'Wicked: For Good' premieres in NYC ahead of Friday opening

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attended the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good on Monday at David Geffen Hall, marking the final stop of a global press tour ahead of the film's November 21 theatrical releasedeadline+2.
Erivo wore a custom Balenciaga gown by Pierpaolo Piccioli featuring sculptural fur bust embellishments and a leather turtleneck, while Grande appeared in a two-tone black and pink ballgown, continuing their method-dressing approach to embody their characters Elphaba and Glindamarieclaire.
The star-studded event included director Jon M. Chu and cast members Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, and Bowen Yang, along with notable guests George Lucas and Claire Danesdeadline+1.

The highly anticipated sequel "Wicked: For Good" held its New York City premiere Monday evening at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, marking the final stop on a global press tour that has taken stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande across continents. The film opens in theaters Friday, November 21.deadline+6

Method Dressing Takes Center Stage

Erivo arrived in a custom Balenciaga gown by Pierpaolo Piccioli, featuring a black feather-trimmed turtleneck cape and pleated drop waist skirt with a train, completing the Elphaba-inspired look with oversized butterfly sunglasses and diamond jewels. Grande wore a custom Schiaparelli haute couture two-tone corseted ball gown that blended black with Glinda pink, continuing the method-dressing approach that has defined both actresses' press tours.people+4

The co-stars skipped interviews after Erivo lost her voice earlier in the day, though they walked the red carpet together and posed for photos. "Unfortunately, Cynthia is not feeling well and has lost her voice, therefore she and Ariana will not be doing interviews this evening," read a statement from Universal Pictures.variety+2

Expanding the Oz Universe

Director Jon M. Chu and cast members including Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, and Colman Domingo also attended the star-studded event. Notable guests included George Lucas with his wife Mellody Hobson, Constance Wu, and Claire Danes.forbes+2

The film features two new original songs by composer Stephen Schwartz: "No Place Like Home," performed by Erivo's Elphaba, and "The Girl in the Bubble," performed by Grande's Glinda. The sequel adapts the second act of the Broadway musical and picks up after Elphaba has been branded Oz's enemy by the Wizard.broadwayworld+4

The premiere concluded a press tour that included stops in São Paulo, Paris, London, and Singapore, where a security incident occurred when an Australian man rushed Grande on the red carpet and was subsequently sentenced to nine days in jail. The first "Wicked" film earned $756 million globally, with the sequel now poised to potentially surpass its predecessor at the box office.wikipedia+10

Sources (71)