Wicked fans probably had a rough idea of how things were going to play out in the second half of Elphaba's (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda’s (Ariana Grande) story in Wicked: For Good. One detail that had evaded eagle-eyed fans until the final scene, however, was the final scene itself. Imitating the iconic poster for the original musical, we see Galinda whisper something in Elphaba’s ear, paying homage to what had come before. According to director Jon M. Chu, it was an essential shot that had always been on the cards for the story's closing chapter, and one he was determined to keep secret. The moment came at risk of being spoiled, though, thanks to the marketing department, which had plans for the scene itself.

“Yes. It was always the plan. I was always going to end on the whisper,” Chu explained to Variety. “Do you know how hard it was to force Universal to never use it in any marketing material? They even had a poster of it for the first movie, and I was like, ‘Why are we releasing this poster? We should never acknowledge the whisper. Never. Never.’”

The plan was to never even hint at the iconic image, so as to send audiences off the path (or the yellow brick road) for the time it would be used. “I wanted it to feel like we didn’t care about it, then suddenly it’s the last shot in For Good. So the studio never saw that final shot. I imposed a huge thing: ‘Do not show this shot!’ They wanted it so badly.”

The poster's history is unusual because the image it depicts never appeared in the original musical, making it even more impressive that Chu included it in his adaptation. “That poster is one of the most brilliant posters ever made. You don’t know what Glinda’s saying, because they never actually do that in the musical. But it’s sort of the key to friendship. That we have these secrets,” Chu said.

Regarding the whisper in the film, even he has been kept in the dark by his two stars from Oz. “And the girls got to choose what they are actually saying in the scene. I don’t even know what they said.” Maybe we’ll find out what was said, given that Universal is already considering heading back over the rainbow for more sequels. For more, check out our Wicked: For Good ending explained, or check out our list of movie release dates.

James Cameron says he almost directed Wicked some 15 years ago – though he's not the only director who threw his hat in the ring.

"I almost made Wicked," Cameron revealed on The Town with Matthew Belloni. "I really love the story. The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorites. This is going back 15 years. I couldn't find the song."

Up until its massively successful release in 2024, Universal had been trying to make a Wicked movie since the 1990s. And because this well before the stage musical came to be, it would've been a straight adaptation of the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – without any music at all. At one point, Robert Zemeckis was attached to direct, followed by Broadway director Stephen Daldry, before eventually landing in Jon M. Chu's lap circa 2021.

The film, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, was a massive worldwide success, earning $750 at the global box office. The sequel, which adapts the second half of the musical, is on track to surpass that number, earning a whopping $223 million in its opening weekend against a budget of $150 million.

While the previous Wicked movie focused on Elphaba and Glinda's unlikely friendship, the events of the new film bring us right into that fateful scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy dumps that bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West (and yes, we do see it in the film).

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now. For more, check out our Wicked: For Good ending explained, or check out our list of movie release dates.

Legendary – and frequently outspoken – director Quentin Tarantino has unveiled the first half of his best 21st Century movies list, but it comes with a hot take so nuclear that I feel like my face is melting off, Ark of the Covenant style.

Speaking on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino began his top 20 with Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of musical West Side Story – a critically acclaimed darling that was nominated for Best Picture and netted a Best Supporting Actress win for Ariana DeBose at the 94th Academy Awards.

"This is the one where Steven shows he still has it," Tarantino remarked (H/T Variety). "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century].”

An eyebrow-raising take, for sure – even if you're a major supporter of West Side Story (unfortunately, audiences didn't exactly flock to the cinema in their droves, with it grossing only $76 million).

For his part, Martin Scorsese has released multiple films that have become modern classics in the past quarter-of-a-century. His full 21st Century filmography is: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Hugo, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

In terms of pure crowd-pleasing excitement, it might be hard to argue with Tarantino's take, but the jury is still out for those who champion Scorsese's work.

If you were curious, the rest of Tarantino's ordered list so far (with the next 10 being revealed in the next episode) include: Cabin Fever, Moneyball, Chocolate, The Devil's Rejects, The Passion of the Christ, School of Rock, Jackass: The Movie, Big Bad Wolves, and Battle Royale.

Next up for Tarantino is a maximalist re-release of Kill Bill, titled The Whole Bloody Affair. The remaster packages together both Kill Bill parts into one ultra-long cut, including a "never-before-seen" anime sequence.

For more, check out our ranking of the best Tarantino movies.

After Wicked: For Good (unsurprisingly) had a massively successful opening weekend, it seems that more sequels set in the Land of Oz could very well be on the way.

"Because of Wicked’s success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe," Universal's chief marketing officer Michael Moses told Vulture. "Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway."

The sequel to Jon M. Chu's 2024 Oscar-nominated musical adaptation brought in a whopping $223 million in its opening weekend ...against a budget of $150 million. Wicked earned around $750 million at the global box office, and Wicked: For Good is on track to surpass that.

Though For Good has been a big hit with fans, the second installment currently sits at a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a 20% drop from the first film, which still sits at 88%. Based on the third act of the successful Broadway musical, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to star as Elphaba and Glinda, two unlikely best friends who are forced apart after Elphaba defies the Wizard of Oz's regime and is condemned as the Wicked Witch of the West. The events of the film bring us right into that fateful scene in The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy pours a bucket of water on the Witch.

Because there's quite literally an entire land of Oz to explore, there are – from a marketing standpoint – many more movies to be made. Personally, I'll take a John Wick-style solo spin-off about Ethan Slater's Tin Man.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now. For more, check out our Wicked: For Good ending explained, or, check out our list of movie release dates.

