Fandango is already feeling the magic of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked as advanced ticket sales accumulate faster than a hail of asbestos in a Poppy Field. What’s wrong? Need help understanding that reference? Look it up. I’ll give you a hint. The health-related fallout caused by the original Wizard of Oz is a nightmare. Anyway, Fandango announced today that Wicked is the ticket broker’s number two first-day ticket pre-seller of 2024, only behind Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Wicked is also the best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of 2024 and the third best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of all time, only behind the theatrical hits of Frozen II and The Lion King (2019).

“Fan anticipation for the cinematic masterpiece Wicked is incredibly high for what is set to be a one-of-a-kind must-see theatrical event,” said Jerramy Hainline, EVP of Fandango Ticketing. “The success of the film’s first-day ticket sales is a testament to fans’ love for this iconic property, and the off-the-charts appetite to see this beloved story come to life on the big screen.”

Wicked stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, and more.

To celebrate Wicked’s momentous first-day ticket sales, Fandango is offering fans a chance to visit Oz. Moviegoers who purchase a ticket on Fandango to Wicked will automatically be entered to win a trip to the film’s Los Angeles premiere! But wait, there’s more! When fans buy a ticket to Wicked in IMAX, they will receive an exclusive Wicked Collector’s Pin Pack, which includes a Shiz University pin and an exclusive IMAX pin.

Earlier this week (almost like they planned its launch in time for Wicked), Fandango piloted its new movie ticket membership program, Fandango FanClub. The service rewards moviegoers with savings every time they go to the movies. To celebrate the launch, Fandango is offering ticket buyers who join Fanclub a limited-time offer of two free movie tickets after a 7-day free trial, which they can use towards tickets to any movie, including Wicked. For a monthly fee of $9.99, FanClub members will receive one $10 movie ticket promo code per month, waived convenience fees on all ticket purchases, and more perks, such as early access to special bundles and offers.

Wicked comes to theaters on November 22, 2024.

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Universal’s large-scale Wizard of Oz film Wicked was bumped up in its release date to coincide with the premiere of Ridley Scott’s Roman sequel Gladiator II. Gladiator II star Paul Mescal not only welcomed it, but hoped it would become the next Barbenheimer-esque phenomenon. It looks as if Universal is also eager to release the immediate follow-up of Wicked as Wicked: Part Two, which was once slated for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 26, 2025, will now be released earlier in the week on November 21, 2025, according to Deadline.

Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. The film stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. 

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. 

The film also stars Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond. 

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 21, 2025.

This first chapter will be flying into theaters this year on November 27.

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Barbenheimer was a phenomenon. On paper, Barbie and Oppenheimer had little in common, but fans embraced the counter-programming and helped propel both movies to massive success, with Barbie taking in $1.4 billion and Oppenheimer grossing $976 million. With Gladiator II and Wicked set to premiere on the same day later this year, some are hoping we’ve got Barbenheimer 2.0 on our hands.

It seems that Gladiator II star Paul Mescal is also a fan of the match-up. “Wickdiator doesn’t really roll off the tongue does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked if it has a similar effect to what it did for Barbie and Oppenheimer,” Mescal told Entertainment Tonight. “It would be amazing ’cause I think the films couldn’t be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend.” While I’m unsure if that Barbenheimer lightning will strike twice, it would be something to see.

The first trailer for Gladiator II was finally released yesterday, bringing fans back to Ancient Rome. “From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome,” reads the official synopsis. “Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.“

The official synopsis for Wicked reads: “[Two students] meet at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.“

Both Gladiator II and Wicked are set to hit theaters on November 22nd.

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Universal has pushed up the release of Wicked, the highly anticipated adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway show. The film was originally slated to hit theaters on November 27th, but it will now be released on November 22nd… the same day as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. This could get interesting.

As both Wicked and Gladiator II are courting very different demographics, the new release date is a smart move. It’s also possible that this match could be the Barbenheimer of 2024. Wickiator? On its original date, Wicked would have opened alongside Moana 2. With this move, the animated Disney sequel currently sits alone as the only new major movie set to be released before the Thanksgiving weekend.

Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, “a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power,” and Ariana Grande as Glinda, “a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.” The official synopsis reads: “The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.“

The film also stars Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

As for Gladiator II, we finally got our first official look at the sequel earlier today with a dozen new images. Set decades after the events of the first movie, the sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius, who now lives with his wife and child in Numidia, but when Roman soldiers invade and force him into slavery, Lucius takes inspiration from Maximus and fights as a gladiator to oppose the rule of Rome’s new emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).

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Universal Pictures invites you back to the land of Oz for the new feature adaptation of the long-running popular musical Wicked.  Universal has now unveiled the extra lengthy three-and-a-half minute trailer. Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. The film stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. 

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. 

The film also stars Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond. 

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.

