The film opens in the Land of Oz with Munchkinland celebrating wildly. The Wicked Witch of the West is dead after Dorothy dropped a house on her. Citizens sing "No One Mourns the Wicked" in jubilant relief.

Glinda the Good descends in her bubble to join the celebration. A Munchkin asks if it's true that she and the Witch were friends. Glinda's expression changes and she begins telling Elphaba's story from the beginning.

Elphaba only came to drop off her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose. But when Nessarose faces patronizing treatment, Elphaba's protective anger unleashes her magical powers in front of everyone watching.

Madame Morrible, the Dean of Sorcery, witnesses Elphaba's raw power. She offers to privately tutor Elphaba in magic. Elphaba accepts, hoping this training will help her meet the Wizard of Oz someday.

Meanwhile, popular and privileged Galinda Upland arrives at Shiz expecting to become Morrible's student. She's horrified when assigned to room with the green-skinned Elphaba instead. Their clash begins immediately with mutual dislike.

Elphaba befriends Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat who teaches history. He's one of Shiz's last Animal professors facing increasing discrimination. Elphaba follows him to a secret meeting of Animals discussing their systematic oppression.

Dillamond reveals that Animals across Oz are mysteriously losing their ability to speak. Elphaba promises she'll ask the Wizard to help when she meets him. She believes in the Wizard's goodness and power completely.

Prince Fiyero Tigelaar transfers to Shiz as a carefree, rebellious student. He organizes a party at the Ozdust Ballroom nightclub during the elaborate "Dancing Through Life" number. Galinda immediately sets her sights on making him her boyfriend.

At the party, students mock Elphaba's awkward dancing. Galinda initially joins the ridicule but feels guilty afterward. She performs a makeover on Elphaba during the iconic "Popular" number, beginning their unlikely friendship.

The next day, Dr. Dillamond announces his forced retirement. The school board no longer allows Animals to teach. Guards forcibly escort the devastated goat from his own classroom as students watch in shock.

His replacement Professor Nikidik brings a caged lion cub for live experimentation. He plans to prevent it from ever learning to speak. Elphaba reacts with outrage and uses magic to put everyone except Fiyero to sleep.

Elphaba and Fiyero steal the cub and escape into the forest. They release it to freedom and share a meaningful moment. Sparks fly between them despite Fiyero's budding romance with Galinda.

Back at her dorm, Elphaba sings "I'm Not That Girl" lamenting her unrequited feelings. She believes someone like Fiyero could never love someone who looks like her. Galinda and Fiyero's relationship continues developing.

Madame Morrible brings life-changing news. The Wizard of Oz has personally invited Elphaba to the Emerald City. Her lifelong dream of meeting him is finally coming true unexpectedly.

Elphaba initially plans to go alone but impulsively invites Galinda at the last second. The two board a magnificent train to Emerald City. Their friendship has grown genuine despite their differences and initial hostility.

They arrive at the dazzling Emerald City where everything is green and grand. The Wizard's palace towers above the city. Citizens worship the Wizard as an all-powerful benevolent ruler who can do no wrong.

The Wizard, played charmingly by Jeff Goldblum, greets them warmly. He seems humble and friendly rather than intimidating. He shows them his plans for Oz including a yellow brick road leading to the city.

The Wizard asks Elphaba to demonstrate her magic using the Grimmerie. This ancient spellbook contains powerful magic that only the most gifted can read. Elphaba discovers she can read and cast its spells naturally.

She performs a levitation spell from the Grimmerie on the Wizard's monkey servants. But the spell goes horribly wrong. The monkeys scream in agony as wings painfully sprout from their backs against their will.

The Wizard and Morrible celebrate this "success" excitedly. They plan to use these flying monkeys as spies throughout Oz. Elphaba realizes with horror that they engineered this outcome deliberately all along.

Morrible reveals she's been working with the Wizard the entire time. They're the ones behind the Animals' oppression and silencing. The Wizard is a fraud with no real magic who used Elphaba to subjugate Oz further.

A devastated Elphaba seizes the Grimmerie and runs. Guards chase her through the palace corridors. Glinda follows begging her to stop and reconcile, but Elphaba refuses to serve tyranny and corruption.

