User:J·B·D/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wicked is an American fantasy media franchise inspired by L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with elements also based on the 1939 film adaptation by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It originated with the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, an adult-oriented revision of Baum's mythology that depicts the evolution of protagonist Elphaba Thropp into the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire followed the novel with five additional books as part of The Wicked Years, while also writing a spin-off trilogy known as Another Day that was released from 2021 to 2023.
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt Productions (stage musical, films)
| Wicked | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Gregory Maguire |
| Original work | Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) |
| Owners | HarperCollins (books) Universal Pictures and Marc Platt Productions (stage musical, films) |
| Years | 1995–present |
| Based on |
|
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | Film tie-ins:
|
| Novel(s) | The Wicked Years series:
Another Day trilogy:
|
| Comics | Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part I (2025) |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Television special(s) |
|
| Theatrical presentations | |
| Musical(s) | Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz (2003) |
| Games | |
| Traditional | Wicked: The Game (2024) Monopoly: Wicked Edition (2024) |
| Video game(s) | Wicked RP on Roblox (2024) |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) |
|
| Original music |
|
| Miscellaneous | |
| Toy(s) | Mattel dolls Lego sets |
| Theme park attraction(s) | Wicked: The Experience (2024–present) Universal Mega Movie Summer (2025) |
| Official website | |
Universal Pictures was to produce a feature film adaptation of the first Wicked novel after receiving the rights from Maguire in the late-1990s,[1] but it was soon redeveloped as a stage musical, Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, with Marc Platt as co-producer, Winnie Holzman as book writer, and Stephen Schwartz as lyricist and composer. The musical toned down the adult content of Maguire's novel and made several story changes to broaden its audience appeal, most notably by highlighting Elphaba's friendship with Galinda Upland / Glinda the Good and the consequences both of their actions have on the Land of Oz. The Wicked musical opened on Broadway in October 2003, with its original cast featuring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and has since become the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the second-highest-grossing stage musical of all time.[2]
The success of the Wicked musical inspired a film adaptation of its own, which was split into two parts — Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025) — to further develop the story and characters. Universal, Platt, Holzman, and Schwartz all returned to work on the films, with Jon M. Chu directing and the ensemble cast led by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande[a] as Glinda. The first film was released in November 2024 to critical and commercial success, winning two Academy Awards and becoming the highest-grossing Oz film and highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time. The second film is due for release in November 2025, and the overall adaptation has become a pop culture phenomenon in its own right,[3][4] generating various merchandise and franchise expansions.
Background
Novels
The Wicked Years
The Wicked Years tetralogy — consisting of Wicked (1995), Son of a Witch (2005), A Lion Among Men (2008), and Out of Oz (2011) — is targeted toward mature audiences and presents a darker, cynical version of the Land of Oz than depicted by L. Frank Baum or previous adaptations. They explore social issues such as discrimination against sentient Animals and racial tensions between various ethnic groups in Oz. Many of the protagonists from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are shown either as antagonists or neutral parties.
- The first novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, details the life of the infamous villain from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, whose birth name is given here as Elphaba Thropp. It covers Elphaba's social ostracism stemming from her green skin, her schooling years with Galinda Upland, her radicalization following the persecution of Animals throughout Oz, and her final years before being vanquished by Dorothy Gale.
- Son of a Witch follows Liir, the son of Elphaba and Fiyero, over a decade-long period after the first novel, wherein he searches for his long-lost half-sister, Nor.
- A Lion Among Men details the lives of both the Cowardly Lion (here given the name Brrr) and the oracle Yackle, who was introduced in the first novel and has an inexplicable connection to Elphaba.
- The fourth and final novel, Out of Oz, follows the exploits of Liir's daughter, Rain, as Oz is thrown into war.
