Wicked (2024 film)

Wicked (titled on-screen 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 L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as Glinda 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 prior to the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it follows the early stages of the relationship between Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her dormitory roommate 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 omitting plot points and further develop the characters. 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 $756.1 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. Since its release, the film has been included in lists of the best musical and fantasy films of the 21st century. A sequel, Wicked: For Good, is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025.