Wicked Movie Behind-the-Scenes Special Will Air on NBC November 19

An NBC special, airing in November, will go behind the scenes of the upcoming two-part movie adaptation of Wicked. Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, previously scheduled to premiere November 25, will now air on November 19 at 10PM ET on NBC and be available to stream on November 20 on Peacock. 

Wicked: Part One, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, will arrive in theaters on November 22.

Filmed on the movie’s Emerald City set, the special will feature Grande, Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang and Marissa Bode sharing personal memories, intimate video diaries and more from their personal journeys making the Universal Pictures film. 

The special will also feature the world premiere of a scene from the movie along with Wicked-inspired commercials from brand sponsors Lexus and Target.

The movie is directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, the creators of the Broadway show. Wicked: Part Two will be released on November 21, 2025.