Wicked (2024 film)

Wicked (titled onscreen as Wicked: Part I) is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It adapts the first act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, itself a reimagining of the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum in supporting roles. Set in the Land of Oz, before Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, its plot follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with her classmate Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good.
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who both produced the stage musical, announced the adaptation in 2012. After a long development and multiple delays, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in 2021. The adaptation was split into two parts to avoid cutting plot points and expand the characters' journeys and relationships. Principal photography began in England in December 2022, was interrupted in July 2023 by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and resumed and concluded in January 2024.
Wicked premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on November 3, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 22. It received positive reviews, became a pop culture phenomenon, was named one of the best films of 2024 by the American Film Institute, and won Best Film at the National Board of Review. Among other accolades, it received ten nominations at the 97th Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It grossed $747.4 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Oz film, the highest-grossing musical film adaptation and the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2024. A direct sequel, Wicked: For Good, is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025.
In the Land of Oz, Glinda the Good joins the citizens of Munchkinland as they celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West at the hands of "a female child." When a child asks her why wickedness happens, Glinda ponders the question by discussing the Witch's backstory: born from an affair between the wife of then-Governor Thropp and a traveling salesman, she was ostracized from birth due to her unnaturally green skin and uncontrollable magical powers ("No One Mourns the Wicked"). When asked if she and the Witch were friends, Glinda reveals that they knew each other from school.
Years earlier, Elphaba Thropp arrives at Shiz University to see off her wheelchair user, younger sister, Nessarose ("Dear Old Shiz"). After witnessing an accidental release of Elphaba's powers, Madame Morrible, Shiz's Dean of Sorcery Studies, offers to enroll Elphaba and privately tutor her in sorcery. Elphaba accepts in the hopes that it will allow her to accomplish her dream of working with Oz's ruler, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz ("The Wizard and I"). To her discontent, she is forced to room with the bubbly Galinda Upland; the two clash constantly ("What Is This Feeling?"). One night, Elphaba follows the history professor Dr. Dillamond, a talking Goat who faces discrimination as one of Shiz's last animal professors, to a meeting of animals off-campus. Dillamond reveals that other animals are losing their ability to speak, but Elphaba assures him the Wizard will set things right ("Something Bad").
Rebellious transfer student Fiyero Tigelaar takes a group of students to a party at the Ozdust Ballroom nightclub ("Dancing Through Life"). Galinda convinces her admirer Boq Woodsman, a happy-go-lucky Munchkin, to invite Nessarose so she can accompany Fiyero. Meanwhile, Elphaba lobbies a begrudging Morrible to tutor Galinda. Elphaba arrives at the Ozdust and is ridiculed for wearing a pointed hat that Galinda gave her as a joke. A remorseful Galinda dances with her ("Ozdust Duet"), and the two later bond ("Popular").
Dillamond announces that animals are no longer allowed to teach at Shiz and is forcibly removed from his classroom. His replacement, the unscrupulous Professor Nikidik, demonstrates a new contraption—a cage—with a frightened lion cub enclosed within, designed to prevent animals from learning to speak. An enraged Elphaba releases her magic and spins poppy dust over the room, putting everyone except herself and Fiyero to sleep. They escape campus and release the cub into the forest. After sharing a moment, Elphaba reflects her unrequited love for Fiyero and laments that Fiyero prefers Galinda to her ("I'm Not That Girl").
Elphaba receives an invitation to meet the Wizard, who has learned of her magic from Morrible. Galinda, now calling herself Dillamond's mispronunciation "Glinda" in solidarity with him, accompanies her. They arrive in the Emerald City ("One Short Day") and are introduced to the Wizard, who is revealed to be an ordinary man ("A Sentimental Man"). Morrible arrives to witness Elphaba and the Wizard's meeting, and the two encourage Elphaba to cast a spell from the sacred Grimmerie spellbook. She casts a levitation spell that makes the Wizard's monkey guards painfully sprout wings. Overhearing the elated Wizard and Morrible's intention to use them as spies, Elphaba realizes that they are the ones behind the oppression of animals and that the fraudulent Wizard intended to use her. Horrified, Elphaba steals the Grimmerie and flees.
Glinda follows Elphaba and implores her to reconcile with Morrible and the Wizard, but Elphaba chooses to rebel. She bids an emotional farewell to Glinda, who supports her but declines to accompany her before being apprehended by guards. Elphaba repeats the levitation spell on a broomstick and dramatically escapes the Emerald City. As Morrible propagandizes against Elphaba, Fiyero leaves Shiz on horseback amidst a mass evacuation while Governor Thropp suffers a heart attack after he and Nessarose receive the news. Elphaba flies west, leaving Glinda behind ("Defying Gravity").
