There are those out there who believe John M. Chu’s “Wicked: Part One” could contend for Oscars, including Best Picture. I’ve always been skeptical about its awards prospects, but that hasn’t stopped the film from cracking the top 20 in Gold Derby’s Best Picture rankings, where it currently sits at #17.
Regardless, here comes news that the $150M costing film clocks in at 2 hours 40 minutes (via Fandango), and that’s just part one. The second chapter will be released on November 26, 2025. Such ambition, and chutzpah, on the part of Chu. This is a full-on musical, although Universal hid that well in the trailer.
“Wicked” is an adaptation of Holzman and Schwartz's ultra popular Broadway musical of the same name, which uses characters from “The Wizard of Oz.” The film version stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh in supporting roles. It’s set for release on November 22.