Outside of the tetralogy, The Wicked Years also includes Tales Told in Oz (2012), a short story collection exploring the folklore of Oz; and Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (2025), a prequel focused on Elphaba's childhood. In March 2025, William Morrow Paperbacks published the first volume of a graphic novel adaptation of Wicked, with illustrations by Scott Hampton.[5]
Another Day trilogy
In 2021, Maguire continued the story of The Wicked Years with a sequel series called Another Day, following Rain and her adventures in a new land known as Maracoor. The first book, The Brides of Maracoor, sees Rain join the titular brides, a flagellant community of quasi-nuns who spend their days weaving "the nets of time".[6] A second book, The Oracle of Maracoor, was published in 2022, and the final book, The Witch of Maracoor, was published in October 2023.[7]
Stage musical
While vacationing in 1996, composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz came across Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and saw the potential in a dramatic adaptation.[8] At the time, the novel's rights were in the hands of Universal Pictures, which intended to develop a feature film.[9] After those plans fell short, Schwartz persuaded Universal and then-head of production Marc Platt on adapting the novel for the stage instead, to which they agreed with David Stone additionally joining as co-producer.[9][10]
Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman developed the plot outline over the course of a year.[11] While the musical retained much of the characters, story, and thematic elements from Maguire's novel, several changes were made to make it more digestible for general audiences, rather than the adult demographic the novel was originally intended for.[10] Greater emphasis was placed on the relationship between Elphaba and her roommate Galinda (later known as Glinda), with Schwartz stating: "Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda—who becomes Glinda—and Elphaba... the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies." Other modifications included Fiyero becoming the Scarecrow; Boq becoming the Tin Woodman and his feelings for Glinda continuing beyond their time at Shiz; Doctor Dilamond being fired instead of murdered; and Madame Morrible going to prison instead of dying. Notable omissions included Elphaba's time in the Vinkus, Fiyero's wife and children, and Elphaba and Fiyero's child, Liir.
By 2002, a crew had been assembled for the musical: Joe Mantello as director, Wayne Cilento as choreographer, Eugene Lee as set designer, Susan Hilferty as costume designer, and Kenneth Posner as lighting designer. Kristin Chenoweth and Stephanie J. Block portrayed Glinda and Elphaba in the developmental workshops before the latter was replaced by Idina Menzel. Tryouts were held at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in the spring of 2003,[12] and the mixed critical reaction resulted in modifications to the book and songs. Broadway previews began at the Gershwin Theatre on October 8, before the musical officially premiered on October 30.
Films
Proposed adaptations
In the 1990s, actress Demi Moore won a bidding war to produce (through her company Moving Pictures) and star in a feature film adaptation of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, with Universal Pictures assisting in the purchase of rights from Gregory Maguire. Other actresses who expressed interest in adapting the novel included Whoopi Goldberg, Claire Danes, Salma Hayek, and Laurie Metcalf, and they had also been considered for the roles of Elphaba and Glinda along with Michelle Pfeiffer, Emma Thompson, and Nicole Kidman. Despite the project attaching Linda Woolverton as screenwriter, it failed to move forward after unsuccessfully courting a director (with Robert Zemeckis considered at one point) and Universal deeming its estimated budget of $35–37 million "implausible". Stephen Schwartz soon persuaded Universal to adapt the novel for the stage, and Marc Platt took over as producer after Moore departed from the project.[1]
In a 2009 interview, Maguire revealed he had once again sold the novel's rights to ABC,[13] which announced a miniseries adaptation of Wicked independent from the musical in January 2011. It was to be produced by Salma Hayek and her production company, though no further developments were announced.[14]
Two-part film series
| Film | U.S. release date | Directed by | Screenplay by | Produced by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked | November 22, 2024 | Jon M. Chu | Winnie Holzman[b] Dana Fox |
Marc Platt David Stone |
Released |
| Wicked: For Good | November 21, 2025 | Post-production |
Wicked (2024)
Following the success of the Universal-distributed Les Misérables (an adaptation of the 1980 musical and 1862 novel), Marc Platt announced a feature film adaptation of the Wicked musical had entered development. Talks had begun in June 2009, with candidates including Lea Michele, Amy Adams, and original stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as leads; Holzman and Schwartz returning as writers; and J. J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy as directors.[16] In June 2016, Universal announced Stephen Daldry to be directing the film and issued a tentative release date of December 20, 2019.[17]
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
_-_Adam_James_(54098200278)_(cropped).jpg)
_(Cropped).jpg)
.png)
Scheduling conflicts, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the film industry, resulted in a delay to December 22, 2021,[18] before the film was removed from Universal's release schedule in April 2020; Daldry exited the project later in October.[19][20] In February 2021, Jon M. Chu was announced as the film's new director.[21] Production staff that joined in the following years included Schwartz, Holzman, Dana Fox (who also co-wrote the script with Holzman), David Nicksay, and Jared LeBoff as executive producers; Alice Brooks as cinematographer (in her and Chu's second collaboration, following the In the Heights film adaptation);[22] Nathan Crowley as production designer;[23] Paul Tazewell as costume designer;[24] and John Powell as score composer.
