A Snippet of a New Song
The stage musical has been delighting audiences for 22 years, so any new music is a big deal. And in the new Wicked: For Good trailer we are introduced to not one, but two original songs: one for Glinda and one for Elphaba.
Universal have confirmed that Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba will debut “No Place Like Home,” while Ariana Grande’s Glinda will perform “The Girl in the Bubble.” As brand-new compositions, both qualify for Oscar consideration in the Best Original Song category - giving Wicked: For Good a shot at Academy Awards glory in addition to its expected box office success.
These songs promise to deepen our understanding of both women’s inner worlds, adding new emotional layers to already iconic roles.
It’s Full of Twist(er)s
In a clever visual homage to The Wizard of Oz, we see Madame Morrible conjuring the infamous twisters that send Dorothy to Oz and lead to the Wicked Witch of the East’s demise. One eerie shot also shows Dorothy stepping into a puddle, wearing none other than Nessarose’s silver slippers — a subtle but ominous nod to some characters' fates.
We also see Elphaba’s broom-scribed message "Our Wizard Lies" written in a stormy sky; this mirrors the "Surrender Dorothy" warning from the 1939 film.
The House, the Wand, and a Warning
We also catch a striking shot of Dorothy’s crushed house. Elphaba is turned away from the camera, but her words to Glinda — who stands directly before the wreckage — cut through: she warns that Glinda has no true power, only the illusion granted by her wand. It’s a new exchange that reframes the balance of power between the two witches.
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Shoes
Another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment shows Glinda lifting a pair of black boots from a display - boots that resemble the ones Elphaba wore during her student days in Wicked: Part One.
And speaking of footwear, the trailer finally sees Nessarose wear the famous ruby slippers - kind of. She is seen levitating above the fireplace, her silver shoes reflect the flames and look every inch the famous red shoes.
In the original musical, Nessarose doesn’t float, Elphaba enchants Nessa’s shoes, allowing her to walk unaided. Here, the sequence has been reimagined to suit Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose and uses a wheelchair in real life, suggesting a more sensitive and authentic approach to the character’s transformation.
Wands at the Ready in Munchkinland
The trailer offers a glimpse of Glinda and Elphaba in a showdown on Munchkinland soil, their wands crossed and wielded like duelling swords. The confrontation is a familiar one from the stage version, but here it looks bigger in scale and intensity - suggesting the filmmakers have expanded the conflict for the screen.
Dorothy Starts Her Journey Down the Yellow Brick Road
Elphaba gently touches a pile of golden bricks. Fans will remember that it was Elphaba who picked the yellow hue in the Wizard’s model of Oz, during one of the final scenes in Part One.
Now we see Dorothy and her companions walking the completed road, signaling that years have passed (and that roadworks in Oz move only slightly faster than ours). It’s a powerful connection between the two timelines, tying together the rise of Elphaba with the arrival of Dorothy.
Can’t Want to Wait Until 21 November?
You don’t have to! If you can’t wait to see how Elphaba and Glinda’s story ends, you can catch it live on stage at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre. Experience the full magic of Wicked in its original form before it hits the big screen - and discover why audiences have been returning to Oz for over two decades.