Additionally, the Cowardly Lion makes an appearance as a cub. Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl who is transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado with her dog Toto, is featured alongside the Scarecrow, Tin Man and an adult version of the Cowardly Lion in a brief cameo early in the film. Robin Guiver performs the role of Chistery, the leader of the Wizard's monkey army and Elphaba's favorite winged monkey. Stephen Stanton voices Fiyero's Horse.
Multiple cameos take place during the "One Short Day" sequence. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda in the stage musical, portray the leading members of the Emerald City Players. Former Fiyero replacement Michael McCorry Rose appears as the Wiz-O-Mania Narrator. Book writer and screenwriter Winnie Holzman exclaims, "He can read it [the Grimmerie]! He must be a Wizard!" in a cameo during Wiz-O-Mania, and composer Stephen Schwartz cameos as the Emerald City Guard, who announces to Elphaba and Galinda that "the wizard will see you now". Adam James and Alice Fearn appear briefly as Galinda's parents, nicknamed "Popsicle" and "Momsie" by Galinda. Shaun Prendergast appears as Shiz President and Cherida Strallen as the Shiz Librarian.
In the 1990s, Moore's Moving Pictures acquired the rights to the Wicked novel and began writing a screenplay with Michelle Pfeiffer, Emma Thompson, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore being considered for the roles of Glinda and Elphaba, with Robert Zemeckis considered for director. In 2003, the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a revisionist exploration of the characters and setting of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was adapted as the Broadway musical Wicked. The musical was produced by Universal Pictures' stage division and directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The Broadway production has inspired long-run productions in Chicago, London, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as well as Germany, Australia and Japan. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three, and is the 4th longest-running Broadway show in history, with over 7,500 performances, running for over 20 years. The original Broadway production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.
In a 2009 interview, Maguire stated that he had sold the rights to ABC to make an independent non-musical TV adaptation of Wicked. It would not be based on Holzman's script. On January 9, 2011, it was reported by Entertainment Weekly that ABC would be teaming up with Salma Hayek and her production company to create a TV miniseries of Wicked based solely on Maguire's novel. No further information, such as casting, had been revealed yet.
Chenoweth, Menzel, Lea Michele, and Amy Adams were all rumored to be potential leads, Holzman and Schwartz were rumored as potential writers, and J. J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy were all mentioned as possible candidates for director. In December 2012, following the success of Les Misérables, Marc Platt, also a producer of the stage version, announced the film was going ahead, later confirming the film was aiming for a 2016 release. After a long development, Universal announced in 2016 that the film would be released in theatres on December 20, 2019, with Stephen Daldry directing. Daldry was reported considering Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes for the roles of Elphaba and Fiyero. By 2024, Holzman was credited as the sole writer. In August 2024, it was determined by the Writers Guild of America that Dana Fox collaborated with Holzman on the screenplay and that Craig Mazin contributed additional literary material.
In May 2017, Schwartz said the film would feature "at least two" new songs. On August 31, 2018, Universal put the film on hold, due to production scheduling, and gave the film adaptation of Cats the release date formerly held by Wicked. On February 8, 2019, Universal announced a new release date of December 22, 2021. On April 1, 2020, Universal put Wicked on hold again due to Universal shifting release dates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave Sing 2 the 2021 release date. On October 20, 2020, it was announced that Daldry had left the production due to scheduling conflicts. On February 2, 2021, it was announced that Jon M. Chu would take over as director. Serving as executive producers would be Schwartz, Holzman, Fox, David Nicksay and Jared LeBoff. In August, Alice Brooks was confirmed as the cinematographer, after working with Chu on the film version of In the Heights.
In November, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Glinda and Elphaba. Grande had previously recorded "Popular Song" (a remix of "Popular" from the musical) in 2012, and had performed "The Wizard and I", a song from the musical, in the NBC special Wicked 15th Anniversary. Erivo previously had performed "I Couldn't Be Happier", an excerpt from the song "Thank Goodness", in the PBS special Wicked in Concert. It was reported that Grande auditioned five times for the role of Glinda. Dove Cameron, Taylor Louderman, Renee Rapp and Amanda Seyfried were also reported to have auditioned for Glinda. Grande has revealed in later interviews and podcast appearances that she began taking acting and singing lessons around a year before her first Wicked audition as she wanted to make sure she was perfect for the role and was seen for her acting ability, rather than her singing persona. In June 2022, Chu confirmed the hiring of Nathan Crowley as production designer. On September 21, 2022, it was reported that Jonathan Bailey had joined the cast as Fiyero, beating, among others, actors Ryan McCartan (who played the role in 2018–2019 on Broadway), Cooper Koch, Nick Jonas and Joe Jonas for the part. In October 2022, it was announced that Jeff Goldblum was in final talks to star as the Wizard. Goldblum completed talks by December, when Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael were added to the cast. In April 2024, it was revealed at CinemaCon that Peter Dinklage had been cast as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.