Like its predecessor, Wicked: For Good makes a lot of changes to the Broadway musical it's based on. That's not a huge surprise, considering Act Two is just one hour long, and For Good is over twice the length.

If you're wondering just what these changes are, though, then look no further. Below, we've rounded up the nine biggest differences between Wicked: For Good and the Broadway show, so you can get up to speed at a glance. Naturally, that means there will be spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you haven't seen the film yet!

If you are up to date, then head down the yellow brick road and to our guide below, featuring all the biggest changes Wicked: For Good makes to Wicked Act Two. For even more, check out our Wicked: For Good ending explained for a detailed breakdown of the finale.

The biggest differences between Wicked: For Good and the Broadway show

The opening

Wicked: For Good begins with a medley of sorts of Part One's songs as we're reintroduced to Oz, including a brief reprise of 'What is this Feeling' and Elphaba's "unlimited" line from 'Defying Gravity' and 'The Wizard and I.' In the stage show, Act Two jumps straight into the 'Thank Goodness' scene, which here comes later.

Glinda's childhood

We get a window into Glinda's childhood when a flashback shows that the youngster couldn't channel any magic of her own, despite being gifted a wand at her birthday party. We see her talent for bending the truth and putting on a show when she pretends to have summoned a rainbow outside with her attempts at a spell, too. We don't get any insight into Glinda's childhood in the show, however.

'No Place Like Home'

The first of two new songs, 'No Place Like Home' sees Elphaba explain to the animals escaping Oz via a tunnel beneath the yellow brick road why she wants to save the land, despite it never loving her. It's a powerful ballad interrupted by the Cowardly Lion, who has a bone to pick with Elphaba. None of this happens in the stage show and the song is a brand new addition. Of course, the title is a call back to Dorothy's famous catchphrase: when she clicks her heels three times and says the magic words, she is transported home to Kansas.

Nessarose

In the musical, Elphaba goes to visit her sister Nessarose and uses the Grimmerie to enchant the silver slippers, which allows Nessarose to walk. In the movie, this is changed to Elphaba making Nessarose fly – and as she does, her silver shoes heat up and turn red, in a nod to the 1939 movie.

This particular change was made to avoid harmful disability representation. "I obviously don't speak for all people with disabilities, and I know that some things like chronic pain exist. My partner deals with that and she has said before, 'I wish I did not have this.' But in general, I think a lot of non-disabled people already have the preconceived idea that all disabled people want to be fixed," Nessarose actor Marissa Bode said at the ReelAbilities Film Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Portraying something like that in something as big as Wicked can have negative effects. The amount of times still that I am pitied because people think I am lesser than for sitting in a wheelchair or that I am not living a happy life because I am in a wheelchair – that I should be fixed or that I need to be prayed over – has been extremely uncomfortable."

'Wonderful'

In For Good, Glinda, the Wizard, and Elphaba all dance through 'Wonderful' together, and Elphaba is tempted back to the Emerald City by a combination of her only friend and the Wizard. In the Broadway musical, this scene plays out just with Elphaba and the Wizard, until Doctor Dillamond arrives and Elphaba realizes he can no longer speak. In the film, Elphaba finds many animals locked in cages, hidden out of sight. One of those is Doctor Dillamond, who has lost the ability to talk.

Glinda's wedding

While Glinda and Fiyero are engaged in the stage show, they don't get far enough to attempt an actual wedding. In For Good, however, they get all the way down the aisle and are about to seal the deal when the animals escape from the Wizard's imprisonment with help from Elphaba. They rampage through the wedding and Fiyero is pulled away to deal with the disturbance, which puts the wedding on pause. Then, Fiyero decides to run away with Elphaba… which means the wedding is called off entirely. Poor Glinda.

'Girl in the Bubble'

The second new song of the movie, 'Girl in the Bubble' sees Glinda wrestle with her charmed but false life as a member of the Wizard's regime. Like 'No Place Like Home,' this song is a brand new number written just for the movie and doesn't appear in the show.

The Grimmerie

At the very end of For Good, the Grimmerie opens for Glinda, meaning she does have her own magic after all. In the show, this doesn't happen, and Glinda never discovers any kind of magical power. But, in Gregory Maguire's books, Glinda does have her own magic, so this change brings the character more in line with her novel counterpart (and of course, in L. Frank Baum's original novel and in the 1939 movie, she is a magical witch in her own right).

The whisper

The iconic poster for the Broadway show features Glinda whispering in Elphaba's ear, with one hand up to shield the good witch's mouth. While a poster for Part One recreated the pose, it never happened in the film itself. However, the end of Part Two features a flashback to Glinda, Elphaba, Nessarose, Fiyero, and Boq in a poppy field, a reference to the poppies that put the Shiz class to sleep in Part One, as well as the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz that lures Dorothy and her friends to sleep. The very last scene of For Good is Glinda leaning over to whisper something in Elphaba's ear, recreating the famous poster. This scene, which we see pieces of throughout Part Two and even a glimpse of in Part One, is not in the Broadway show.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to the Wicked Part One ending explained or our guide to all the most exciting movie release dates.

Wicked: For Good has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's significantly lower than the first movie.

The musical sequel currently holds a score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 118 reviews ahead of its release later this week. By comparison, 2024's Wicked: Part One has a score of 88% – a drop of 19% in the reception of the two films.

Our own Wicked: For Good review gave the movie four stars, with our reviewer noting that "a darker and sadder Part 2 brings the story of Oz's witches to a moving close and cements Jon M. Chu's adaptation of Wicked as an absolute triumph," although "For Good suffers slightly from thinner source material and weak new songs."

