Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo prepare for the ultimate frenemy confrontation in the new trailer for Wicked: For Good, set to hit theaters Nov. 21.
The clip opens with Glinda and Elphaba meeting on a balcony. “There’s no going back,” Elphaba says. “This is between the Wizard and I.” Elsewhere, there’s a snippet of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), who appears to be head of the guard in charge with finding Elphaba, and another glimpse of Fiyero and Glinda about to be wed — no doubt complicating matters between him and Glinda.
After more teasers of Dorothy and her friends meeting the Wizard — whose propaganda successfully turns the people of Oz against Elphaba, the trailer ends with the bond between Elphaba and Glinda at the heart of the story. “You’re the only friend I ever had,” Elphaba tells Glinda, who responds Elphaba was “the one that mattered.”
Wicked: For Good will pick up immediately after the events of the last year’s blockbuster smash, which concluded with Erivo’s rendition of “Defying Gravity.” The song accompanies Elphaba’s decision to rebuff Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) after learning they’re behind the oppression of animals in Oz, and that they want to use her magical skills for their own gain.
This decision also puts Elphaba at odds with Grande’s Glinda, with For Good following the two as they become the characters known in The Wizard of Oz: The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
While “Defying Gravity” is arguably the signature song from the original Wicked musical, For Good will feature plenty of Act Two show-stoppers, including the Elphaba and Glinda duet that gives the sequel its name. Other famous songs include Elphaba’s “No Good Deed” and Elphaba and Fiyero’s duet “As Long as You’re Mine.”
For Good will also feature two new songs for Glinda and Elphaba, with Grande and Erivo both working alongside the musical’s original composer Stephen Schwartz. In an interview with Variety last year, Erivo called her tune “so special to me,” adding, “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready — it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”
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And in an interview earlier this year, Grande said Glinda’s new song coincides with a “pivotal moment” in her journey. “It shows a side of her we’ve never seen before. In the stage show, this transformation happens offstage. But in the movie, we get to see her make the decision that defines who she is. It’s a privilege to sing this song and be the first Glinda to bring it to life.”
From Rolling Stone US
