· Wicked: For Good hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but the Oscar buzz is already taking flight.
· Critics at early screenings are calling it “emotionally soaring,” and both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are being talked about as serious contenders come awards season.
· The second and final installment of Jon M. Chu’s Broadway-to-screen saga arrives November 21, closing the story of Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship with new songs, higher stakes, and a few major surprises.
· Among the biggest reveals: Dorothy Gale will appear in the film, but audiences will never actually see her face.
· Chu told PEOPLE he made the choice to preserve each viewer’s version of Dorothy, saying, “I didn’t want to step on who you think Dorothy is.”
· This version of Wicked will include moments never seen in the stage show, including a grand Glinda wedding scene with a pink butterfly gown and digital butterflies fluttering through the air.
· Ariana Grande teased a mischievous side to her character, admitting Glinda isn’t exactly thrilled about Dorothy’s arrival. “She could have told her to take the Emerald City train, but she didn’t,” she laughed. “That’s a little shady, Glinda!”
· Chu says the finale will be much heavier than Part One: “If Part 1 is about choices, Part 2 is about consequences.”
· If early reactions are any sign, those consequences could lead both stars straight to the Oscars.