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Though the movie came in slightly under initial $120M domestic estimates, Universal's Wicked still looks set for a very impressive opening weekend at the worldwide box office.

Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the hit Broadway musical took in $117 million from U.S. theaters and $48 million overseas for a global debut of $165 million.

This gives the critically-acclaimed feature the biggest opening weekend for a film based on a Broadway show (ahead of Les Miserables' $103M); the 6th biggest opening weekend of 2024 worldwide; and the 4th biggest global opening weekend ever for a musical (ahead of The Little Mermaid's $163.6M).

Ridley Scott's Gladiator II also opened on Friday (Glicked? Wickiator?), but hasn't performed quite as well with an expected $60 million domestic bow. The sword-and-sandals sequel has been playing overseas since last week, however, and has now passed $131 million across 63 international markets for an estimated $200M+ global haul.

Wicked tells...

Seemingly following in the footsteps of Disney, whose live-action remakes are now more frequent than their animated movies, DreamWorks has decided to give us a live-action remake of one of its most famous series, How to Train Your Dragon. The live-action remake of the first movie is scheduled for a 2025 release, and we have recently received some new footage from the movie.

And while we could debate the purpose of such a live-action remake, it is happening, and there is not much we can do there.

The first visuals look pretty nice if you ask us, and we are sure that the film will retain some of the charm of the original animated series.

But, as you might have assumed, there are also some controversies surrounding the upcoming movie and the biggest one at this point is the casting of Nico Parker, daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker,...

Filmmaker Dean DeBlois has remade the much-loved animated film How To Train Your Dragon in live action. Here’s the trailer.

How To Train Your Dragon is one of the most beloved animated franchises of recent years. Chronicling the story of wannabe Viking warrior Hiccup and the bond he develops with his adorable dragon Toothless, so far three films have been released, in 2010, 2014 and 2019.

These days, the franchise encompasses the original series of books, a TV series, videogames and assorted merchandise. A film studio will never let a good intellectual property lie, and so it is that How To Train Your Dragon has been given the live action treatment courtesy of DreamWorks and Universal.

The synopsis reads as follows:

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast,...

Following yesterday's long-awaited trailer debut, Universal Pictures has released a behind-the-scenes featurette for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie (via Toonado.com).

As well as teasing lots of new footage from the movie, we get our first proper look at Nico Parker's Astrid, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout, and Julian Dennison as Fishlegs. There's also plenty more of Chief Stoick the Vast, the role Gerard Butler reprises here after previously voicing him in the animated trilogy.

There's a great deal of excitement to see Toothless in a live-action setting and filmmaker Dean DeBlois has done what looks like a terrific job of casting this new version of the beloved story.

The studio no doubt hopes this movie launches a new franchise and, not coincidentally, 2025 will also see the debut of the Isle of Berk land at the upcoming Epic Universe section of Universal Orlando. We'd imagine there will...

As Dean DeBlois prepares to leap from animation to live-action for another adaptation of author Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon, a new first-look video highlights the vision, passion, and joy of returning to a familiar fantasy universe. In today’s behind-the-scenes look at Dreamworks‘ How to Train Your Dragon, DeBlois professes his love for Cowell’s exciting world and how thrilled he is to bring Hiccup and Toothless’s poignant story to the live-action silver screen.

“I decided to revisit How to Train Your Dragon because it felt like an amazing opportunity to not only direct a live-action movie but to be jumping back into a world that I frankly miss,” DeBlois says in today’s video. “I miss these characters. I miss this world, and I love movies that have a really poignant message buried deep within a moving spectacle. Adventure, wonder. That’s what this movie really packs.

We got the teaser trailer yesterday, but Universal Pictures and DreamWorks are keeping the fun going with a behind-the-scenes look at the new live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie. In a new video, director Dean DeBlois takes you into the world of Berk.

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon.

Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future.

Jeff Goldblum shocked passersby with an impromptu piano performance at London’s St. Pancras International train station on Wednesday, in celebration of the release of Wicked.

The Jurassic Park alum, who stars as the Wizard of Oz in Jon M. Chu’s impending musical adaptation, performed an intimate rendition of a Wicked number and two Christmas tunes as travelers and shoppers watched on.