On preparing for the role of Elphaba, Erivo told Variety, while expressing her desire to see the stage version on Broadway again before filming: "I'm relearning everything ... I want to go and see it again. ... When I get to New York at some point I'll pop in and see the show again, that'll be my fifth time." She also said at that time that discussions were underway on what the film will look like, particularly its production design and visual style, and confirmed the hiring of Paul Tazewell as costume designer. Her request to him for Elphaba's costume when she becomes the Wicked Witch of the West involved "a Jean Paul Gaultier collection with a 'new world, kind of gilded age' feeling". Erivo also contributed to several other parts of Elphaba's appearance, notably her hair and nails: "I knew I wanted [Elphaba] to have micro braids and I wanted her to have a full set [of nails] for two reasons: [they are] a nod to my culture and a nod to the world of Oz." She also stated: "I imagined that her nails were a part of her magic—that they just grew out of her and she hadn't yet discovered why, like her green skin."
Like the stage musical, the script includes made-up words such as "clandestinedly", "hideoteous" and "confusifying," giving the Land of Oz its own "Ozian" language.
Principal photography was set to commence in June 2022 at the Sky Studios Elstree facilities in the United Kingdom. In July 2021, Schwartz indicated there were plans to film in Atlanta that year. On April 26, 2022, Chu announced the adaptation would be filmed in two parts, Wicked and Wicked Part Two (later renamed Wicked: For Good), saying:
In June 2022, Schwartz confirmed that a new song would be written for one of the two films:
On July 18, it was revealed that with the filming process settled at the newly built Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, England, rehearsals would begin in August with principal photography beginning in November. On December 9, Chu confirmed on Twitter that filming had begun.
On September 23, Planning Statement, in support of a planning application submitted on behalf of Western Sky Limited, indicated that outdoor filming would occur at a site being developed at Ivinghoe Turf in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, UK. Early into filming, paparazzi from The Daily Mail were seen flying over the Munchkinland set by hang glider with GoPro cameras attached to their feet as Ariana Grande and the cast and crew filmed "No One Mourns the Wicked", the opening number of the first film. The first pictures of Grande in costume as Glinda were leaked online and sparked anticipation. Grande said in an interview for VMan: "I think we were very spoiled to have done this with [Chu]. It felt like a teeny, little secret student thing – it's intimacy ... It felt so small and private until all of a sudden, we were outside, and the Daily Mail was hand gliding [sic] over our set".
Shooting was planned to take place between April 6 and July 14, 2023, with principal photography set to wrap with the "One Short Day" sequence on July 25. Filming was suspended from July 13 to November 8 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming resumed on January 24, 2024, and concluded on January 26, lasting 155 days in total. The song vocals were recorded live on set at the insistence of Erivo and Grande. Academy Award-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes collaborated with Chu on the recordings of the actors' vocals, using a variation of the same recording techniques that were implemented on Les Misérables. Chu also cited Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook as inspiration for the large-scale sets and practical effects, including nine million colorful tulips planted on location to surround the Munchkinland set, a paved yellow brick road with real mud and a life-size art deco-inspired train to transport Elphaba and Glinda to the Emerald City, which he called the "Unlimited One". Chu also cited the 1998 films Pleasantville and The Truman Show as influences on how both Wicked and Wicked: For Good thematically portray the Land of Oz, saying, "It helps create this idea of the rebelliousness that this new younger generation are discovering ... How far will that take everybody in Oz throughout the course of the whole story of both movies? It's an awakening of a generation. You start to see the truth about things that maybe you were taught differently." The interior of the wizard's castle was inspired by Hans Poelzig's Großes Schauspielhaus.
Although media sources described Wicked as a prequel to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz (1939), it legally could not be considered as such. The Wizard of Oz is under copyright protection by Warner Bros., who also owns the rights to elements such as the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland, the swirling design of the yellow brick road in Munchkinland, and even the shade of green used for the Wicked Witch of the West's skin. While producing Wicked, Universal enlisted a copyright expert to ensure that any references to The Wizard of Oz didn't verge on infringement. The slippers eventually worn by Dorothy were changed from ruby to silver (as they were in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), while Cynthia Erivo and SFX makeup artist David Stoneman developed a shade of green makeup (nicknamed "Cynthia Green" after Erivo) that was subtly different from the one used on Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 film; Hamilton's chin mole couldn't be used as well. The expert also verified the designs of Munchkinland and the Emerald City so they weren't too close in appearance to their counterparts in the 1939 film.
On February 6, 2024, it was confirmed that Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore provided the visual effects with Pablo Helman serving as production visual effects supervisor, and that post-production work was in progress, with Chu working remotely with editor Myron Kerstein via communication through the newly released Apple Vision Pro.