Not everyone was as positive, though. "Ultimately director Jon M. Chu’s more-is-more approach has a numbing effect, the endless spectacle leaving little room for nuance, depth or genuine feeling," reads Screen Daily's review, while The Independent says the movie "has little sense of movement, literally or emotionally – no profound revelations, no wonder or spectacle. All that's to be done now is for each character to process, via standardised ballad, what they've learned."

However, RogerEbert.com writes, "The songs may not be as catchy this time around, but Wicked: For Good really sings where it counts: with the emotional ache of the fractured friendship at the story's core."

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to star as Elphaba and Glinda, two unlikely best friends who are forced apart after Elphaba defies the Wizard of Oz's regime and is condemned as the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie adapts the second act of the hit Broadway show and incorporates the events of The Wizard of Oz, too – although Elphaba and Glinda remain the focus of the film.

Wicked: For Good flies into theaters on November 21. In the meantime, refresh your memory with our guide to the Wicked: Part One ending explained, or look ahead to the rest of this year's biggest movie release dates.

Wicked left the world on tenterhooks when it ended with Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, the newly crowned (or hatted) Wicked Witch of the West, defying gravity and soaring into the sunset to continue her fight against the Wizard of Oz from the shadows. A year later, her story picks up again in Wicked: For Good, a much darker, more emotional Part Two that builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, though isn't quite as captivating as its predecessor.

After her dramatic exit from the Emerald City, all of Oz has been turned against Elphaba thanks to a ruthless propaganda campaign spearheaded by Michelle Yeoh's coldly devious Madame Morrible. While Jeff Goldblum's Wizard continues to pull strings from behind his curtain, the smiling face of Oz is Ariana Grande's Glinda the Good. Reluctantly at her side is her fiancé, the dashing Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), who is unenthusiastically leading the hunt for Elphaba.

For Good dials up the intensity from the outset: this film leans far more heavily into its themes of propaganda and mass manipulation, as well as the subjugation of Oz's animal population. In the very first scene, the famous yellow brick road is under construction, but this is no fairy tale fun: chained animals are whipped to pull the heavy machinery laying the bricks. Luckily, Elphaba arrives to save them – but she's immediately pursued by the Emerald City's guards. Later, Elphaba's desperate attempt to make the citizens of Oz see that "our Wizard lies" is transformed by Morrible into a message reading "Oz dies," while posters of Elphaba looking terrifyingly twisted keep the Ozians whipped into a frenzy of hatred. It's clear the so-called Wicked Witch is fighting a losing battle.

Over the rainbow

Even the ever-cheerful Glinda isn't truly happy, as the multi-faceted 'Thank Goodness' proves. Here, Glinda admits to herself and a crowd of adoring Ozians that all her dreams coming true isn't quite playing out the way she imagined it would. Her engagement is a sham, her conscience plagues her, and Morrible treats her with disdain. Glinda still believes the situation can be easily fixed, however, which leads to one of the film's most inspired changes from the source material. When Elphaba calls in on the Wizard to threaten to expose him – which he is entirely unbothered by, because, as he sees it, he could tell Oz the truth and no one would believe him anyway, in a miserably timely exchange – Glinda pops up to try and smooth things over as only she can.

In the Broadway show, the following song, 'Wonderful,' is performed by only Elphaba and the Wizard, but here Glinda is present as the ultimate temptation for Elphaba to abandon her mission and join the emerald regime. Of course it would be Elphaba's truest (and only) friend who could sway her back towards the Wizard, and it's a bright spot of brief, fleeting joy, a poignant what-if, before the darkness returns when Elphaba once again realizes the Wizard is a cruel charlatan with no intention of changing for the better.

Indeed, Part Two is far less afraid to remix its source material than Part One, which is massively to the film's benefit. Act Two of the Broadway musical is a slight 60 minutes, but here the runtime is expanded to a hefty two hours and 17 minutes. In many places this simply allows the film more space to breathe, but in others, extra material is added – a new opening sequence reintroduces the core cast with snippets of Part One's instantly familiar songs, and there are two highly publicised brand new musical numbers for Elphaba and Glinda.

However, despite the longer runtime, sometimes the progression of the plot is odd: Elphaba's sudden return to face the Wizard is jarring, and a dramatic scene between Elphaba, Fiyero, Glinda, and the Wizard feels far too brief for its importance to the plot. Similarly, a grim interlude with Marissa Bode's Nessarose and Ethan Slater's Boq feels oddly placed, but necessarily must come early for the rest of the film to make sense (a certain tornado is on the way, after all). Naturally these moments are taken directly from the musical, but more work was needed to make them run smoother on the screen.

For Good necessarily loses some of Part One's dazzle thanks to its darker subject matter, too, but it still finds time to wink at the audience by weaving in the storyline of The Wizard of Oz, taking its cues from the show. Perhaps this side of the story could have been fleshed out further (one might wonder why the Lion is so furious with Elphaba, for example: a few lines might suffice in the tight runtime of the show, but not here), which would help the film's uneven pacing. And, while it's undeniable that, combined, both films make for a brilliant adaptation, Part Two doesn't stand alone as easily as Part One.

The girl in the bubble

While Wicked felt like Elphaba's journey, For Good is very much Glinda's. Ariana Grande simply is Glinda, embodying the once-peppy good witch with every nose-scrunch, eyelash flutter, angelic highnote, and tearful look. If in Part One she brought the bubbly joy and levity, in Part Two, she brings the aching heartbreak, the sorrowful regret, and a great deal of the thematic driving force behind the concept of goodness: a huge part of Glinda's arc in the sequel revolves around how she wrestles with her complicity in the brutal regime persecuting her friend.