In November, singer-actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were cast as Elphaba and Glinda. Jonathan Bailey joined as Fiyero in September 2022, and Jeff Goldblum joined as the Wizard in December; that same month, supporting roles were given to Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, newcomer Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael. Peter Dinklage joined as Dr. Dilamond in April 2024.
Principal photography began on December 9, 2022, at the newly-built Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, England. Filming was set to wrap in July 2023 before the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike forced a hiatus until November. Filming resumed and concluded between January 24 and 26, 2024. Production was done with heavy use of large-scale practical sets, including nine million tulips planted around the Munchkinland set, a yellow brick road paved with real mud, and a life-sized train to the Emerald City. Visual effects were handled by Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore, while editing was done by Myron Kerstein (in his and Chu's third collaboration) using Avid Media Composer. Post-production was completed by September 2024.
The film, officially titled on-screen as Wicked: Part I, held its world premiere at the State Theatre in Sydney on November 3, before releasing in the United States on November 22. It grossed $756.2 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2024 and dethroning Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) and Mamma Mia! (2008) as the highest-grossing Oz film and highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical, respectively. Critical reception was positive, with praise for Chu's direction, the production values, and performances of the cast; the film has since appeared in lists of the best musical and fantasy films of the 21st century.[c]
Wicked: For Good (2025)
.jpg)
On April 26, 2022, Chu announced the decision to split the film adaptation in two parts, stating:
As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of 'Wicked' into a single film without doing some real damage to it ... As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one 'Wicked' movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of 'Wicked' as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.[30]
Schwartz echoed Chu's sentiment in June, while also confirming a new song was in the works for one of the two parts:
We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break ... That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic ... Even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate. What we have discussed is that changes need to be 'additive', to use (producer) Marc Platt's term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can't just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it's better for the movie.[31]
In November 2022, Schwartz revealed the second film would include two new songs "to meet the demands of the storytelling."[32] The 60-second "first look" at Wicked that aired during Super Bowl LVII in February 2024 included brief clips of scenes from the second film, namely Glinda's wedding and the Wizard sending Dorothy and her party to capture Elphaba.[33][34] Chu prioritized finishing post-production on the first film in order to understand how the second would continue the story. The process had resumed by November 2024, and the following month, the film — which had tentatively been branded Wicked Part Two — was officially titled Wicked: For Good, sharing its subtitle with the musical's penultimate number.[35] Its first trailer was attached to a one-night, limited theatrical re-release of Wicked on June 4, 2025, before being uploaded online shortly thereafter.[36] The film is currently due for release on November 21, 2025.