Throughout editing, Kerstein felt emotionally connected to the film and its story, particularly during post-production work on the Ozdust Ballroom and "Defying Gravity" sequences, while reflecting on the former scene: "We always felt like the Ozdust Ballroom was basically the set piece we had to get right, because if that didn't work, the rest of the movie was going to fall apart." The sequence involved watching the entireties of every ten-minute-long take of Elphaba and Glinda's dance duet and picking the right portions that provoked the most emotional response. Editing on the entire film was done through Avid Media Composer.
Wicked has 2,200 visual effects shots. Team Aspect handled the film's main-on-end title sequence and motion design elements, using 1930's era stylization in homage to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz; this included a recreation of the 1937 Universal logo at the start of the film, along with onscreen typography for the title and "To be continued" cards similar to the font used in the MGM film. Post-production on the first film was completed on September 19, 2024.
The soundtrack album for Wicked was released by Republic Records/Verve Label Group, Grande and Erivo's record labels, on November 22, 2024. In July 2024, it was announced that John Powell had composed the incidental underscore and is set to do the same for Wicked: For Good. Jeff Atmajian updated the late William David Brohn's original orchestrations for the songs and enlarged the orchestra from the stage version's original 23 musicians to 125 for the film. The recording sessions for the music took place at AIR Studios in London, with the musical's original music director Stephen Oremus conducting the song cues and Powell conducting the incidental score cues alongside Gavin Greenaway, all with the London Symphony Orchestra. Greg Wells, Oremus and Schwartz served as music producers. The score album was released on December 6, 2024.
Some songs from Wicked: For Good appear throughout the score, most prominently "For Good" whenever Elphaba and Galinda's friendship is seen or mentioned, "Thank Goodness" when Galinda changes her name, and "Wonderful" when Elphaba receives her invitation from the Wizard.
A few days later, the production company released the "Sing-Along" playlist on the main digital platforms, while also scheduling this type of screening in cinemas around the world. In this format, viewers are encouraged to sing along live, with lyrics added to the film as if it were a karaoke session.
On April 16, 2023, first-look pictures of Wicked were released through social media, featuring Erivo's Elphaba and Grande's Glinda. Work-in-process footage, featuring first listens to Grande and Erivo's renditions of "Popular" and "Defying Gravity", was presented at CinemaCon on April 26, 2023, introduced on stage by Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley. The first trailer for the film, in the form of a 60 second "First Look", premiered during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024. The film returned to CinemaCon on April 10, 2024, to present new footage and marked the first time the cast and crew appeared together in public to promote the film. Costumes and props were also on display in the lobby of the venue during this event.
A featurette containing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Chu, Erivo, and Grande on how much the Wicked films mean to them as a passion project, debuted at NBCUniversal's upfront at Radio City Music Hall on May 13, 2024, and was released online shortly after. The three-minute theatrical trailer was released on May 15, 2024, followed by a version produced and animated entirely in the Lego brickfilm style on May 29; the Lego version was later attached to theatrical screenings of the animated Pharrell Williams biopic Piece by Piece. A behind-the-scenes television special, Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, aired on NBC on November 19, 2024, to promote the film. The network also hosted promotional tie-ins for the film throughout its coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, with Erivo, Grande and Michelle Yeoh attending the opening ceremony, a viral video of the Emerald City's "Unlimited One" train cruising in front of the Eiffel Tower, and extensive advertising during primetime coverage of the Women's Gymnastics event, with Chu and the cast in attendance at the Qualifying round.
On September 4, 2024, character posters were revealed ahead of the release of a new trailer the next day, which remixed "Defying Gravity" with Herbert Stothart's iconic "Wicked Witch/Miss Gulch" motif from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Wizard of Oz (1939). After debuting in the Defying Gravity TV special, the entire "What Is This Feeling?" musical number was uploaded to YouTube on November 22, 2024, coinciding with the film's release and amassing over ten million views. Universal Products & Experiences released a wide range of Wicked merchandise, including toys, apparel, books, beauty products, and accessories. Vince Klaseu, president of Universal Products & Experiences, remarked: "It has been so fun to develop and expand the beloved story of Wicked and bring these incredible characters and worlds to life through magical products and immersive retail experiences; our global merchandise program across retail and theme parks reflects the film's empowering themes and bold iconography, paving the way for even more excitement in 2025 with Wicked: For Good ... Wicked is very special to us, and we can't wait for fans to embrace these inspiring characters this holiday season." Universal had 450 promotional partners, with a media value of $350 million, the most ever for a Hollywood theatrical film. On October 1, Grande's cosmetics brand R.E.M. Beauty released a collaboration inspired by the film. A 96-page Wicked-focused special-edition issue of People magazine, featuring exclusive cast interviews and pictures from production, was published on November 1.