Goldblum is a musical talent as well as an actor. Performing as part of The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, his band is known for their contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American songbook standards.

The station he performed at on Wednesday unveiled a Wicked themed Christmas tree in partnership with Universal Pictures, to celebrate the movie’s release. In taking to the St. Pancras piano, Goldblum followed in the footsteps of Grammy award winners Alicia Keys and Nora Jones, and dynamic duo Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, who also performed there.

Universal has debuted the teaser trailer for the live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise, ‘How To Train Your Dragon.’

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it...

The first trailer for the Universal Pictures “How To Train Your Dragon” live-action film was released today even though the film will not release for another several months on June 13, 2025.

This new film will be a “shot-for-shot” remake of the original film from 15 years earlier and will even bring Gerard Butler back as the Stoick. Dean DeBlois will be the writer and director on the film. He was a co-director of the original along with Chris Sanders.

Mason Thames will play Hiccup, and Nico Parker will play Astrid. Other actors include Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur.

As of this article, the trailer has had 1.98 million views (in 6 hours).

The comments are generally positive with many hoping that Toothless has the range of facial expressions that he does in the film.

The How To Train Your Dragon Live Action write- up reads,...

Things are heating up for Hiccup and Toothless in the teaser trailer for Universal Pictures’ live-action reimagining of How to Train Your Dragon.

Writer-director Dean DeBlois’ feature hits theaters June 13, 2025, and is a shot-for-shot remake of DreamWorks Animation’s hit animated film of the same name that was released in 2010. The new version stars Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid. Rounding out the cast are Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur.

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon centers on a young Viking named Hiccup (Thames), who sets out to hunt dragons but finds himself befriending one named Toothless.

“Dad, I can’t kill dragons,” he says in the trailer to his father, Stoick the Vast (Butler, reprising his role from the animated franchise). Hiccup’s dad responds firmly, “But you will.”

DeBlois, who...

The review embargo for Universal's Wicked - Part 1 has lifted, and so far, the majority of critics seem to be very pleased with director Jon M. Chu's big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.

With 117 reviews counted, the movie currently sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite this very impressive score, not everyone was won over by this take on the material. One review describes the movie as "ghastly," while another is of the opinion that Wicked is "messy and overlong, and ultimately incomplete."

The negative verdicts are in the minority, but it should be interesting to see if that Rt score holds as more reviews come in.

#Wicked is now officially Certified Fresh at 93% on the Tomatometer, with 95 reviews: https://t.co/xBl3Gk7XhK pic.twitter.com/r8HsY5yiPH

— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) November 19, 2024

'Wicked' Review - Jon M. Chu's Majestic Musical Defies Gravity Thanks...

It’s only a minute long but the first How to Train Your Dragon teaser trailer confirms so many elements about the live-action version. Toothless is basically Toothless from the animated films, Hiccup looks like fans expect him to, and even the finger placement as Hiccup touches Toothless for the first time matches the animated original. (A YouTube commenter pointed that out.)

Mason Thames (The Black Phone), Nico Parker (The Last of Us), Nick Frost (Truth Seekers), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), and Gabriel Howell (Bodies) star. The cast also includes Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).

Gerard Butler reprises his role as Chief Stoick the Vast from the animated films for the live-action adaptation.

“On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Thames) stands apart.

Watch the teaser trailer now and experience How To Train Your Dragon in theaters June 13. It’s playing with Wicked and it looks awesome in IMAX!

From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise.

Once again the CGI is brilliant and Toothless looks great!

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts...

“How to Train Your Dragon” is getting the live-action adaptation treatment.

The 2010 DreamWorks Animated film, directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, was based on Cressida Cowell’s book series of the same name, and is getting a lavish live-action adaptation from DeBlois, who returned to write and direct, which is out on June 13, 2025. And you can watch the first teaser for the film below.

Mason Thames takes over as Hiccup, with Nico Parker as Astrid and Gerard Butler reprising his role as Stoick from the animated features. Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James and Ruth Codd also star. Composer John Powell also returns.