Possible future installments
In November 2024, Schwartz and Holzman revealed they had discussed the possibility of "something" more associated with the Wicked film adaptation, but that it would not necessarily be a Wicked Part Three or Four.[37]
Television specials
A Very Wicked Halloween (2018)
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the musical's premiere on Broadway, NBC aired a concert special, A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway, on October 29, 2018. Taped live from the Marquis Theatre in New York, the event was hosted by original stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth and featured performances of the musical's songs by its current Broadway company, alongside Ariana Grande (who eventually portrayed Glinda in the films), Pentatonix, Adam Lambert, and Ledisi.[38][39]
Wicked in Concert (2021)
PBS aired a Wicked concert special, once again hosted by Menzel and Chenoweth, on August 29, 2021. Performers included Cynthia Erivo (who eventually portrayed Elphaba in the films), Ariana DeBose, Gavin Creel, Ali Stroker, Amber Riley, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Nettles, Stephanie Hsu, Alex Newell, Isaac Cole Powell and Gabrielle Ruiz.[40]
Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked (2024)
A behind-the-scenes television special, Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, aired on NBC on November 19, 2024, to promote the first Wicked film. It featured interviews with the cast and crew as well as the premiere of the film's entire "What is This Feeling?" sequence, which was later released on YouTube in conjunction with the film's theatrical release on November 22.[41]
Wicked: One Wonderful Night (2025)
A two-hour musical television special, featuring cast members and guests performing songs from Wicked and Wicked: For Good live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, is scheduled to air on NBC on November 6, 2025, and will stream the next day on Peacock.[42][43]
Music
Musical
The score for Wicked, on top of more closely resembling an opera rather than a traditional stage musical, relies heavily on thematic leitmotifs. Stephen Schwartz composed two prominent motifs heard throughout the musical — a theme for Elphaba and another that came to be known as "Unlimited". Elphaba's theme was written by Schwartz in 1971, and is orchestrated with varying instruments to reflect the evolving mood of the story. For instance, heavy brass and percussion in the overture transform the motif into what Schwartz described as "a giant shadow terrorizing you", but piano and electric bass turn the same motif into the backbone for the romantic duet "As Long As You're Mine". The "Unlimited" motif generally serves as an interlude between scenes, but is heard prominently in sections of "The Wizard and I" and "Defying Gravity". It interpolates the first seven notes of the song "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz film.[44]
Films
.jpg)
In July 2024, it was announced that John Powell had composed the incidental underscore for Wicked and Wicked: For Good. Jeff Atmajian updated the late William David Brohn's original orchestrations for the songs and enlarged the orchestra from the stage musical's original 23 musicians to 125 for the films.[45] Recording sessions took place at AIR Studios in London,[46] with the musical's original music director Stephen Oremus conducting song cues and Powell conducting the incidental score alongside Gavin Greenaway, all with the London Symphony Orchestra. Greg Wells, Oremus, and Schwartz served as music producers.[47][48][49] In January 2025, production on the orchestral tracks for Wicked: For Good was halted after a home studio belonging to Wells was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.[50]
Soundtracks
| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Composer | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked: The Soundtrack | November 22, 2024 | 53:58 | Stephen Schwartz | Universal Studios Republic Verve |
| Wicked: The Original Motion Picture Score | December 6, 2024 | 78:44 | John Powell Stephen Schwartz |
Republic Verve |
| Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack | November 21, 2025 | TBA | Stephen Schwartz | Universal Studios Republic Verve |
Cast members
Original musical casts
Film cast
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
- An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
- A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
- C indicates a cameo role.
- U indicates an uncredited appearance.
- V indicates a voice-only role.
- Y indicates a younger version of the character.