On May 15, 2024, Universal launched an interactive website for Shiz University, allowing fans to apply for a 2024 semester at the college before August 15. In September 2024, influencers on various social media platforms started sharing their "acceptance letters and packages" from Shiz, containing a personalized acceptance letter from Madame Morrible herself, a map of the campus, a newspaper (reporting "Prince Fiyero spotted at Shiz"), a pin and a university jumper. Other fans who applied received their acceptance letters via email, with those applying late for the college being denied admission.
On October 10, 2024, it was announced that Wicked would launch the "Journey Through Oz" Press Tour during the weeks leading up to the film's release with each city being transformed into some of the film's various locations: Sydney (Munchkinland), Los Angeles (Shiz University), Mexico City (Enchanted Forest), New York (Ozdust Ballroom), and London (Emerald City).
On December 26, 2024, it was announced that Wicked would take part in the 2025 Rose Parade on January 1, 2025 in Pasadena, California with a 55-foot-long "Defying Gravity" float covered with 60,000 tulips imported from Holland along with colorful carnations to celebrate the film's New Year's Eve release on VOD.
To promote the film's streaming release on Peacock, Universal sold its most Pay 1 movie ad spots ever with 16 brand partners, including its own Universal Orlando resort and parent company Comcast, as well as Adobe, Airbnb, Audible, Lexus, Princess Cruises, Rocket Mortgage, State Farm, Target, T-Mobile US, TurboTax and Wayfair.
On October 9, 2024, to coincide with tickets going on sale, a poster was released with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in-character recreating the original poster art of the stage musical. Reception towards the poster was mixed, resulting in the creation of "fan edits" designed to bring the poster closer to the original art, using Adobe Photoshop and generative AI tools. The poster was also mocked with a video made with Runway AI to make it look like Elphaba and Glinda in the image were fighting. It also became the subject of viral internet memes, including a parody replacing Elphaba with Charli XCX in a promotional image for her and Grande's remix of "Sympathy Is a Knife"
On October 15, 2024, a Twitter user created their own edit, attempting to more accurately match the poster to the original artwork by obscuring Elphaba's eyes, raising Glinda's hand to cover her mouth, and giving Elphaba smirking red lips. Although many fans considered it an improvement, Erivo took to Instagram the following day and reposted the edit with the following:
The user later deleted the post out of respect for the actress, saying their intentions were not malicious and they had not anticipated the reaction. However, on October 20, the user reposted their edit, saying while they felt Erivo's feelings were valid, they stood by the image as "an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster". On October 19, during the 4th Academy Museum Gala red carpet arrivals, Grande responded to the controversy, saying, "I think it's very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it's just kind of such a massive adjustment period ... This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits ... And I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much." On October 29, Erivo was asked by Entertainment Tonight about the nature of her comments, and said "it wasn't necessarily a clapback ... Because I think I'm really protective of the role ... I am passionate about it, and I know that the fans are passionate about it, and I think, for me, it was just like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba. It was a human moment. I probably should've called my friends, but it's fine."
Mattel produced a series of dolls portraying Glinda, Elphaba, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, as well as Nessarose in a wheelchair. In August 2024, two song snippets from the film ("Popular" and "Defying Gravity") were leaked through a sound chip in their line of singing dolls.
In November 2024, the doll box and the manual for many dolls in the Wicked line were found to contain links to the website of the adult film studio Wicked Pictures (www.wicked.com) instead of the movie's own website (www.wickedmovie.com). Mattel apologized for the error, and asked parents who had bought products with the incorrect website to destroy the packaging. In December 2024, Mattel was sued by a mother in North Carolina, citing the emotional distress that she and her daughter had suffered due to the error.
Originally announced as one film, Wicked was split into two films in April 2022. The first half premiered in Sydney, Australia at the State Theatre on November 3, 2024, with premieres that followed in Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 9, 2024, in Mexico City at the Auditorio Nacional on November 11, 2024, and in London at the Royal Festival Hall on November 18, 2024. It was theatrically released by Universal Pictures on November 21 in Australia and Mexico, and on November 22 in the United States, with engagements in RealD 3D, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX and D-Box. This was followed by its Polish premiere as the closing night film of the 32nd International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage on November 23, 2024, with cinematographer Alice Brooks and production designer Nathan Crowley (who received the 2024 Production Designer Award at the festival) in attendance. Advance screenings took place on November 18, 2024, for Amazon Prime members, and for the general public on November 20, 2024. These two screenings marked the only times during the film's theatrical release that most theaters across the United States were simultaneously able to show the film in IMAX, due to Gladiator II taking over most of those screens on opening weekend. A sing-along version of the film was released theatrically on December 25, 2024.
