried.

With the November 2024 release creeping up on us, we're all dying to get as many details about the movie as we can. From cast details, to plot, to behind the scenes drama, here's everything we know about Wicked so far. 

What is Wicked about?

If you're not familiar with the musical that is about to hit our screens, allows us to catch you up to speed.

Wicked — the musical — made its Broadway debut in 2003. It's actually loosely based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life And Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which is based off the 1900 classic The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I know, that's a lot of dots to connect.

But, basically, Wicked tells the backstory of the witches from The Wizard of Oz and offers up a new perspective on a classic tale.

Wicked follows Elphaba (future Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the future Good Witch of the North) as they form a friendship that eventually takes them down wildly different paths.

The 2024 film will be an adaptation of the musical, complete with all the same songs. Though, there are sure to be some new additions to the dialogue (and maybe even a new tune or two).

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in their Wicked costumes. Image: Instagram.

Who is in the cast of Wicked?

One thing about the cast of Wicked, is that it's stacked. Here's who we will be seeing on our screens as the iconic musical characters. 

What is Wicked's release date?

It seems like we have been talking about this adaptation for eternity but, finally, Wicked is set to be released on November 22, 2024. Well, part one at least. That's right, the new adaptation is set to be released in two parts — a fact not many people seem to be aware of.

Is Wicked split in two parts? 

The marketing for the movie has not really hinted towards this at all, but Wicked will actually be split in two parts. 

In April 2022, the film's director, Jon M. Chu took to social media to announce the dual films.

"As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it," Chu wrote. "As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years."

"We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but TWO!!!!" He continued, "With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters."

So there you go. While we are yet to receive an official release date for part two, we are expecting it to hit cinemas towards the end of 2025. 

Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch. Image: Wicked.

Behind-the-scenes Wicked drama.

There has already been a fair share of drama thanks to one viral internet rumour.

After it was revealed that Ariana Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, were getting divorced, rumours started swirling about her and her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater. 

Slater was allegedly dating his high-school sweetheart Lilly Jay at the time production began, and the two had recently welcomed their first child together. He and Grande met on the set of Wicked, and the internet was quick to accuse the two of having an affair.

Slater's ex-girlfriend did not confirm the reports, however she did complicate the online chatter when she spoke out against Grande. 

"[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton," she told Page Six. 

The actress has addressed the rumours in a new article with Vanity Fair, saying the 'true' story had not been shared.

"It definitely doesn't get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids," Grande said. "Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills."

"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," she continued. "That was definitely a tough ride."

Watch the trailer for Wicked. Story continues below.

The cutest friendship between the stars. 

Relationship drama aside, the co-stars of Wicked seem genuinely close in real life.

In July 2023, Bailey and Grande were spotted attending Wimbledon together. The two adorable friends posed for photos and enjoyed a few drinks while watching the match. 

As for Grande and Erivo, they have gushed about each other and their close friendship extensively in various interviews. They have also performed together on multiple occasions, including at this year's Met Gala. 

"She just humanises her in such an extraordinary way and brings her to life in her own way… her eyes, her hands, she just… it's otherworldly. I'll never forget a minute of performing with her," Grande gushed about Erivo's performance in Wicked. 

When asked about Grande's performance in the film, Erivo said, "Her heart is on her sleeve consistently. She's so open and generous with her performance that it's so easy to be in a scene with her because you look at her eyes and you know she's telling the truth." 

The two are so close they even got matching tattoos to commemorate the film. I mean, come on! That's friendship. Grande shared to her Instagram stories in April 2023 that the pair had gotten 'For Good', the title of one of the most famous songs from the musical, tattooed on their palms. 

Too cute! We can't wait to see their dynamic on-screen.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo from Instagram. Image: Instagram/arianagrande

Feature Image: Universal Pictures.