If you never saw the original movie, it follows a boy named Hiccup, whose Viking kingdom is based around fearing (and hunting) dragons. Of course, their whole worldview is challenged by the friendship that forms between Hiccup and Toothless, a black dragon that is part of...

From three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation's acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes the long-awaited live-action reimagining of the film that launched that now-iconic franchise.

Following several leaks (both of the camera phone and HD variety), Universal Pictures has finally released the official teaser trailer and poster (via Toonado.com) for this gorgeous new take on the 2010 animated classic.

Neither shows off too much but both sneak peeks make it clear that Toothless will look almost exactly like he did in the previous How to Train Your Dragon movies. Every studio on the planet learned from Paramount's mistake with Sonic the Hedgehog, so this is the right move even if he doesn't look as "realistic" as House of the Dragon's far scarier beasts.

The Lion King found great success in 2019 by sticking closely to the cartoon...

The movie version of Broadway’s beloved musical Wicked has been a long time coming since the show’s opening in 2003, but it is finally here — and quite frankly, not only does it soar cinematically, it exceeds all expectations. What director Jon M. Chu does here ranks with the best movie musicals, an innovative and quite stunning take that will not disappoint even the hardest-core lovers of the stage version. And this is only Part One (more on that later).

Of course a magical descendant of one of the most celebrated movies of all time, 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz, and even before that L. Frank Baum’s immortal book(s) first published in 1900, this take was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 origin story of Elphaba and Galinda and the relationship between two BFFs whose lives go in wildly different directions in a world pre-Dorothy.

It was a wonderful day in Oz when the Wicked Witch of the West died, or so you’d think from the celebratory mood of the residents of Munchkinland. Every man, woman and child were whooping with joy, crying tears of relief, tearing down terrifying posters of the green-hued tyrant like they’d been liberated from the second coming of Stalin. Thank god that a young woman from the exotic, faraway paradise known as “Kansas” found that lethal bucket of H2O! Rejoice, you petite friends of Dorothy. The reign...

“You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart,” Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, sings to Glinda the Good at the end of the musical Wicked. For fans of the longest-running show to open on Broadway this century, it’s an apt metaphor: Over the past two decades, no musical has become quite so embedded in the DNA of theater aficionados of a certain age as this dark prequel to The Wizard of Oz.

For most of those audiences who grew up on this version of Oz, delivered through Stephen Schwartz’s delicious, rhythmically inventive songs and Winnie Holzman’s astonishingly propulsive book, Jon M. Chu’s two-part film adaptation will likely make those heart handprints glow bright. Just like Chu’s exuberant screen version of In The Heights, the first part captures the spirit of the original, a strange concoction of whimsical fairy tale and dystopian thriller,...

If you're a fan of the musical Wicked, then the new Wicked movie will make you happy. It translates the smash hit Broadway show song for song and beat for beat, even keeping dorky little oddities like the way people in Oz pronounce words all funny (e.g. "confusing" becomes "confusifying"). If you're a fan of musicals in general, then the movie will make you happy. The cast steps up, it hits the right emotional notes, and the production is a sumptuous orgy of over-stimulation for the eyes and ears.

If you don't like musicals, I doubt you'll find much to enjoy here, because Wicked refuses to water itself down to appeal to you and your kind. This is musical theater with a capital M and a capital T and a rising trilling crescendo at the end for no reason other than because that's showbiz, baby. For decades now, when...

"When you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you." But why hurt the dragons? Universal Pictures has unveiled an official teaser trailer for their live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie, following the Disney trend of turning their animated classics into "live-action" movies that feature tons of animated CGI in them anyway. The original Httyd movie opened in theaters in 2010, and it was such a huge success for DreamWorks Animation they went on to make two more sequels, with the grand finale How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World landing in 2019. The story follows a young Viking boy as he aspires to help hunt dragons, and how he becomes unexpectedly a friend of a young dragon he decides to name Toothless. From the same director as the original three animated movies. Mason Thames (from The Black Phone) stars as Hiccup, Gerard Butler as Stoick, Nico Parker as Astrid,...