This first chapter will be flying into theaters this year on November 27.

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Jon M. Chu is ready to cast a spell on audiences when Wicked: Part One follows a yellow brick road into theater in November, and today, he’s sharing some behind-the-scenes magic in a new featurette. In the footage, we see an exclusive look at the sets, characters, and songs of the upcoming musical adaptation Broadway fans have been impatiently waiting for.

The Wicked featurette chronicles Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s journey toward playing Elphaba Thropp (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda Upland (Glinda the Good Witch), two sisters of the heart who grow up together while at different ends of the enchanted kingdom of Oz. Oz is a magical place, though it’s not free from prejudice, and Elphaba struggles to find her way in a world that doesn’t want her.

In the new featurette, Erivo and Grande explain how it’s been a dream to play their iconic Wicked characters in Chu’s latest film. Both women understand the expectations set upon them by playing the legendary witch sisters in Maguire’s best-selling story, and neither takes the responsibility lightly.

In addition to sharing a birds-eye view of the elaborate sets, the featurette teases Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz, the cast’s gorgeous costumes, and meticulously choreographed dance numbers.

Universal has been working on a Wicked film adaptation since 2004. Stephen Daldry was initially attached to direct but left the project due to scheduling conflicts. The movie’s original release was December 22, 2021, but fate threw a bucket of water on that plan. In addition to Covid casting a production hex, Chu went back and forth about dividing the story into two captivating presentations. Wicked: Part One will cast a spell in cinemas on November 27, 2024.

The three-time Tony Award-winning stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by writer Winnie Holzman and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who collaborated on the screenplay adaptation. The story explains how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s yarn is the ultimate fairy tale origin story and could have you rooting for the villain by the time it’s all over.

While I’m not typically one for musicals, I love Maguire’s Wicked, and Chu’s upcoming film is near the top of my list for this year’s releases. I hope the film is everything hardcore fans want it to be. Are you excited about Wicked coming to theaters? Let us know in the comments section below.

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There’s no place like CinemaCon for Universal to debut enchanting new footage for Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Wicked! On Wednesday, the studio dropped a house on the CinemaCon crowd at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, helping Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, to tell her side of a misunderstood story.

During Universal’s CinemaCon presentation, the studio surprised the crowd by activating lanyards and roses given out before the presentation. Like magic, the objects lit up, flashing different colors as the theater filled with music. When the Great and Powerful Oz showed up, the lights interacted with his entrance. Jeff Goldblum is Oz, and he took the stage to introduce the film. “I’ll be a ringtail flying monkey if that’s not the biggest flying cranium I’ve seen in my life,” Goldblum quipped about his character.

“I’ve been chased by dinosaurs, I flew into a giant alien mothership threatening Earth, and I’ve become a fly,” Goldblum added. The Jurassic Park actor says he loved doing the movie, especially because they shot on real sets, and he got to sing and dance a bit.

When Jon M. Chu, Jonathan Bailey, and Michelle Yeoh took the stage, Yeah said, “In Crazy Rich Asians and in Wicked, why do you always cast me in roles that are mean?” Yeoh then said she was terrified to sing in the movie, to which Chu replied, “There’s nothing you can’t do. You played a literal rock,” referring to one of Yeoh’s many forms in the Oscar Award-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande also wore green (Erivo) and pink (Grande) to represent their characters when taking the stage.

Grande said she saw Wicked on Broadway when she was ten years old, which, she joked, was only five years ago. Erivo said she also saw it on Broadway, and both say the roles have been pivotal for them as making these two movies was a years-long proposition.

Universal screened new footage for the crowd, depicting Glinda and Elphaba becoming friends at a magic academy. Elphaba is summoned to see the wizard, but eventually, the latter becomes a public enemy because she realizes the wizard is just a scam artist. Oddly, the trailer didn’t include any of the songs.

Universal has been working on a Wicked film adaptation since 2004. Stephen Daldry was initially attached to direct but left the project due to scheduling conflicts. The movie’s original release was December 22, 2021, but fate threw a bucket of water on that plan. In addition to Covid casting a production hex, Chu went back and forth about dividing the story into two captivating presentations. Wicked: Part One will cast a spell in cinemas on November 27, 2024.

The three-time Tony Award-winning stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by writer Winnie Holzman and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who collaborated on the screenplay adaptation. The story explains how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s yarn is the ultimate fairy tale origin story and could have you rooting for the villain by the time it’s all over.

While Chu intends to honor the source material, he plans to bring more depth to the characters during the two-film production. Cynthia Erivo will star as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, with Ariana Grande playing Glinda, the Good Witch. Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, an institution of higher education in Shiz located in Gillikin, the northern province of Oz. Jeff Goldblum plays The Wizard of Oz, with Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero, Adam James as Glinda’s Father, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Colin Michael Carmichael as Nikidik.