Wicked was previously scheduled for release on December 20, 2019, December 22, 2021, December 25, 2024, and November 27, 2024, with the latter release date to avoid competition with Avatar: Fire and Ash and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (the former of which was later delayed to 2025 after Thunderbolts*, and later Mufasa: The Lion King took its date), before moving forward by five days to its current date to avoid competition with Moana 2, with the new date putting it against Gladiator II. This sparked speculation on whether the film and Gladiator II sharing a release date could result in a scenario later termed "Glicked", similar to the Barbenheimer phenomenon which was a result of Barbie and Oppenheimer both being released on July 21, 2023. With the film being released two weeks after the 2024 United States presidential election, Marc Platt reflected on the story's increasing relevance in the current political climate, saying, "It's a significant election for both of us, but our story aspires to be about the distance people travel to connect with each other, about seeing the other as not the other, about living in a world where sometimes the truth is not real."
Wicked was screened exclusively for influencers, awards season pundits and entertainment industry personnel on the Universal Studios Lot on October 16, 2024. A private screening was held at the home of Kim Kardashian on October 22, 2024, exclusively attended by her family alongside Erivo and Grande. Another private screening took place at the DGA Theater in Manhattan on October 28, 2024, attended by Erivo, Grande, Chu, Platt, Schwartz, original Broadway cast members Kristin Chenoweth, Norbert Leo Butz and Christopher Fitzgerald, members of the current Broadway cast, and other actresses who had played Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway and national tour over the years. The screening was preceded by a video greeting from Idina Menzel, who could not attend due to rehearsals being underway for the new musical Redwood. A screening hosted by Anna Wintour was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 14, 2024, attended by the cast members of the film and other celebrities. Screenings for the general public took place at the State Theatre in Sydney from November 20 through November 22.
Prior to its theatrical release in Kuwait, Wicked was pulled from some theatres due to "public ethics". However, the film continues to be screened in various cinemas in the country. Following its release in the United States, right-wing conservative Christian group One Million Moms called for a boycott on the film, claiming that it "promotes witchcraft and pushes the LGBTQ agenda on families, particularly children." Kristin Chenoweth defended the film in a comment on Instagram, saying "Everyone knows the 'one million Moms' are a mere few hundred. Maybe. It's called entertainment. Artistry. I am a Christian woman or [sic] originated the role of Glinda and all the silliness that these women spew out of hate. No no no. I can't help it: I try to love 'em anyways. For they don't get it. For anyone who wants to see girl power, then go so WICKED. Onstage or in a movie theater."
Wicked was dubbed in several countries where local productions of the original musical were staged. Many of these dubs saw actresses reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda after previously portraying them on stage, including Danna Paola and Ceci de la Cueva in Latin American Spanish, Myra Ruiz and Fabi Bang in Brazilian Portuguese, and Park Hye-na and Jeong Sunah in Korean. In the German dub, Elphaba was voiced by Sabrina Weckerlin, who was an alternate for the character in the original 2007 production. Johanne Milland, the voice of Glinda in Danish, portrayed the character in the 2024 production. Dutch actress Vajèn van den Bosch, who portrayed Elphaba in the German production in 2021, instead returned as Glinda in the Dutch dub.
Additionally, certain local performers were brought in to dub Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's cameos. Willemijn Verkaik, who first played Elphaba in the original 2007 German production and again in several international engagements (including the original 2011 Dutch production, as well as the West End and Broadway in 2013), dubbed over Menzel in the Dutch and German versions, together with Chenoweth's dubbers and original Glinda actresses Chantal Janzen and Lucy Scherer. Maria Lucia Rosenberg, who portrayed Elphaba in the original 2011 Danish production, returned to dub Menzel in Danish. Other dubs of the film, particularly in countries where the musical hadn't premiered, saw Menzel dubbed over by actresses who'd previously voiced another character she originated: Elsa from Disney's Frozen. Such instances included Elke Buyle in Flemish, Nikolett Füredi in Hungarian, Taryn Szpilman in Brazilian Portuguese, and Annika Herlitz in Swedish.
In Norway, Wicked was released without the musical ever being staged there. Two days before the film's release, a first-time Norwegian production of the musical was announced, and is scheduled to premiere in 2025.
Wicked was released on video on demand on December 31, 2024 in the United States. It was released on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on February 4, 2025 by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Both the digital and physical releases contain the theatrical and sing-along versions, with bonus features such as extended and deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes. It began streaming on Peacock on March 21, 2025.
Tickets for Wicked went on sale on October 9, 2024, the day after Paramount Pictures released their tickets for Gladiator II. On October 10, Fandango reported that the film became the site's number 2 first-day ticket pre-seller of 2024, behind Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as the best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of the year and the number 3 best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of all time, behind Frozen 2 and the 2019 remake of The Lion King (both from Disney). According to Deadline Hollywood, Quorum projected Wicked to gross $67–74 million in its domestic opening weekend, while Box Office Theory projected it would gross $96–150 million and Boxoffice Pro projected it would be $100–125 million, topping the box office ahead of Gladiator II. Initial skepticism was directed towards the notion that musical films post-pandemic would not be profitable. By the week of its release, projections were raised to a $165–200 million worldwide opening (and $125–150 million domestically), with positive word-of-mouth and the film's awards season buzz cited as the reasons.