| Character | Films | |
|---|---|---|
| Wicked | Wicked: For Good | |
| Elphaba Thropp Wicked Witch of the West |
Cynthia Erivo Karis MusongoleY |
Cynthia Erivo |
| Galinda Upland Glinda the Good[d] |
Ariana Grande[a] | |
| Fiyero Tigelaar |
Jonathan Bailey | |
| Madame Morrible | Michelle Yeoh | |
| Nessarose Thropp |
Marissa Bode Cesily Collette TaylorY |
Marissa Bode |
| Boq Woodsman |
Ethan Slater | |
| The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | Jeff Goldblum | |
| Doctor Dillamond | Peter DinklageV | |
| Pfannee | Bowen Yang | |
| Shenshen | Bronwyn James | |
| Miss Coddle | Keala Settle | |
| Avaric | Aaron Teoh | |
| Gilligan | Grecia de la Paz | |
| Professor Nikidik | Colin Michael Carmichael | |
| Galinda's Popsicle | Adam James | |
| Galinda's Momsie | Alice Fearn | |
| Governor Thropp | Andy Nyman | |
| Mrs. Thropp | Courtney-Mae Briggs | |
| Dulcibear | Sharon D. ClarkeV | |
| Chistery | Robin Guiver | |
| Dorothy Gale | TBAU | TBA |
| Cowardly Lion | TBAV | |
| Emerald City Guard | Stephen SchwartzC | |
| Shiz President | Shaun Prendergast | |
| Shiz Librarian | Cherida Strallen | |
| Emerald City Train Conductor | Clive Kneller | |
| Fiyero's Horse[e] | Stephen StantonV | TBAV |
| Wolf Doctor | Jenna BoydV | |
| Wiz-O-Mania Superstar 1 | Idina MenzelC | |
| Wiz-O-Mania Superstar 2 | Kristin ChenowethC | |
| Wiz-O-Mania Narrator | Michael McCorry RoseC | |
| Snow Leopard | Tom KitelyV | |
| Piebald Deer | Elizabeth DulauV | |
| Tamarin/Owl | Kim DurhamV | |
| Birds | Jennifer WoodwardV | |
Additional production details
Musical
| Crew/Detail[63][64] | |
|---|---|
| Director | Joe Mantello |
| Choreographer | Wayne Cilento |
| Set designer | Eugene Lee |
| Costume designer | Susan Hilferty |
| Lighting designer | Kenneth Posner |
| Sound designer | Tony Meola |
| Orchestrator | William David Brohn |
| Musical director | Stephen Oremus |
| Production companies | Universal Stage Productions Marc Platt Productions The Araca Group |
| Running time | 165 minutes (with intermission) |
Films
| Crew/Detail | Wicked | Wicked: For Good |
|---|---|---|
| Composer | John Powell Stephen Schwartz | |
| Songwriter(s) | Stephen Schwartz | Stephen Schwartz Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba's new song) |
| Cinematographer | Alice Brooks | |
| Production design | Nathan Crowley Lee Sandales | |
| Editor | Myron Kerstein | |
| Costume designer | Paul Tazewell | |
| Sound | Simon Hayes Andy Nelson Nancy Nugent Title John Marquis | |
| Orchestrators | Jeff Atmajian Jonathan Beard Edward Trybek Henri Wilkinson | |
| Music directors | Stephen Oremus (songs) Gavin Greenaway and John Powell (score) | |
| Choreographer | Christopher Scott | |
| Production companies | Universal Pictures Marc Platt Productions | |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures | |
| Running time | 160 minutes | TBA |
Reception
Commercial performance
Musical
The original Broadway production of Wicked has regularly grossed over $1.6 million each week since its premiere at the Gershwin Theatre in 2003.[65][66] It has broken several weekly box-office records, most recently during the week of December 23–29, 2024, when it became the first-ever Broadway show to gross over $5 million in a single week—an achievement partly attributed to the success of the first Wicked film.[67] The musical celebrated its celebrated its 7,486th performance on on April 11, 2023, surpassing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats as the fourth-longest-running Broadway show in history,[68] and has grossed over $1.7 billion as of August 2025, trailing behind The Lion King as the second-highest-grossing musical on Broadway.
Other productions of the musical have achieved similar success: the West End production surpassed 6,512 performances in September 2023,[69] while the Australian production surpassed 1,000 in May 2011.[70]
Films
| Film | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Budget | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories | Worldwide | U.S. and Canada | All-time worldwide | |||
| Wicked | $473,231,120 | $283,304,561 | $756,535,681 | 26 | 129 | $150,000,000 | [71] |
| Wicked: For Good | [to be determined] | [to be determined] | [to be determined] | [to be determined] | [to be determined] | $150,000,000 | N/a |
Critical and public reception
The Wicked Years
The four main novels in The Wicked Years have each received a mixed-to-positive reception, commended for Maguire's complex worldbuilding and sociopolitical commentary but criticized for a perceived lack of focus.