That doesn't mean Elphaba falls to the wayside, however. Erivo once again plays her not-so-wicked witch with a quiet, righteous anger, as well as a deep-rooted sadness and boundless empathy – though the more mischievous, smiling version of her is still there, too. A lot of her story this time involves Bailey's Fiyero and the illicit connection between them, building to a passionate performance of 'As Long as You're Mine,' in which the duo cross the line of no return. Their chemistry is palpable: Bailey brings a playfulness and magnetic quality to Fiyero that makes his and Elphaba's evolving relationship irresistibly believable, though it takes a backseat to the bond between Elphaba and Glinda.

'As Long as You're Mine' is one of the film's standout numbers, and For Good should hopefully bring an end to the frequent accusations that Act Two of the Broadway show lacks decent songs. 'No Good Deed' is another highlight, a late movie barnstormer full of desperation and self-loathing as Elphaba, on the brink of losing everything, laments that "no good deed goes unpunished." Here, the song is reconfigured to feature flashbacks to Elphaba's past 'sins' (as she sees them), heightening the inherent drama of the number. Sadly, though, both Elphaba and Glinda's new songs don't really hold a candle to the original music. 'No Place Like Home' sees Elphaba articulate why she wants to save Oz, even if it hates her, while 'Girl in the Bubble' is a sad, introspective song that voices Glinda's inner conflict. Both are ballads, and both could benefit from more oomph (even if 'No Place Like Home' allows Erivo to showcase her powerhouse vocals).

It's true that the music isn't quite as strong this time around; it's hard to follow up iconic numbers like 'Popular' and 'Defying Gravity,' of course. Still, Part Two builds to an immensely moving crescendo with 'For Good,' which gives this film its title – in fact, both films combined lead to this number as surely as the yellow brick road leads to the Wizard. This song is where both Grande and Erivo guarantee their Oscar nominations, as both actors overflow with all the anguish and gratitude of this bittersweet goodbye and ode to their unlikely friendship. 'For Good' is the beating heart of both films, and it has all the gravitas and heartstring-pulling power it needs to bring the entire auditorium to tears.

Changed for the better

For Good might not quite be the instant classic, endlessly rewatchable hit that was Wicked, then, but it still marks itself out as a worthy second half thanks to its superb lead performances, weighty emotional heft, and visual flair – the practical sets are spectacular and immersive (and far more welcome than even the most impressive CGI wizardry), and the costume design is exquisite, even if the characters have fewer outfit changes this time around.

Combined, Wicked Parts One and Two are an utter triumph at adapting one of the most beloved Broadway musicals ever to the screen, and director Jon M. Chu has glided over every obstacle that stood in his way as easily as Elphaba defied gravity. With pitch-perfect casting, beautiful scenery, and a deep reverence for the source material (as well as an admirable willingness to change what doesn't work), Chu has done what many thought was impossible – and that good deed shall surely go unpunished.

Wicked: For Good hits theaters this November 21. For more, see our guide to all the most exciting movie release dates to fill out your watchlist, or recap on the first film with our Wicked Part One ending explained.

A new Alice in Wonderland movie musical is in the works, and Sabrina Carpenter is going to star.

Not much is known about the film just yet, but The Hollywood Reporter says that Carpenter will also produce the movie, which will be released by Universal. Wicked producer Marc Platt is also one of the producers onboard, while Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers) will write and direct.

According to the report, this is a "passion project" for Carpenter, who is said to have directly approached the studio herself with her ideas and even a lookbook.

While nothing is confirmed yet, if Carpenter is playing Alice, I couldn't imagine better casting. After all, Carpenter has the hair, the voice, and the playful sense of humor needed to play the iconic character and bring a musical version of Wonderland to life.

Plus, Wicked is a similar project – a musical based on a beloved fantasy (albeit Gregory Maguire's version of Frank L. Baum's original tale) – so it looks like the project is in safe hands.

Most famously, Alice in Wonderland has been adapted by Disney as an animated movie and two live-action films, but Lewis Carroll's original 1865 novel has been adapted countless times across movies, TV, and much more besides.

As for Wicked, Oz will soon return to our screens in Wicked: For Good, which hits theaters this November 21. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are back as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, along with Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies of this year and beyond.

A select group of people have seen Wicked: For Good early, and their reactions are overwhelmingly positive.

The sequel, which arrives this November, covers the second act of the hit Broadway musical, and it sees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande returning as Elphaba and Glinda.

"All Good Deeds Go Rewarded in Wicked: For Good. It's an epic and heartbreakingly tender conclusion to one of the most dynamic friendships in pop culture history. There's a lot for fans of the Broadway show to love with butterfly kiss sized surprises in store," wrote Deadline's Destiny Jackson.

"#WickedForGood delivers in every way possible. The new original songs… life changing! They will melt your heart in ways you can't even imagine. Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande have cemented their places in history, this is truly an unmissable sequel," said Buzzfeed's Ada Enechi.

"#WickedForGood flies high. Jon M. Chu helms an emotionally timely piece that deepens every spell cast by the first film. No surprise, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande are SPECTACULAR (again). You're NOT ready for the "For Good" duet. A heartfelt end to Oz's greatest friendship," Variety's Clayton Davis said.

"WICKED: FOR GOOD is the tricky second act handled with aplomb by director Jon M. Chu. Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo continue to own, extend and BE Glinda & Elphaba. With weaker songs, the music is still mined for everything; "For Good" & "No Good Deed" are stand-outs," wrote Metro's Tori Brazier.

