A new trailer forWickedhas been released, but there’s something that looks strange about the upcoming adaptation directed byJon M. Chu. This is supposed to be one of the biggest musicals in the history of Broadway coming to the big screen.Why wasn’t anyone singing in the latest trailer for it? It’s one thing to trick audiences into thinking something such asWonkawon’t be a musical. But to promote a project as whimsical asWickedas nothing more than a regular drama doesn’t feel right.
That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any music involved in the latest effort from the promotional campaign forWicked.“Defying Gravity” is probably the biggest number from the show. In the original story, it serves as a separation between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda (Ariana Grande) once they realize that they don’t want the same things out of life. The tune was heard in the latest trailer forWicked, but why didn’t audiences get a chance to see Cynthia Erivo displaying the best of her musical talent in the clip?
Regardless of how audiences feel about musicals, the fact thatWickedfeatures a wide variety of musical numbers isn’t a secret. The show has been presented on the stage around the world for decades. Viewers know what the tale between Elphaba and Galinda is about.The musical numbers are supposed to be the selling point for the upcomingUniversal Picturesblockbuster but, yet again, the studio refuses to show any cast member from the movie singing in the promotional material.
Defy Gravity: Here Are 8 Things You Need To Know About the ‘Wicked’ Movie
Will the adaption of the hit musical “Defy Gravity” or end up as “Something Bad”?
Universal went as far as casting Ariana Grande in one of the main roles in order to highlight how important music is to this story. Even characters such as Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) will get a chance to express themselves through music once the adaptation flies towards movie theaters later this year.It makes no sense to keep every single performance hiddenfor the sake of secrecy alone.Wickedis a spectacular musical meant to highlight the power of its main characters. That includes their show-stopping musical numbers.
‘Wicked’ Is One of Many Musicals That Hide Singing in Their Trailers
There are definitely members of the audience who might feel tricked when a movie doesn’t inform them they’re about to see several characters expressing their feelings through songs. But that can’t be the case withWicked. Not only is the story a popular Broadway musical, but Jon M. Chu’s last project was the adaptation ofIn The Heights. It would be difficult to advertise this blockbuster as anything other than a musical. The fact that no one could be seen singing in the latest trailer proves that this was a firm decision taken by the studio. But, alas,this is not a new trend. As mentioned before,Wonkanotably had barely any singing in its promotional material. A few months later,Mean Girls, an adaptation of a musical based on the original 2004 movie,also went light on the musical numbers in its trailers.Again, it’s one thing to sellWonkaas a non-musical film, butMean Girls’only justification for its existence is that it’s a musical version — so why not sell it as such?
The stigma around musical films shouldn’t exist in this day and age. 2017’sThe Greatest Showmanearned $462 million at the global box office when it was released, and Disney’s live-action adaptations of their animated musicals continue to be box office hits.In The Heightsconvinced Universal that Jon M. Chu was the right choice to takeWickedfrom the stage and bring it to the screen. People can’t stop talking aboutLa La Land, and that movie came out only a couple of years afterWickedwas announced to be in development. Not showing the characters of this adaptation singing in the traileris almost disrespectful to the material itself.
Wickedpremieres in theaters in the United States on November 22. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Wickedswoops into theaters on August 20, 2025.