On the palace balcony, Elphaba must choose between acceptance and resistance. She bids an emotional farewell to Glinda. "I hope you get everything you've always wanted," she says with genuine love despite their diverging paths.

Glinda pleads with Elphaba to stay and apologize to the Wizard. But Elphaba chooses freedom and truth over lies and complicity. She casts a spell on a broomstick making it levitate beneath her feet.

The film's climactic "Defying Gravity" number begins. Elphaba rises into the air on her broomstick as the Wizard's forces pursue her. Her voice soars with defiance, power, and liberation from others' expectations.

Guards and flying monkeys chase Elphaba through the Emerald City. She uses her powers to cause a massive blackout across Oz. The green witch silhouetted against the moon becomes an unforgettable iconic image.

Madame Morrible broadcasts propaganda declaring Elphaba a dangerous "wicked witch." The entire population of Oz turns against her instantly. Students at Shiz evacuate in panic hearing the news about their former classmate.

Fiyero flees the school on horseback racing toward the Emerald City. Nessarose watches helplessly as their father Governor Thropp suffers a heart attack upon hearing about Elphaba. Everything is falling apart catastrophically.

On the palace balcony, Glinda watches Elphaba fly west into the distance. Tears stream down her face as she realizes they're now on opposite sides. She chose safety and status while Elphaba chose resistance and truth.

Elphaba soars above Oz completely free but utterly alone. She's now the Wicked Witch of the West in everyone's eyes. The film ends with "Defying Gravity" reaching its powerful crescendo as Part One concludes.

The screen fades to black with "To Be Continued" appearing. Part Two will continue the story releasing November 2025. The first half ends at the musical's intermission point perfectly setting up the finale.

Jon M. Chu's direction brings unprecedented scale to movie musicals. He built massive practical sets including a real Shiz University campus and Emerald City. The commitment to practical filmmaking creates tangible authenticity impossible with pure CGI.

Nathan Crowley's production design transforms Oz into a living, breathing world. Every location feels real and lived-in from the Ozdust Ballroom to the Wizard's palace. The 9 million tulips planted for Munchkinland show extraordinary attention to detail.

The musical numbers are staged with breathtaking choreography and scale. "Dancing Through Life" features hundreds of dancers through the university library on rotating bookcases. "Defying Gravity" delivers one of cinema's most thrilling musical climaxes ever filmed.

Stephen Schwartz's beloved score translates beautifully to film. The orchestrations feel richer and more cinematic while preserving what fans love. John Powell's additional score enhances emotional moments between songs perfectly.

Spectacular Direction Practical Sets Show-Stopping Numbers

• Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) - Powerhouse vocals and emotional depth make her the definitive Wicked Witch origin
• Ariana Grande (Glinda) - Hilarious comedic timing with surprising dramatic range and crystalline vocals
• Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) - Charming and athletic performance that steals every scene he's in
• Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard) - Perfectly cast as the charming fraud hiding sinister intentions
• Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) - Menacing authority figure with calculated manipulation
• Ethan Slater (Boq) - Heartfelt portrayal of unrequited love and eventual tragedy
• Marissa Bode (Nessarose) - Authentic representation as first wheelchair user to play the role
• Peter Dinklage (Dr. Dillamond voice) - Brings dignity and heartbreak to the oppressed professor

Prejudice and Othering: Elphaba faces constant discrimination for her green skin throughout her life. The film explores how society creates outcasts based on differences. The Animals' oppression parallels real-world discrimination and dehumanization of marginalized groups.

Power and Corruption: The Wizard represents fraudulent authority maintaining control through manipulation and propaganda. Those in power sacrifice others for their own gain. Morrible's collaboration shows how institutions enable tyranny through willing participants.

Friendship Across Differences: Elphaba and Glinda's relationship shows how genuine connection transcends superficial differences. They challenge each other to grow beyond their limitations. Their bond proves more important than their opposing choices at the story's climax.

Choosing Principles Over Acceptance: Elphaba faces the ultimate choice between complicity and resistance. Defying gravity becomes a metaphor for refusing society's limitations. True freedom requires rejecting false acceptance that demands moral compromise.

Rewriting Narratives: The film questions who controls history and how villains are created. Elphaba isn't wicked but branded that way by those in power. The story examines how propaganda shapes perception and creates scapegoats for systemic problems.

Social Justice Female Friendship Moral Courage Identity