"Saw Wicked: For Good last month and believe me when i say that it expands and deepens the original source material in generally exciting and innovative ways. Cynthia and Ari take their performances to the next level with jaw dropping performances. The film fully sticks the landing," said Vanity Fair's Chris Murphy.

If the hype translates into award nominations, Erivo and Grande could become the seventh and eighth people in Oscars history to be nominated twice for the same role. Last year's Wicked received 10 Oscar nominations, of which it won two.

Wicked: For Good arrives in theaters this November 21. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the year's most exciting upcoming movies for everything else that's on the way.

The first trailer for Wicked: For Good has arrived – and it's a serious tearjerker.

In the brief clip, which can be viewed above, we hear snippets of both "No Good Deed" – Elphaba's intense solo – and "For Good," a heartbreaking duet between Glinda and Elphaba. We also see the two witches reuniting, a glimpse of Dorothy and her friends, and Glinda's wedding to Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero (which seems to be interrupted by the animals).

Honestly, though, Glinda and Elphaba seeing each other again already had me tearing up – then hearing "For Good" had me borderline bawling. If you've seen the musical, you were probably the same...

In fact, I liked this trailer so much that I don't even mind that we still haven't heard even a note of the two new original songs on the way. We'll all just have to be a little more patient for those.

Wicked: For Good adapts Act 2 of the Broadway show, after the first movie covered Act 1. Both films were co-written by Winnie Holzman, who also wrote the book for the Tony Award-winning musical. Jon M. Chu, of course, returns to direct.

Part 2 has a lot to live up to, given the enormous success of Part 1, which grossed nearly $800 million at the global box office against a budget of $150 million and earned multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande. Our own Wicked review also gave the film the full five stars. Based on this trailer, I have no doubt at all that Part 2 will deliver.

The full cast includes Erivo as Elphaba, Grande as Glinda, Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond.

Wicked: For Good is set to hit theaters on November 21. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.

Just a few months after it was officially confirmed, the live-action adaptation of Tangled has been put on hold.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the project is no longer in active development. It was announced in December 2024 that The Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracey would direct the pic from a screenplay penned by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Thor: Love and Thunder).

The cancellation comes in the wake of Disney's live-action Snow White, which has earned only $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide against a budget of $270 million. Beyond the box office, the film has also been widely panned by critics and sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, directed by Marc Webb, was meant to give the original cartoon a modern-day facelift with a more progressive storyline. The popcorn buckets were pretty cool, though.

Tangled, which was both a critical and commercial hit upon its release in 2010, tells the classic story of Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) but with a twist: she enlists the help of charming outlaw Flynn Rider to take her out into the world for the very first time. A short film was released in 2014, followed by an animated TV show that aired exclusively on the Disney Channel. Whether the live-action movie is greenlit in the future, or whether Disney decides to halt live-action adaptations for the time being, remains to be seen.

Tangled is streaming on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.

Wicked Part 2 has arrived, and it'll certainly have the whole theater bawling. This thrillifying sequel returns us to Oz with Elphaba, Glinda, and the rest of the crew to conclude the story that began in last year's Wicked Part One.

Below, we've got everything you need to know about the sequel, from the plot to the cast and the reviews. That means you can get up to speed on Wicked: For Good at a glance. This movie adapts Act Two of the Broadway show, but, like its predecessor, it makes a few changes – see our guide to the biggest changes Wicked: For Good makes to the Broadway show.

This was one of the most highly anticipated upcoming movies of 2025, so it's well worth getting up to date. So, for all you need to know, keep it right here for a trip down the yellow brick road. You can also check out our guide to the Wicked: For Good ending explained for a detailed breakdown of the ending.

Wicked Part 2 release date

Wicked Part 2 was released on November 21, 2025. That's almost exactly a year after the first movie released on November 22, 2024.

Wicked Part 2 trailer

The final trailer for Wicked: For Good arrived in September. It gave absolutely nothing away about the two new songs, but it did let us hear 'No Good Deed' and 'For Good.' It also teased the arrival of Dorothy Gale, along with Elphaba and Glinda's reunion, a rainbow-themed musical number with the Wizard of Oz, and plenty more besides. Check it out above.

The first trailer for Wicked: For Good, meanwhile, arrived in June 2025. That one also includes snippets of 'For Good' and 'No Good Deed.'

A handful of clips were also released on the official YouTube channel for the movie, including a snippet of 'Thank Goodness' and a young Glinda, as well as Elphaba, the Wizard, and Glinda performing 'Wonderful.'

Wicked Part 2 cast

The Wicked Part 2 cast saw the return of all the major players from Part 1. The full Wicked Part 2 cast:

• Cynthia Erivo – Elphaba
• Ariana Grande – Glinda
• Jonathan Bailey – Fiyero
• Jeff Goldblum – the Wizard of Oz
• Michelle Yeoh – Madame Morrible
• Marissa Bode – Nessarose
• Ethan Slater – Boq
• Peter Dinklage – Doctor Dillamond
• Colman Domingo – Lion
• Bethany Weaver – Dorothy

Wicked Part 2 plot

The Wicked Part 2 plot will be familiar to fans of the Broadway musical, since it's an adaptation of Act 2. It starts with Glinda and Fiyero engaged, while Elphaba continues her attempts to help the animals from the shadows.

However, Glinda tries to bring Elphaba back into the fold with the Wizard of Oz. When Elphaba discovers the Wizard is still keeping animals captive, she sets them all free, which interrupts Glinda and Fiyero's wedding. Fiyero leaves Glinda for Elphaba and the duo run away together, which prompts a heartbroken Glinda to tell Madame Morrible and the Wizard that the best way to lure Elphaba out of hiding is to threaten her sister.