Musical
Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz initially received mixed reviews upon its San Fransisco and Broadway premieres. While audience reception was positive and the performances of the cast were praised (particularly that of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth), mainstream critics found the show to lack substance despite its lavish presentation, and were rejective of aspects such as the score, book, and choreography.[f]
Films
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked | 88% (393 reviews)[79] | 73[80] | A |
| Wicked: For Good | [to be determined] | [to be determined] | [to be determined] |
Accolades
Musical
The original Broadway production of Wicked led with ten nominations at the 58th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won three: Best Actress in a Musical (Idina Menzel), Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee), and Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty). The show also won six Drama Desk Awards (including for Outstanding Musical), a Drama League Award, five Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
Films
Wicked made history as the first fantasy film and second musical film after Moulin Rouge! (2001) to win the National Board of Review Award for Best Film, atop a win for Best Director (Jon M. Chu) and a Spotlight Award recognizing the creative collaboration between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.[81] It was also named by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2024.
Other notable awards Wicked received throughout the 2024–25 awards season included the Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Director (Chu), Best Production Design (Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales), and Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell); and repeat wins for Crowley, Sandales, and Tazewell in their respective categories at the British Academy Film Awards and Academy Awards.
Merchandise and other media
Shiz University website
With the release of the first film's trailer on May 15, 2024, an interactive website for Shiz University was launched, allowing fans to apply for a semester at the college before August 15. That September, influencers on various social media platforms began sharing their Shiz "acceptance packages", containing a personalized acceptance letter from Madame Morrible herself, a campus map, a newspaper (reporting "Prince Fiyero spotted at Shiz"), a pin, and a university jumper. Others who applied received their acceptance letters via email, with those applying late for the college being denied admission.
The website was updated with the release of the Wicked: For Good trailer in June 2025, replacing the links to the college's various locations with an audio recording of Madame Morrible's propaganda speech from the end of the first film and a ticker tape urging visitors to report any "suspicious witch activity" to Morrible and the Wizard. Dr. Dillamond's classroom page was also updated to replace the lecture of Oz's history on the chalkboard with the phrase "Animals should be seen and not heard", a reference to the character's fate in the first film.[82]
Roblox tie-in
In October 2024, Universal partnered with online game platform Roblox to create the online community Wicked RP, where players could explore the films' setting and dress up as the characters.[83] The community also hosted a "Sing-Along" event, perk giveaways, and a New Year's Eve party based on the Ozdust Ballroom scene.[84][85]
Theme park attractions
Meet and greets
Elphaba and Glinda appear at the Universal Destinations & Experiences as meetable characters. They made their debut at Wicked: The Experience at Universal Orlando in November 2024 and are also a part of Universal Studios Hollywood's "Mega Movie Summer," which will run throughout the summer of 2025.[86][87]
Potential future attractions
In February 2025, The New York Times reported that Universal Destinations & Experiences was in early development on creating attractions based on the Wicked films, with parks of interest including the newly-opened Epic Universe at Universal Orlando and the forthcoming Universal Studios Great Britain.[88][89]
Cultural impact
Numerous television series have directly referenced the songs and characters of Wicked, ranging from prime time programs such as Brothers & Sisters,[90] Rules of Engagement, The War at Home, Ugly Betty,[91] South Park,[92] and Glee,[93] to the daytime soap opera Passions, and even the anime series Red Garden.[94] Nods to the stage show also exist in the satirical musicals The Book of Mormon and Twisted,[95] the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics,[96] and the children's program My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.[97]
The two-part film adaptation has brought a resurgence in popularity for the musical while becoming its own cultural phenomenon. The first film drew approval from various entertainers, filmmakers and public figures, including Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (the originating actresses for Elphaba and Glinda),[98][99][100][99] Lorna Luft (one of the daughters of Judy Garland, who portrayed Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz),[101] Carol Kane and Sheryl Lee Ralph (who portrayed Madame Morrible on Broadway and in Los Angeles, respectively),[102][103] Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Joe Dante, Adam McKay, Sean Baker,[g] Mark Hamill, Paul Mescal, Ryan Reynolds, Kieran Culkin, Fernanda Torres, Millie Bobby Brown, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift.[h]
See also
Notes
- Grande is credited on-screen with her full name, "Ariana Grande-Butera".