Are you looking forward to WIcked? Let us know in the comments section below.

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While I think Super Bowl viewers were probably counting the minutes until the release of the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer, two other colossal budget franchise flicks made their presence known with two pretty slick trailers. First up is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes by Wes Ball. It’s 20th Century Studios’ ambitious attempt to relaunch the classic Planet of the Apes franchise, and the second trailer doubles down on the impressive first trailer with loads of new footage. It has more action and a closer look at the human characters, including one played by The Witcher’s Freya Allan. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters on May 10th.

Here’s the trailer:

Yet, just as eagerly anticipated (by some) is Universal’s first look at Jon Chu’s Wicked: Part I. This long-awaited adaptation of the iconic Broadway play, which retells The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West, also made its debut. I saw footage from this movie just under a year ago at CinemaCon in Vegas, and Universal is betting big on this two-part Broadway adaptation. The trailer introduces us to Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, who will later become the Wicked Witch of the West and Ariana Grande’s Glinda the Good. Wicked: Part I hits theaters on November 27th, with Part II making its debut exactly one year later, on November 26th, 2025.

Here’s the trailer:

Which movie are you most hyped for coming out of the Super Bowl? Let us know in the comments. 

In the meantime, here are some Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes character posters:

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Wicked director Jon M. Chu has some encouraging news for Wicked fans. According to the celebrated filmmaker, the first part of the fantasy classic’s film adaptation will release on time despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strike. Commenting about the film’s status on Twitter, Chu said Wicked: Part One production was days away from completion before the strike halted activity. Chu is confident the movie will resume as soon as better working conditions for writers and actors in the film industry take shape. Wicked: Part One isn’t flying into cinemas until late 2024, giving the team ample time to finish the highly-anticipated project.

“Not done yet,” Chu tweeted. “Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie. We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the time is right. My heart goes out to our cast and crew who were cut short of what we came here to complete together. More to come but in the meantime I’m excited to excavate what we have shot for the past year here in Oz (release date shouldn’t be affected) . It has been an extraordinary adventure… more to do. #WickedMovie“

Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie. We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the…

— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 19, 2023

Universal has been working on a Wicked film adaptation since 2004. Stephen Daldry was initially attached to direct but left the project due to scheduling conflicts. The movie’s original release was December 22, 2021, but fate threw a bucket of water on that plan. In addition to Covid casting a production hex, Chu went back and forth about dividing the story into two captivating presentations.

The three-time Tony Award-winning stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by writer Winnie Holzman and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who collaborated on the adaptation of the screenplay. The story explains how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s yarn is the ultimate fairy tale origin story and could have you rooting for the villain by the time it’s all over.

While Chu intends to honor the source material, he plans to bring more depth to the characters during the two-film production. Cynthia Erivo will star as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, with Ariana Grande playing Glinda, the Good Witch. Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, an institution of higher education in Shiz located in Gillikin, the northern province of Oz. Jeff Goldblum plays The Wizard of Oz, with Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero, Adam James as Glinda’s Father, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Colin Michael Carmichael as Nikidik.

Do you think the Wicked: Part One production halt will delay the film’s release despite Chu’s confidence?

Wicked: Part One casts a spell in cinemas on November 27, 2024.

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Jon Chu’s Wicked Part Two is hopping onto a broomstick and riding to a new release date. Universal Pictures is officially moving the second part of Chu’s Broadway adaptation to November 26, 2025. Initially, the Wicked Part Two release date was scheduled to cast a spell on Christmas 2025, with Wicked Part One opening worldwide on November 27, 2024.

Universal has been working on a Wicked film adaptation since 2004. Stephen Daldry was initially attached to direct but left the project due to scheduling conflicts. The movie’s original release was December 22, 2021, but that didn’t happen. In addition to Covid casting a production hex, Chu went back and forth about dividing the story into two captivating presentations.

The three-time Tony Award-winning stage musical was adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel by writer Winnie Holzman and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who collaborated on the adaptation of the screenplay. The story explains how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s yarn is the ultimate fairy tale origin story and could have you rooting for the villain by the time it’s all over.

While Chu intends to honor the source material, he plans to bring more depth to the characters during the two-film production. Cynthia Erivo will star as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, with Ariana Grande playing Glinda, the Good Witch. Michelle Yeoh plays Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, an institution of higher education in Shiz in Gillikin, the northern province of Oz. Jeff Goldblum plays The Wizard of Oz, with Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero, Adam James as Glinda’s Father, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Colin Michael Carmichael as Nikidik.

I am genuinely stoked for Jon Chu’s adaptation of Wicked. Maguire’s novel was one of my favorite books in college, and I’m excited to see how the story translates to the silver screen. It’s an epic tale that warrants getting split into two parts, even if the wait for Wicked Part Two will be excruciating. Are you looking forward to the film version of Wicked? Let us know in the comments below.

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