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By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
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The trailer for the highly-anticipated "Wicked" movie hitting theatres on Thanksgiving Day was released on Wednesday.
The film based on the popular Broadway musical is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz." The story details how the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and Glinda the Good Witch met and became friends.
Award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and actress and singer Ariana Grande plays Glinda in the upcoming film.
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Universal Pictures, the distribution company for the movie, posted the trailer to its YouTube channel. Several cast members shared the trailer on Instagram as well, including Erivo and Grande.
The musical opened in 2003 and celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. It is one of the longest running musicals on Broadway with nearly 8,000 performances to date. The original cast featured award-winning actresses Idina Menzel and Kritstin Chenoweth in the lead roles.
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Stunning Set Design and Special Effects
Two aspects that stand out in the trailer are the set design and special effects. If the trailer is any indication, this film will bring audiences into a magical world where people can "defy gravity."
The trailer opens up on Oz and its lush surroundings, including the iconic Yellow Brick Road. The attention to detail continues throughout all of the different sets, such as the pink accents in Glinda's dorm room.
The special effects are also prominently featured in the trailer. The audience sees Elphaba using her magic to make people float and break glass. The effects are also used to create magical animals, like a flying spider monkey and a talking goat professor.
Preview of Movie Soundtrack
The trailer showcases Grande and Erivo's vocals on beloved songs from the Broadway musical, including "Popular" and "Defying Gravity."
Both lead actresses have Broadway experience, Erivo in "The Color Purple" and Grande in "13," and it comes across in the quality of the vocals heard in the trailer.
The trailer also shows clips of Grande dancing, so audiences can expect to see some choreography as well. It appears that the film is paying homage to its Broadway roots and will adapt the iconic musical numbers to the big screen.
Sneak Peek at Star-Studded Cast
The trailer also gave a preview of the star-studded cast that will appear alongside Grande and Erivo.
Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh will play headmistress Madame Morrible and "Jurassic Park" star Jeff Goldblum will play the Wizard.
"SNL" star Bowen Yang will also appear in the film in the role of Pfannee and the aforementioned talking goat, Dr. Dillamond, is voiced by Peter Dinklage.
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