As of March 31, 2025, Wicked has grossed $473.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $274 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $747.2 million.
In the US and Canada, it made $46.47 million on its first day, which included $19.2 million from preview screenings in the week leading up to its release: $2.5 million on Monday, $5.7 million on Wednesday, and $11 million on Thursday. It debuted with $112.5 million in the US and Canada and $162.9 million worldwide, topping both box offices. It was the largest opening ever for a film based on a Broadway musical, surpassing the $31.1 million domestic opening of Into the Woods (2014) and the $103 million worldwide opening of Les Misérables (2012). The following Thursday, it made $16.9 million, the second-best Thanksgiving Day total ever behind Moana 2 ($28 million), released the day prior. It grossed $32 million on Black Friday.
Wicked grossed $80 million in its second weekend (and a total of $117.5 million over the five-day frame), dropping by 29% and finishing behind Moana 2. At the end of the holiday weekend, it reached over $250 million domestically, making it the highest-grossing stage musical-to-screen adaptation of all time in the US and Canada, beating the $190 million lifetime domestic gross of Grease (1978). In its third weekend, it made $34.9 million, remaining in second, for a running total of $455 million worldwide. By December 15, 2024, it had grossed $525 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film based on Baum's Oz works, surpassing the $493 million worldwide gross of Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). By Christmas Day, the film grossed $392.4 million domestically, becoming the 49th highest-grossing film of all time in the United States and Canada. By December 29, 2024, Wicked surpassed Mamma Mia! (2008), breaking the Guinness World Record to become the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time. By January 2025, it surpassed Dune: Part Two to become the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024 and surpassed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and F9 (2021), respectively, to become Universal's third highest-grossing film of all time in North America and the studio's nineteenth highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.
In the first week of its release on video-on-demand (VOD) services, Wicked topped the charts on every platform, including iTunes Movies, Google Play, Fandango at Home and Amazon Prime Video. Universal reported that Wicked earned more than $70 million in premium VOD sales in the United States and Canada during its first week, including more than $26 million on New Year's Eve. It surpassed The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) to become the biggest first-week performance for a Universal theatrical film on VOD. As of April 2025, the movie's sales revenue across all video platforms exceeds $100 million. During the first weekend of its streaming release on Peacock, Wicked topped Nielsen’s preliminary streaming chart for the period of March 17-23, 2025 as the most-streamed film on the platform with 882 million minutes watched, ahead of Plane, The Wild Robot and eventual Best Picture Academy Award winner Anora. This result made it Peacock‘s biggest Pay 1 film ever for a title in its first seven days and marked the second time a film on the platform has achieved this record following Oppenheimer the year before.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 388 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Defying gravity with its magical pairing of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Wicked's sheer bravura and charm make for an irresistible invitation to Oz." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 63 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 92% overall positive score, with 80% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.
Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal called Wicked "the most entertaining film of the year and the most dazzling live-action Hollywood musical since Chicago". Jazz Tangcay of Variety called it "a musical masterpiece that is much more than we could have ever expected" and praised Chu's direction, the performances and the sets and costumes. Antonia Blyth of Deadline Hollywood called it "a blast from start to finish" and "a delicious, hilarious romp that shows off Erivo and Grande's next-level talent and laugh-out-loud comedy chops. They serve up every number with surprises, delights and genuine depth." Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote that Erivo "is the strongest draw in this splashy, overly long movie", while Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist wrote that Grande "often delivers startling depth to her character before jumping into a musical number that will have you grinning from ear to ear".
Jonathan Bailey was deemed a standout by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, writing that he "uncorks an outrageous scene-stealer as the hetero-camp Fiyero", and by ABC News' Peter Travers, noting that his performance was a "display of song, dance and acting virtuosity". "Dancing Through Life", his character's musical number, was described as "the adaptation's biggest musical accomplishment" by Entertainment Weekly's Christian Holub. The Ozdust Ballroom and "Defying Gravity" scenes were cited as among the best of 2024 by Variety and Looper, respectively. Filmmakers Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Joe Dante, Adam McKay, Sean Baker, Drew Goddard, William Goldenberg, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Max Hechtman, Laurel Parmet, Rich Peppiatt, Nicholas Stoller and Juel Taylor praised the film.
Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe called the film "visually unappealing", commenting that "it can't handle the tonal shifts. Authoritarianism and broad comedy make strange and uneasy bedfellows." Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com said that "When it's all about the spectacle of big, splashy production numbers, this prequel to The Wizard of Oz is thrilling" but that "far less effective is the way Chu ... wedges in the movie's heavier themes of authoritarianism". James Berardinelli of ReelViews wrote that "Although Wicked: Part 1 has its share of high points (some of which aim very high), the filmmakers seem to have embraced the concept of 'bloat' as a beneficial characteristic."
