The adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked came to the big screen in 2024, after years of being in development. The Wicked musical is an adaptation of the book Wicked, the first of the series The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire which is itself a revisionist take on The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. This version of the story focuses on Elphaba, the so-called Wicked Witch of the West, as well as the society and history of Oz. It fills in a lot of the blanks on the original books and film (such as why there is only one road!), and adds depth and complexity to the original simple tale.

In 2003, Stephen Schwartz adapted the novel to Broadway as the composer and lyricist and worked with Winnie Holzman to write the book (the narrative structure of a play). Like the novel, Wicked focuses on The Wizard of Oz witches before and after the events of the latter. Witches Elphaba and Galinda are the main characters and the musical gives context to the well-known story of Oz, introducing themes of forgiveness, trust, and discrimination. The huge success of the musical means that it is no surprise that a film adaptation eventually made its way to Hollywood.

Wicked Part One Digital Release Date

Defy Gravity At Home Just In Time For The New Year

Coming quickly after the movie's landmark run in theaters, Wicked Part One has quickly been announced. The Thanksgiving 2024 smash-hit will now become a New Year's Eve streaming juggernaut when the movie drops on VOD platforms starting December 31, 2024. The movie can be purchased from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Microsoft Movies & TV with a slew of bonus features. The physical release is set for February 4, 2025, on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD.

A few months after the movie was made available for digital and physical purchase, Wicked has now landed a streaming release date as well. The box-office-smashing musical is set to arrive on Peacock starting March 21, 2025, and the NBC streamer will also feature a sing-a-long version. In addition to the two versions of the movie, Peacock will also host a myriad of special features and behind-the-scenes content.

Wicked Part One Box Office & Reception

A Critical & Commercial Hit

Though adapting one of the most popular Broadway shows of the 21st century onto film was a risk, it isn't really that surprising that Wicked Part One is a box-office success. Snagging Wicked (reportedly $350 million), both movies will need to be smash-hits in order to make that money back.

A film's actual cost is typically its production budget doubled, when factoring in marketing and advertising expenses.

In another big win for Universal and their multi-million dollar musical gamble, Wicked Part One is a critical darling as well as a financial success. Screen Rant lavished praise upon the film, giving it points for capturing the grandeur of the original stage production. Furthermore, other reviews were particularly keen to give stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo their laurels (via Variety). However, it wasn't all magic, and outlets like Time Magazine were less happy with the overwrought story.

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Wicked Part One Cast

Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Lead An All-Star Cast

The Wicked movie took big swings when Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as Galinda and Elphaba, respectively. Elphaba's love, Fiyero, is played by Jonathan Bailey of Bridgerton fame, while veteran child actor Marissa Bode made her feature film debut as Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose. Rounding out the main cast. Ethan Slater plays Boq Woodsman. Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh appears as Shiz University's Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum appears as The Wizard of Oz.

The full main ensemble cast is as follows:

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Wicked Part One Trailers

Watch The Trailers Here

Debuting during the 2024 Super Bowl, the long-awaited trailer for the first part of Wicked did not disappoint as it not only gave away story details but teased the music as well. While recent movie musicals like Mean Girls have downplayed their music, Wicked put "Defying Gravity" to the forefront for the trailer as it introduced Elphaba's struggle and the movie's connection to The Wizard of Oz.

Not to be outdone by the trailer that debuted in early 2024, another full trailer for Wicked was dropped in May 2024 that gives fans even more hints of the best-selling musical soundtrack. Underscored by the well-known "Popular", the trailer gives more looks at the early relationship between Galinda and Elphaba, before turning its sights to many of the spectacular visuals found in the film. While the story and music is well known to fans, the trailer shines because reveals that the Wicked movie is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.

A character-centric trailer for Wicked was revealed in August 2024 which puts its focus squarely on Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero. As he galvants around campus and seemingly wins the heart of Galinda with his vapid charms and good looks, Elphaba seemingly sees through his facade and notices his scheming ways.

With the November release date looming nearer, a second full trailer for Wicked was revealed in September 2024. Focusing on Elphaba's arc, the trailer introduces her as an outcast student who is confident with help from her new friend Galinda. However, as her powers manifest, she begins to garner hatred from her fellow Oz citizens, and the Wizard is more than happy to use her as a scapegoat.

Wicked Part One Ending & Spoilers

Only Half The Musical Was In Part One

Dispelling fears that the movie adaptation would stray from the beloved Broadway show, Wicked Part One kept close to the successful musical. As such, Wicked Part One only capped off what was the first act of the stage musical, meaning there is still a lot left to be resolved in Wicked Part Two. Almost none of the major plotlines have been resolved, and this makes the second part not only highly-anticipated, but necessary as well.

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Wicked Part One Sequel Set Up

A Sequel Is Already On The Schedule

the first half left all of its plot threads untied, and was essentially the preamble to the big finish that's coming in the second part.

There was no suspense when it came to the sequel to Wicked Part One, and not only is the sequel already made, but it has a release date as well. Since the entire Wicked adaptation splits the Broadway musical in two, Wicked Part Two is less of a follow-up, and more of the second act of a much larger story. Because of this, the first half left all of its plot threads untied, and was essentially the preamble to the big finish that's coming in the second part.

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