‘Wicked’ trailer hints at an edgier Glinda and showstopping Elphaba as played by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

The new ‘Wicked’ trailer is the deepest look yet into the fantastical Land of Oz and the Emerald City as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s characters meet the Wizard.

“Are people born wicked?” It certainly seems like Glinda – as played by Ariana Grande – might be in the latest trailer for the movie spectacle based on the Broadway musical (which, in turn, is based on the bestselling book by Gregory Maguire). At first glance, the trailer released on Wednesday is a glorious dance of color and a symphony of two of the most revered musical voices in the business, that of Grande and Oscar-nominee and Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo. Watch the preview again, however, and you notice the nuanced performances, with Grande’s Glinda seeming to be a bit pricklier than the Glindas we’ve seen on stage portrayed by actors like the bubbly Kristin Chenoweth – who originated the role on Broadway. Assigned to be roommates, Glinda brings her new green friend Elphaba (Erivo) to her pink-drenched room in the trailer. The clip even highlights a particularly salty moment when Glinda quips that she would give away a decidedly ugly hat – but she doesn’t “hate anybody that much” – subsequently entrusting it to Elphaba. It’s just one of the moments that suggest a bit more mean girl energy than simply “popular” energy from the Good Witch of the North. Later on in the trailer, Elphaba’s notably strong powers are exposed, much to Glinda’s chagrin, leading headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to take notice and tell Elphaba, “You’re the one the Wizard has been waiting for.” Elphaba brings Glinda along when she is summoned to the Emerald City to meet the powerful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), and it is here that they both begin to realize that, as Elphaba says, “Something bad is happening in Oz.” “The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy,” the Wizard says, in a nod to some of the more political tones that suggest director Jon M. Chu’s cinematic retelling (over two parts) of a notoriously digestible Broadway musical will, perhaps, not shy away from highlighting the darker themes explored in the book.