Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater and the Entire Wicked Cast Stun in New Photos

This cast is already quite popular. 

The first official photos of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, and more stars on the set of the upcoming Wicked film were just released by Vanity Fair—and they'll make fans of the iconic Broadway production defy gravity with excitement.  

For the "yes and?" singer, who transforms into the pink bubbly Glinda the Good Witch in the new pictures, the preparation for the role has been a lifetime in the making. 

"It was literally 10 years of being like, ‘Knock, knock, any developments?'" Ariana joked to Vanity Fair in the first look published March 21. "‘Is there an audition coming this year, or next year? I would like to start preparing today.'"

Meanwhile, Cynthia, who plays the protagonist Elphaba, was one of the last actresses brought in to audition for the character later known as The Wicked Witch of the West.

And while she admitted she didn't think she'd be "seen," once the film's director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt (who also produced the original Broadway musical) saw her audition, they knew they'd found their lead, adding, "We're like, ‘We're done.'"

As a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, Wicked—based on the 1995 book—gives the backstory of the unlikely friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. And as the film's leads, Ariana and Cynthia were able to forge a strong bond. 

"I just need to say that I don't think people realize that she's got the chops," Cynthia told Vanity Fair of Ariana. "I don't think people realize how brilliant this person's brain and voice and talent is."

Meanwhile, the Grammy winner was quick to return the compliment, noting of the Harriet star, "She's my favorite female voice."

And while Platt had originally thought of casting unknowns for the highly-anticipated project, the upcoming Broadway adaptation—set to release in November—is one of the most star-studded musical movie productions of the last few years. And with Cynthia and Ariana's vocal power, Chu seems to believe the right casting decisions were made. 

"These are live vocals," Chu added to the outlet. "Those girls were like, ‘F--k the pre-records. We're going live.'"

In addition to Ariana, Cynthia, and Ethan—who earned a Tony nomination for his performance as Spongebob Squarepants on Broadway—the cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, and even Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang. 

Read on to see all the new Wicked cast photos.

Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. 

Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard and Michelle Yeoh as his colleague, Madame Morrible. 

Jonathan Bailey as hearthob prince Fiyero. 

Ariana told Vanity Fair that nabbing her Glinda role was "10 years" in the making. 

Meanwhile, Cynthia said she trained "like a boxer" for her role. 

Jeff is the not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz. 

Madam Morrible is the headmistress of Shiz University. 

Marisa Bode (Nessarose), Ethan Slater (Boq) Bowen Yang (Pfannee), and Bronwyn James (ShenShen) round out the cast. 

Wicked is set to hit theaters on November 27, 2024. 

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