The film will be screened from December 5 at K. Cineplex, Rio Premier The Mall of Nicosia, Pantheon Nicosia, K. Cineplex & Rio Limassol, and K. Cineplex Larnaca.

`Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman due to her unusual green skin, and Galinda, a popular young woman surrounded by privilege and ambition, meet as students at Shiz University in the magical land of Oz and develop an unexpected but profound friendship.

After their encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a critical point, and their lives take different paths. Galinda, driven by an insatiable desire for acceptance, becomes captivated by power, while Elphaba’s determination to stay true to herself and those around her leads to unexpected and dramatic consequences for her future.

Through their extraordinary adventures in the land of Oz, they fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film covers the first of two parts of the cinematic adaptation of the successful Broadway musical of the same name from 2003 (the film encompasses the first act) and serves as a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s famous 1900 work (and thus the 1939 film), based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel.

The 2003 musical was produced by Universal Pictures’ theatrical division, which also fully financed and distributed this film, starring Idina Menzel (Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda). 

In 2009, Gregory Maguire revealed he had sold the rights to his book to ABC for a non-musical TV adaptation, with Salma Hayek involved in the project by 2011, but the project never moved forward. 

Attention later shifted to a cinematic adaptation, with rumors of Lea Michele and Amy Adams in the lead roles. Directors such as J.J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy were also considered. The success of "Les Misérables" in 2012 solidified the idea of a film adaptation, initially planned for a 2016 release. By 2019, Stephen Daldry was announced as director, but the project was postponed in favor of "Cats". In early 2021, Jon M. Chu took over as director, and the main cast was revealed within the same year.

Ariana Grande auditioned five times to secure her role, competing against Dove Cameron, Amanda Seyfried, Renee Rapp, and Taylor Louderman. Ryan McCartan, Nick Jonas, and Joe Jonas were also finalists for the role of Fiyero.

The film’s songs were recorded live on set, a request primarily made by Cynthia Erivo and Grande.

Chu cited Steven Spielberg’s "Hook" as a major influence due to its epic sets and extensive use of practical effects. However, many characters are digitally rendered, with Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore responsible for the visual effects.

A viral video tying the film to the Paris Olympics was used as part of the marketing campaign.

The production partnered with various brands to create film-themed merchandise, including toys, books, beauty products, and more: Aerie, Bombas, Cambridge Satchel Company, Conair, Swarovski, Crocs, Zaks, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Hallmark, HarperCollins, Hasbro, Funko, Insight Editions, Jakks Pacific, Jazwares, Random House, Ravensburger, Spin Master, Starbucks, Betty Crocker, Amazon, Bloomingdale’s, Forever 21, Kohl’s, H&M, JCPenney, Target, Walmart, Lego, and Mattel.

The songs were composed by Stephen Schwartz with lyrics by Winnie Holzman. Among them are two of the most iconic tracks from the first act of the 2003 musical: "Defying Gravity" and "The Wizard and I" (performed by Cynthia Erivo in the film), with a total of 11 songs featured. Ariana Grande’s standout performance is "Popular".