I’m not crying. You’re crying! Dreamworks is turning the waterworks to full-blast today with the first teaser trailer for the studio’s live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. The preview gives us a front-row seat for the first meeting between Mason Thames‘ Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and Toothless, the elusive and adorable Night Fury dragon. The highly-anticipated film soars into theaters on June 13, 2025, turning up the summer heat with dragon fire!

In How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III discovers dragons aren’t as terrifying as the stories would have him believe. Hiccup is an outsider, so people will likely brush his opinions aside. Still, when he proves to them that dragons are misunderstood and potentially friendly, he ushers in a new era where Vikings and dragons work together to build a shared society.

Today’s How to Train Your Dragon teaser trailer depicts...

Universal Pictures has released the teaser trailer and poster for How to Train Your Dragon, the live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise. Opening in theaters on June 13, 2025, the film comes from three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed trilogy.

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon.

Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship...

Universal Pictures has debuted the first look at the upcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved movie How to Train Your Dragon!

The teaser trailer gives us our first look at Mason Thames as Hiccup and Gerard Butler as Chief Stoick the Vast, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise.

Here’s the synopsis for the movie: “On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Thames) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Butler), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (Nico Parker) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding. As an ancient threat emerges,...

Live-action remakes of beloved children's movies aren't just Disney's domain any more. DreamWorks is also getting in on the trend with "How to Train Your Dragon," a live-action adaptation of the 2010 animated film, which itself was based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. Dean DeBlois, one of the original two directors of the animated film, returned to helm this remake. Now, the first trailer for "How to Train Your Dragon" has dropped, introducing a familiar fantasy world that's been re-imagined with flesh-and-blood actors.

Mason Thames ("The Black Phone") stars as Hiccup, a 15-year-old Viking who lives in the dragon-hating village of Berk. As the son of the chieftain, Hiccup is under pressure to become a legendary dragon hunter, but instead ends up befriending a rare (and adorable) dragon called Toothless. DeBlois told Empire Magazine that the remake is "so dialled-up in terms of stakes — having a fully credible, photo-real dragon stomping around.

Universal Pictures seems to have dropped the ball on How to Train Your Dragon's marketing campaign. For whatever reason, the teaser trailer started playing in select theaters this past weekend, resulting in our first look at the movie coming in the form of blurry social media screenshots.

Snippets of footage have since found their way online, but the trailer has now leaked in its entirety...in HD! We're not sure how this happened, but it presumably means the official version is mere hours away.

There's not too much to discuss here as the focus is primarily on early scenes from the movie as Hiccup's father, Stoick, encourages him to kill dragons like the rest of his fellow Vikings. However, when he encounters Toothless, a bond is formed during a moment that recreates an iconic scene from the 2010 animated feature.

As cool as it is to see this come to life,...

Update: You can now view the HD version of the How to Train Your Dragon trailer by clicking here.

The first teaser trailer for the live-action version of DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon is currently playing in select theaters. While an online release is likely imminent, over a minute of footage has just leaked online.

It will likely be pulled down quickly but features the fateful first meeting between Hiccup and Toothless and a first look at Gerard Butler reprising his role from the animated movie as Stoick.

It doesn't appear as if the movie will veer too far away from what we saw in 2010; for some, that will come as good news and, for others, this will be 2019's The Lion King all over again.

Overall, though, the visuals look impressive and Toothless is essentially a slightly more refined version of his cartoon counterpart.

Butler recently...

London was transported to Oz Monday night for the European premiere of Jon M. Chu’s highly-anticipated Wicked (part one).

The director made his first premiere of the film’s press run (thanks to a newborn baby, he missed its L.A. debut) at the city’s Royal Festival Hall, alongside his Glinda and Elphaba, who braved the torrential U.K. rain.

An umbrella-ed duo of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — donning chiffon yellow and waist-hugging, black frocks, respectively — succeeded Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Bronwyn James and Jeff Goldblum on the fan-flanked green carpet.

“It’s been a long journey to get here,” producer Marc Platt, who has overseen Broadway’s historic run of the musical, said. “Wicked started 20-some years ago. I set out to make it as a film first. But then one of my favorite composers who inspired me as a...

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are bringing their fashion A-game to the green carpet!

The ladies posed for photos together at the latest Wicked premiere on Monday (November 18) held at The Royal Festival Hall in London, England.