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Galinda on Broadway, praised the performances of their film counterparts, with Chenoweth adding: "The whole cast is amazing. Jon Chu nailed it. I was so moved, emotional, happy, filled with joy." Menzel stated: "The film is so loving and respectful of the original show, but then builds on it in so many beautiful ways I never thought possible." Lorna Luft, one of the daughters of Judy Garland, who portrayed Dorothy in the 1939 film, called the film "breathtaking to look at" and "everything I wanted it to be". Actresses Carol Kane & Sheryl Lee Ralph, both of whom played Madame Morrible on Broadway, in Los Angeles, as well as touring productions of the musical, praised the film, with Kane saying "Having done this show for years, it's sort of amazing that I was still bowled over by what I saw in the film." Celebrities Mark Hamill, Paul Mescal, Ryan Reynolds, Kieran Culkin, Fernanda Torres, Millie Bobby Brown, Billie Eilish & Taylor Swift expressed their admiration for the film, with Hamill calling it an "instant classic".
Elle UK's Panashe Nyadundu wrote that the film was a "much-needed escape" with a powerful message of kindness, friendship, representation and acceptance that was warmly welcomed by audiences in the wake of the 2024 United States presidential election. Nyadundu added: "From LGBTQ+ representation, to shining a light on disabilities, animal rights, female friendship and more, Wicked not only offers escapism to a world of utter fantasy, but equally, acts as a sharp reminder of how to navigate a world marred by corruption and discrimination." On November 21, 2024, a clip from the press tour interview in which the journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist told Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that viewers were "holding space" for the lyrics of "Defying Gravity" went viral, creating multiple memes. Gilchrist later explained what she meant: "For me, it means being in the moment, not being distracted and feeling something on a cellular level ... I think you can hold space with lyrics of a song—one you've heard hundreds of times—and it can suddenly take on new meaning when you're a queer person."
The film's choreography for the song "What Is This Feeling?" was recreated heavily on TikTok and Instagram Reels by fans and the casts of various Broadway and West End productions.
In December 2024, Collider ranked the film at number 6 on its list of the "10 Best Fantasy Movies of the 2020s", with Robert Lee III writing that it "translated all the spectacle and fantasy wonder of the original Broadway show to the big screen in spectacular fashion ... As it continues to become one of the major box office successes of 2024, it will easily be in conversation as one of the biggest and most successful fantasy films of the decade." It also ranked number 3 on the site's list of the "12 Best Movie Musicals of the Last 25 Years" and number 16 on its list of the "25 Best Musicals of the 21st Century," with Andrea Ciriaco writing "Director Jon M. Chu brings the beloved Broadway show to life with admirable precision and heartfelt passion and a fantastic cast of stars who channel their character's originality while still adding their own spin on the role, satisfying fans across the board." It topped the list of Screen Rant's "10 Best Fantasy Movies of the 2020s," with Megan Hemenway calling it "a groundbreaking movie musical that hooks its audiences from the start and doesn't let go for an instant. Not only is it satisfying to learn more about The Wizard of Oz's most interesting characters, but Wicked also deepens Oz into a place that is not just magical, but also dangerous." Josh at the Movies called it one of the best musical films of the 2020s, comparing it positively with West Side Story (2021), The Color Purple (2023), Wonka (2023), and Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021), while adding "Boasting incredible vocals, visual decadence, and intimate character moments, Wicked truly may change musical cinema... for good."
In February 2025, The New York Times reported that Universal Destinations & Experiences was in early development on creating attractions based on the film for one of their theme parks, with some believing they would be added to the Universal Epic Universe park at Universal Orlando sometime after its opening in May of that year.
Wicked received several awards and nominations. It made history as the first fantasy film to win Best Film at the National Board of Review, and the first musical film to win since Moulin Rouge! (2001). It additionally was named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the American Film Institute. The AFI jury rationale states:
At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Wicked won Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and received nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Cynthia Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Ariana Grande). It tied with Conclave for a leading 11 nominations at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards, and won three: Best Director (Jon M. Chu), Best Production Design (Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales), and Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell). It led the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards with five total nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Jonathan Bailey), Outstanding Performance by a Cast, and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble. The film also tied with multiple other films to make it the most nominated film in the ceremony's history.
At the 97th Academy Awards, the film tied with The Brutalist for the second-most nominations with 10 total, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress (Grande). It ultimately won Best Costume Design for Tazewell (who became the first African American male costume designer to win the category) and Best Production Design for Crowley and Sandales. At the 75th American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards, it won Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) for Myron Kerstein.
A direct sequel, Wicked: For Good, which will cover the events of the musical's second act, is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025. In November 2024, Schwartz and Holzman said they were discussing possible future projects to expand the Wicked film universe, but did not want to use the titles Part Three or Part Four.