Morrible and the Wizard decide to hurt Nessarose for real, though, and Morrible summons a twister that drops a house on Nessarose... which you might remember from The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy Gale also arrives with the house and nabs Nessa's shoes, before setting off down the yellow brick road. We never see her face, however. "I didn't want to step on who you think Dorothy is in whatever story that you came into this with," said director Jon M. Chu in an interview with People. "[This] is still Elphaba and Glinda's journey, and she is a pawn in the middle of all of it."

Elphaba and Glinda clash when Elphaba comes to pay respects to her sister. Fiyero saves Elphaba, who manages to escape, but Fiyero is taken captive. Elphaba performs an incantation to save Fiyero, which transforms him into the Scarecrow; Boq became the Tin Man earlier in the film after Nessarose performed a spell on him that began to shrank his heart, and Elphaba had to intervene to save him. The Cowardly Lion, meanwhile, is the lion cub Elphaba and Fiyero saved back in Part One.

Elphaba kidnaps Dorothy to try and get her sister's shoes back. Glinda runs to speak with her, which is when Elphaba tells Glinda she has to stay in Oz and rule it for the better. Elphaba and Glinda bid each other a tearful goodbye in the song 'For Good,' then Glinda watches Elphaba melt after Dorothy throws a bucket of water over her.

Glinda returns to the Emerald City and reveals the truth to the Wizard: Elphaba was his daughter all along. She figures this out after Elphaba leaves behind a green bottle, the same kind Glinda has seen the Wizard drink from. Glinda pushes the Wizard to leave Oz in his hot air balloon and she gets Morrible arrested. She then tells her story to the Munchkins, as we saw in Part One.

It turns out, however, that Elphaba actually planned to be melted and survived the water: Fiyero, now the Scarecrow, comes to get her and they leave together for the land beyond Oz. Elphaba says Glinda can never know they survived. Glinda, meanwhile, discovers that the Grimmerie opens for her, meaning she does have magic after all.

Wicked Part 2 reviews

The Wicked Part 2 reviews weren't quite as kind to the movie as they were to its predecessor. The sequel currently stands at a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Our own Wicked: For Good review awards the film four stars, with our verdict reading: "A darker and sadder Part 2 brings the story of Oz's witches to a moving close and cements Jon M. Chu's adaptation of Wicked as an absolute triumph. But, For Good suffers slightly from thinner source material and weak new songs."

First reactions to the sequel called it "heartbreakingly tender" and "emotionally timely."

That's a wrap on everything we know about Wicked Part 2. For more, check out our guide to all the most exciting movie release dates of the year to plan your theater trips, or see our roundup of the best witch movies.

If you have been on social media at all this week, there's a very good chance you will have seen a viral clip from one of the year's very best film scenes. And we aren't talking about that moment from Challengers where we get the tennis ball’s POV set to the beats of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Nor are we referencing the brilliant notes app scene from Hit Man, which is masterfully directed and performed, sizzling with chemistry.

What's been dominating the internet this week is a one minute clip of a CGI monkey dancing down a London high street whilst singing the hit pop song 'Rock DJ' – yes, really. And trust us when we say it is easily one of the stand-out scenes of 2024, captivating us with its dynamic energy and incredible choreography, which is all captured in a sleek, single shot.

Right now you may be thinking 'what the hell is this movie?' and you would be right in doing so. The premise, quite frankly, is bonkers. Better Man is a biographical musical drama that tells the story of British pop star Robbie Williams with a twist – he's portrayed in the film by a CGI monkey. Look, we did warn you that it was bananas…

It absolutely shouldn't work at all, but somehow does on every single level, with each bold choice it makes being a triumph, deservedly earning rave reviews. Of course, there's no doubt that it's completely unhinged, but it's also emotional, tender, transcendent, and incredibly human, featuring an incredible lead performance from actor Jonno Davies via motion capture. You genuinely forget within minutes that our star here is a CGI monkey.

But why a monkey? It's an important question and one that has a surprisingly simple answer. Singer Williams has always been open about the fact he feels less evolved than others, only existing as a performing monkey – both on stage and in life. When director Michael Gracey, who previously helmed The Greatest Showman, started work on Better Man then, having Williams be portrayed as a monkey just felt right. It certainly was a risky move though but one that ultimately paid off, with Better Man being a refreshingly electric biopic like no other. A new bar has been set.

"It's time to move your body"

There are plenty of exemplary moments in this remarkable film, from the intoxicating Knebworth gig to a more intimate episode shared between Williams and his loving gran Betty, who is beautifully portrayed by Gavin & Stacey's Alison Steadman. But if there's only one scene you will remember from Better Man it is indeed the 'Rock DJ' performance. Look, it went viral for good reason.

As reported by Variety, London's busy Regent Street was shut down for four consecutive nights so 500 extras, alongside a CGI monkey of course, could dance to the pop hit for the exciting set piece. And if that wasn't hard enough already to pull off, the shoot was halted as Queen Elizabeth II died during rehearsals only days before they were due to film, with the delays of several months losing the studio millions of dollars. Refusing to shoot elsewhere or on a green screen, the filmmakers decided to wait until Regent Street was available to use again, wanting it to be as real as possible.

But it was more than worth the wait, with the result being a sheer spectacle from start to end. Even that one minute clip from the scene that has been released online has more impressive choreography and visuals than this year's hit musical Wicked – and I say that as a huge fan of Jon M. Chu's bewitching tale.