For their premiere, Ariana, 31, went bright and colorful in a yellow gown while Cynthia, 37, slayed in a black structured dress with a coordinating hat.

Fellow cast members in attendance included Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum with wife Emilie Livingston, Ethan Slater, Bronwyn James, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, and Michelle Yeoh.

The stars of Wicked have been very busy these past few weeks promoting their movie all over the world.

Ariana and Cynthia have been going viral for their emotional interviews on the press tour and they’ve apologized for constantly crying while speaking about the movie.

The Wicked movie, based on the beloved Broadway musical of the same name, will be released in theaters...

Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Part One is set to defy gravity when it comes to theaters just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The first part of the musical film adaptation will compete against Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, which arrives in theaters on the same date for a combination much like the summer of 2023’s Barbenheimer.

Those hoping to stream Wicked Part One versus seeing it in the theater may have to wait a bit before the film arrives on streaming services as it will have an exclusive theatrical run at the end of this year.

For more details on where to stream Wicked Part One, read below.

When does Wicked Part One come out in theaters?

The first half of the duology hits theaters on Friday, Nov. 22 alongside Gladiator II for the phenomenon some are calling Glicked. The film was originally slated to go up against Moana 2 a week later.

Update: Empire has now shared an official look at Hiccup. Talking to the site, director Dean DeBlois says, "[The movie is] so dialled-up in terms of stakes - having a fully credible, photo-real dragon stomping around trying to kill him."

You can see the still below and, beneath that, you'll find the original leak. 

World-exclusive...

Like many a press tour, that for Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Part 1 has been building with dozens of looks for its star pair Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

As early as the 2024 Academy Awards in February, Grande, who will portray the Good Witch Glinda, and Erivo, who will portray Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, committed to wearing pink and green, respectively, or sometimes swapping colors or switching them out for others still close to character and the film. Other cast members like Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Bronwyn James, Marissa Bode and more have also worn colors alluding to the ruby red slippers, tin man, yellow brick road, etc.

From the color of their clothing to the jewelry and detailed accessories to Cynthia Erivo’s famous long nails, decorated with designs to match her outfits, find all the red carpet looks evoking Wicked Part 1 below.

The cast of “Wicked,” including stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and Michelle Yeoh, celebrated the Universal Pictures release’s Los Angeles premiere Saturday night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, walking the fittingly green carpet and posing for a buzzing line of photographers along the way.

Also in attendance were the Broadway production’s original stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the former of whom won the Tony Award 20 years ago for originated the role of Elphaba, played by Erivo in the film. Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda, played by Grande.

Longtime theater fans of the musical like Dylan Mulvaney also turned out to toast “Wicked,” as did Jennifer Lopez, “Abbott Elementary” Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sarah Paulson, Normani and many more.

Catch all the glitz and glamor in TheWrap’s red carpet premiere photo gallery below.

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande...

Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande had a difficult time flying away from their characters Elphaba and Glinda.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, the two leading women discussed how their on-screen friendship has bled into real life, becoming a cornerstone for them both. That meant wrapping the two-parter shoot was difficult to reckon with.

“I was devastated,” Erivo said when asked what it felt like to finish the Jon M. Chu-helmed production, which filmed its first and second installments back-to-back, interrupted by both stars’ separate Covid diagnoses and the actors’ strike.

Grande echoed, “The whole day was a nightmare. We cried every minute, every hour. We both were in a horrible state for a few days.”

Both actresses added that it was “really hard” to let the characters go: “I don’t think we ever truly, fully will. I think we both needed them...

Ariana Grande stars in the film adaptation of Wicked as Glinda the Good Witch.

When audiences see the movie in theaters, they will notice that the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer uses her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the film’s credits.

In a new interview, Grande shares why she changed her name for the film.

“I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me,” Grande said in an interview with The Streaming Service. “I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways, through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba. That was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10-years-old, and it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt really full circle, and it just felt like something I wanted to do.”

Wicked will be released on November 22 in the U.S.

The magical world of Oz, where you can expect the unexpected.

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season.

