'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu shares first look of film starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

The first installment of Wicked's two-part film adaptation won't hit theaters for roughly another year and a half — Nov. 27, 2024, to be exact — but director Jon M. Chu has given fans a little something to tide them over in the meantime.

On Sunday, Chu took to Twitter to share the first glimpse of the upcoming film, which is based on the 2003 Tony-winning musical inspired by Gregory Maguire's 1995 literary take on Oz, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The two photos shared by Chu each feature the musical fantasy film's co-leads. In the first, Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo is unrecognizable in green makeup and a witch's costume as Elphaba (a.k.a. the future Wicked Witch of the West). The second shot, meanwhile, sees pop star Ariana Grande sporting one of her own trademarks — a ponytail, albeit one dyed blond — ascending a staircase in a pink ball gown while in character as Glinda, later known as the Good Witch. Erivo and Grande take over from the Broadway production's original stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, respectively.

"You weren't told the whole story," Chu's tweet reads. "What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? Here is your FIRST LOOK of #WickedMovie ... currently in production in Oz."

The sneak peek has already kicked off a Twitter storm — with some commenters questioning Grande's ponytail, others the dark lighting — and fueled anticipation for the film and its eventual sequel. As previously reported, newly minted Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has been cast as Madame Morrible, while Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang and Jonathan Bailey round out the cast.