Wicked fans have been left in awe of a first-look video teasing the set of the forthcoming screen adaptation of the popular Broadway musical.
Announced in 2022, director Jon M Chu’s forthcoming two-part movie will star Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch, opposite Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
In a video reposted to Twitter on Tuesday (11 April) from Pop Base, an aerial shot of what appears to be an intricate recreation of Elphaba’s native home of Munchkinland can be seen.
While the iconic Yellow Brick Road, central to the plot of TheWizard of Oz, is shown passing through the heart of the fictional city.
“New look at the set for WICKED starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo,” the caption reads.
Impressed fans have responded in shock to the footage, with one saying: “Oh, this movie is going to break records.”
“Already movie of the decade,” a second agreed.
“It’s so pretty,” a third praised, while another argued the “set designers need a raiseeee”.
The first part of the movie is expected to be released in cinemas on 25 December 2024, followed a year later by part two.
Chu initially explained his choice to split the movie into two parts, saying: “It became impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it.
“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.”
The news was poorly received by fans, who criticised the decision, claiming it was “utterly unnecessary”.
The first look at the set comes as Grande issued a rare statement addressing fan concerns about her health.
