The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande[a] as Galinda Upland, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum in supporting roles.

[3] Set in the Land of Oz before Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, it follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with her classmate Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good.

After a long development and multiple delays, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in 2021.

Principal photography began in England in December 2022, was interrupted in July 2023 by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and eventually resumed and concluded in January 2024.

[5] It won Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, where it was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.