#WickedMovie is only in theaters November 22.

https://www.wickedmovie.com

The St. Louis screening is at the Marcus Chesterfield Cinema on Sunday, November 17 at 2pm.

Link: http://gofobo.com/EcfwX34351

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

This film is rated PG for some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material.

L to R: Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Grande is Glinda in Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin,...

Universal Pictures recently held a preview screening of Jon M. Chu's Wicked for selected critics and social media influencers, and the first social media reactions are very positive indeed.

It sounds like fans of the Broadway smash hit are in for a treat - although it's always worth keeping in mind that these initial reactions do tend to be... enthusiastic. That said, several people who saw the movie admit to being surprised by how much they ended up enjoying it.

Wicked tells the story of how a shy green-skinned woman named Elphaba becomes a cackling villain with an aversion to water we first met in The Wizard of Oz.

Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, who will ultimately become the "Wicked Witch of the West," while pop megastar Ariana Grande will play Glinda, aka "Good Witch of the East." Both actresses have come in for high praise for their performances.

Cynthia Erivo is defying gravity when it comes to keeping the debate over the “Wicked” fan-edited posters afloat.

The actress told Entertainment Tonight that she “probably should have called my friends” instead of taking to social media to slam the unauthorized image. The fan-edited poster hid Elphaba’s (Erivo) eyes under her witch’s hat in a nod to the famous ad from the original Broadway production. The faux poster was an alteration to the official Universal Pictures marketing materials in which Elphaba’s full face is on display as Glinda (Ariana Grande) whispers in her ear.

“I probably should have called my friends, but it’s fine,” Erivo said of airing her frustrations. “I’m really protective of the role. I’m passionate about it and I know the fans are passionate about it and I think for me it was just like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba,...

Wicked is nearly in theaters now, which means it’s time for critics to start weighing in on the eagerly anticipated movie adaptation of the beloved Broadway show.

The Jon M. Chu-helmed movie is being released in two parts, with Part 1 being released this coming November 22, and Part 2 in November of 2025.

The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, and Peter Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamond.

Click through to see what critics are saying so far…...

The first reactions to Wicked are coming in, and early reviews praise director Jon M. Chu and the film’s stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Universal Pictures held a preview screening and their first takes are taking over social media on National Wicked Day.

Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the original Broadway production of Wicked, saw an early screening and shared her thoughts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Counting down the days until the world sees Cynthia and Ariana in Jon M. Chu’s film… you will all be changed for the good when you see it,” Chenoweth posted.

21 years ago today we met Elphaba & Glinda at the Gershwin Theatre...

“You know, when we came into this movie we weren’t sure how much we were going to do live or not,” says Wicked director Jon M. Chu (In the Heights). “But they are the best singers in the world and so every scene they have been singing live.” The new three-minute behind the scenes featurette focuses on the musical numbers, with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo discussing why they felt it was important to sing live.

In addition to Grande and Erivo, the musical stars Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (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.

Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live...

Universal Pictures has revealed a new featurette for the highly anticipated Wicked film, which shows how the singing was recorded live on the set. For movies, the singing is usually recorded away from the set in a more controlled environment.

In the video, director Jon M. Chu says, “They are the best singers in the world, and so in every scene, they have been singing live.” Cynthia Erivo added: “We chose to sing live because it meant that we would be further connected to the words we were saying and to each other.” Ariana Grande said: “It was an immediate no-brainer for Cynthia and I. We both were like, well, of course, we’re singing live.”

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. The...

Wicked Part 1 Box Office Prediction (North America): Update ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Wicked Part 1 by Jon M Chu is a musical fantasy film set to be released in theatres next month. The long-term box office prediction for the fantasy movie is here, and it is not so shabby. The film will clash against Gladiator II, and the Ridley Scott-directed film has garnered praise from critics and influencers in the early reactions. Being a musical, the movie is in a risky spot; it can either be a hit or a miss at the box office. Keep scrolling for the deets.

There will be two movies, and this is the first part. For the unversed, it is the film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was again based on the 1995 novel by the same name. The characters are from L Frank Baum’s 1990 work,...

In celebration of Universal Pictures’ new cinematic event, based on the generation-defining Broadway musical, international superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will lead an all-star cast in a spectacular journey through Oz for their new film, Wicked.

Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked will air Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. on NBC, three days prior to the film’s worldwide release. Peacock will stream the special on Nov. 20. Wicked arrives in theaters on November 22.

Filmed on the movie’s stunning Emerald City set, stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Marissa Bode will share personal memories, intimate video diaries and reveal secrets about their personal journeys through the making of the Universal Pictures film.

Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked will also debut the world premiere of a “thrillifying” scene from the motion picture that audiences can only see in this behind-the-scenes special.

Enter our contest by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair passes to a preview of the new film Wicked on Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 1:00pm at the Mjr Troy theater!

Synopsis: Wicked tells the previously untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo 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.

About The Film

Genre: Musical Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle and Peter Dinklage Director: Jon M. Chu Screenplay: Winnie Holzman Producer: Marc Platt, David...

Cynthia Erivo is calling out a fan-edited poster for Wicked that hides her face.

Earlier in the week, Universal Pictures released a poster for the Jon M. Chu-directed film that paid homage to the poster for the Broadway musical.

The poster for the Broadway production hides Elphaba’s eyes and has her wearing red lipstick with a smirk on her face. In the poster for the film, Erivo’s eyes are visible, and she trades the red lipstick for a green one.

“The original poster is an Illustration. I am a real life human being who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer… because, without words we communicate with our eyes,” Erivo posted on her Instagram stories. “Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.

Universal Pictures’ two-part Wicked has become a highly anticipated film for the holiday seasons of 2024 and 2025.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie musical will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba with several other famous faces taking on iconic roles in the land of Oz. Wicked Part One has shifted release dates a few times to land where it now sits in November 2024, and Part Two will follow in November 2025 as of right now.

For everything else we know about Wicked, find more information and details below.

When Will Wicked Part One come out?

Wicked Part One almost went head to head with Disney’s Moana 2 on November 27, 2024, and before that, it was set to bow Christmas 2024, but it moved up a week to the Friday before Thanksgiving, November 22, 2024. Its new opponent will be Paramount’s Gladiator II starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal among others.

The countdown is officially on for Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Part 1 as tickets went on sale for the film on Oct. 9. Pink and green and good and evil are just a few of the things that will collide in the first film, which arrives in theaters Nov. 22 alongside Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.

Starring Ariana Grande as Galinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba as well as Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Marissa Bode as NessaRose, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. Peter Dinklage voices Dr. Dillamond, the goat professor.

The whole cast sings musical numbers at points, and Part Two will likely contain the latter half of the songs missing from this list. For the first half of the Wicked soundtrack, read on. The album will release when the movie comes out.

Universal Pictures has announced that Wicked tickets are on sale now! The studio has also released a new TV spot, which is the first promo that shows the highly anticipated singing in the film.

New posters for the film have debuted as well. You can view the Universal Pictures poster, the IMAX poster, and the Dolby poster by scrolling down.

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season.

The film will open in theaters on November 22 and will be followed by Wicked Part Two on November 21, 2025. It is rated PG for some scary action, thematic material, and brief suggestive material.

Featuring the musical talents from the entire cast of the film, Wicked: The Soundtrack will be released alongside the movie’s theatrical release on November 22 via Republic Records.

There’s new Wicked movie info!

First, in promotion of the movie’s tickets going on sale, Universal released a poster of Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, recreating the original Broadway poster for the show! See both posters in the gallery below.

In addition, info about the soundtrack was also just released!

Keep reading to find out more…

If you don’t know, Wicked is being separated into two films. Part 1 is being released next month, and the track listing for the first movie was just released.

We’re here to tell you that there are no new songs in the first movie and no songs were cut from the Broadway production. The songs are also in the exact same order as the Broadway musical.

The track listing also seemingly confirms what fans have been speculating: Part 1 will end with Elphaba’s big number, “Defying Gravity,...

"Something bad is happening in Oz..." Here's a new TV spot for Wicked, which is finally opening in two months from now. While most of the trailers have focused on the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda, since both of them are needed to sell this movie, this spot is actually different. It begins with the connection we all know from The Wizard of Oz - "before she was called 'wicked'" - as in the Wicked Witch of the West.