The filmmakers masterfully piece together takes to create the illusion of a single shot, with the camera dynamically moving between pedestrians, flying clothes rails, and London black cabs to follow Williams, alongside the other members of Take That, as they perform the energetic musical number. It's genuinely impossible to take your eyes off the screen. And, look, I won't hear any complaints about the fact Take That are there when 'Rock DJ' was actually released as a Williams solo number, when the scene is this good.

Admittedly, when I watched Better Man at a preview screening a few months ago, I went in unsure what to expect, doubting whether the bizarre premise would actually work. And I'm more than happy to have been proven wrong, with this scene alone doing just that. "When’s it going to stop, DJ?" Hopefully never.

Better Man releases in the US on Christmas Day, before hitting UK shores on Boxing Day. For more on what to watch, check out the rest of our Big Screen Spotlight series.

The first reactions for Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the 2019 photorealistic film, are here - and they're overwhelmingly positive.

The upcoming film, directed by Barry Jenkins, tells the origin stories of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and his brother Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) prior to the events of The Lion King.The cast includes Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, Beyonce as Nala, Donald Glover as Simba, and Billy Eichner as Timon. Lin-Manuel Miranda provided the music for the film, including original songs.

'#MufasaTheLionKing is the perfect prequel," wrote Variety editor Jazz Tangcay. "So beautifully crafted. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the score are absolutely divine and music to the ears. Pure joy."

"I’ll be the first to admit that a Lion King prequel was not something I was asking for, but the animation is incredible, the songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are infectious, and the vocal performances make #Mufasa - dare I say - better than the 2019 version of Lion King," ComicBook's Chris Killian said.

"#MufasaTheLionKing left me speechless. It's a story that deserves to be told that makes you question what is destiny. Expertly written & crafted, it adds to #TheLionKing franchise by adding more dimension to the characters we love & thought we knew. The visual effects are astounding," praised Dana Abercrombie.

"#Mufasa is a fantastic prequel that outdoes the first photorealistic The Lion King movie by a mile with an original and engaging story, better facial animation, and fun songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It ties nicely to the previous film's story and you get to see how it all started," John Nguyen tweeted.

Mufasa: The Lion King is set to hit theaters on December 20. For more, check out our lists of upcoming movies and movie release dates.

Wicked was a worldwide sensation when it debuted in theaters last year, as musical theater fans everywhere rejoicified at a perfect adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical. Our very own Wicked review awarded the film a shiny five stars, too, and anticipation is high for this year's sequel.

If you missed out on the fun when the movie was in theaters – or if you're just looking to rewatch – then you might be wondering about the Wicked streaming release date. The good news is we finally have a firm date for when we'll be able to visit Oz from the comfort of our own homes. Get practicing your Defying Gravity battle cry...

So, fellow Ozians, head to the below for everything you need to know about streaming Wicked, including where it will be available to stream and the exact release date.

Wicked streaming release date

Since Wicked was distributed by Universal Pictures, its streaming home is Peacock. It will be flying onto the streamer on March 21, so there's not long to wait until you can sing along at home to your favorite tracks.

It also means you have plenty of time to get ready for the sequel, which is due to arrive in theaters this November 21. The movie will be titled Wicked: For Good and will adapt the second act of the musical.

For more, check out our guide to the upcoming movies that should be on your radar, as well as our picks for the best witch movies.

Wicked has now flown into theaters as we learn the untold stories of the witches of Oz. Directed by Jon M. Chu, this epic adaptation of the beloved stage musical covers the first half of the story, revealing the origins of Elphaba's and Glinda's friendship. Played wonderfully by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the movie charts their first meeting at Shiz University right up until their fateful meeting with the Wizard in the Emerald City.

Covering the first half of the musical, the final act also sets up Wicked Part Two, which is due to arrive in theaters in late 2025. Given that this is only part of the story, you might be wondering if there are any Wicked post-credits scenes setting up where the movie will go next. Well, you're in the right place if you are. We've broken down below everything you need to know about what's happens at the end and if you need to stick around in your seat.

While you're here too, check out our Wicked review. Warning though, spoilers ahead!

Is there a Wicked post-credits scene?

The short answer is no, there is no Wicked post-credits scene.

At the end of the movie, Elphaba and Glinda perform 'Defying Gravity' as the former decides to steal the Grimmerie and leave the Emerald City behind. Madame Morrible then makes an announcement that Elphaba is an enemy of the people, and has stolen from the Wizard. Glinda stays with her and the Wizard as we see Fiyero mounting his horse and riding into the distance.

The final moment features a title card for Wicked Part Two, confirming the story will continue. After this, the stylized credits run featuring all of the main cast before cutting to the main credits. There is nothing after this.

Wicked is out in theaters now. For more, check out our guides to upcoming movies coming in 2024 and 2025. You can also check out some of the Wicked first reactions too.

Wicked Part One is out now in theaters, bringing the beloved Broadway musical to the big screen. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande take on the roles of unlikely besties Elphaba and Glinda, alongside castmates that include Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Jonathan Bailey. The Wizard of Oz prequel (which tells half the story of the musical and the novel by Gregory Maguire), follows the two witches as they meet at Shiz University and unwittingly set the events in motion that culminates with a bucket of water in the 1939 movie…

If you've already caught the movie musical in the multiplex and have any questions about how things wind up for Elphaba, Glinda, and co., we've got everything you need to know right here, from Easter eggs to when Wicked Part Two is set to soar onto our screens. Be warned, though: there are major Wicked spoilers ahead!

Wicked Part One ending explained

Elphaba and Glinda's trip to Oz takes a turn once they actually come face-to-face with the Wizard. Elphaba tells him of her wish for the animals of Oz to be free, and he says he will if she can prove herself. The Wizard tells Elphaba that one of his monkey guards is always watching birds out of the palace windows, and he and Madame Morrible get her to look at the Grimmerie, a book of spells that only those with great magical gifts can read. Morrible reassures her that it's okay if she can only manage a few words, but Elphaba easily reads out a whole spell. As a result, the monkey (and the rest of the guards) sprouts feathered wings in a slow and painful transformation. Outraged by what she's been made to do, Elphaba realizes that the Wizard doesn't have any powers of his own and he maintains control of Oz through the creation of a common enemy to unite the people: animals. She refuses to cooperate with him and flees his chambers with the Grimmerie in tow, and Morrible calls for the guards to get her.

Glinda follows Elphaba through the palace and they end up in a tower. They find a hot air balloon there and attempt to hijack it, but the guards foil their plan. The pair ascend higher into the tower into an attic room and bar the door with a broom. Meanwhile, Morrible issues an announcement throughout Oz that Elphaba is a wicked witch and shouldn't be trusted, and Glinda tries to convince her to go back and apologize to the Wizard and Morrible. Elphaba refuses and tells her that she needs to do what's right. She tries to use the Grimmerie spell that gave the flying monkeys their wings on herself to no avail but, as the Wizard's guards break into the tower, a broomstick begins to levitate. As she sings 'Defying Gravity,' Elphaba bids Glinda farewell and mounts the broom to escape. The guards reach Glinda and try to detain her, but Morrible gets them to release her. As Elphaba barrels through the window, she begins to plummet towards the ground, but then she sees herself as a child and reaches out towards her. As the two join hands, she begins to soar, and heads into the unknown.

What happened to Dr. Dillamond?

Animals in Oz are oppressed and discriminated against, and Dr. Dillamond the goat is the only animal professor left at Shiz University. During one of his classes, he finds that someone has vandalized his projector screen with the words "animals should be seen and not heard." After stumbling upon a meeting between him and some other animals, Elphaba learns that there's a conspiracy to stop animals from speaking and many are fleeing Oz before things get even worse. During their next class, Dillamond is removed from the university and replaced with a new human professor, as animals have been banned from teaching. The new professor has a lion cub in a cage and tells the class that these cages are new contraptions designed to keep animals under control.

What is the Wizard and Madame Morrible's plan?

In order to maintain power in Oz, the Wizard and Morrible have instigated a hate campaign against the animals. "The way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy," he tells Elphaba, and animals like Dr. Dillamond are used to do just that. However, once Elphaba defies the Wizard and sets out to do what's right, the focus shifts to her, and the pair set out to make her the common enemy of Oz: the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked Part One cameos explained

• Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth: When Elphaba and Glinda arrive in the Emerald City, they're treated to a street performance acting out the origin of the Grimmerie spell book. The Wise Ones are played by none other than Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the actors who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda in the Broadway musical version of Wicked.
• Stephen Schwartz: When Elphaba and Glinda arrive at the Wizard's palace in the Emerald City, a guard announces that "the Wizard will see you now." The guard is played by the Broadway and movie composer Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the stage version of Wicked.

Wicked Part One Easter eggs explained

• Nessarose's silver slippers: On Elphaba's sister Nessarose's first day at Shiz University, their father gifts her their mother's silver slippers. The ornate shoes have tornado-shaped heels and rainbow patterns on them, references to the tornado that brings Dorothy from Kansas to Oz in The Wizard of Oz and the song 'Over the Rainbow.'
• Ruby slippers: While she's singing 'Popular', Glinda gives Elphaba a pair of ruby slippers to help with her makeover. Of course, the ruby slippers that Dorothy wears in The Wizard of Oz are one of the most iconic images in the 1939 movie.
• The Wizard's real name: While Elphaba and Glinda are trying to escape the Wizard's guards in the palace tower, eagle-eyed viewers might have caught a glimpse of a poster on the wall bearing the name 'Oscar Diggs'. This is the Wizard's real name.
• Mrs Gulch: Sharp-eared viewers might have heard Mrs. Gulch, AKA the "real" version of the Wicked Witch of the West in Kansas, gets a namedrop when Elphaba and Glinda arrive at Shiz University.
• The hot air balloon: the Wizard arrived to Oz in the hot air balloon that Elphaba and Glinda try to hijack, and he also tries to take Dorothy home in it later, though it doesn't work out.

How is Wicked Part One different from the musical?

Wicked Part One is a pretty faithful adaptation of Act One of the Broadway musical, but there are a few minor changes. For starters, the flashback to Elphaba's childhood at the start of the movie isn't in the musical. Plus, in the musical's version of 'Defying Gravity,' Elphaba doesn't fall before she flies, and she and Glinda don't try and hijack the Wizard's hot air balloon, either. Other scenes are also slightly extended – 'Popular' and 'Dancing Through Life' run slightly longer than their musical counterparts – while Elphaba joins in with 'Something Bad' in the musical but is eavesdropping in the movie.

When will Wicked Part Two be released?

As you might have guessed, Wicked Part One is only half of the story. Based on Act One of the stage musical, the second half of the story will be told in Wicked Part Two, which hits the big screen on November 21, 2025.

Wicked Part One is out now. For more, check out our Wicked review and our guide to all the other best upcoming movies still to come in 2024.

The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good have existed in pop culture for over 100 years. They were given new life by Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked in 1995, which was later turned into the smash hit Broadway musical of the same name.

Now, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are stepping into the famous roles for Jon M. Chu's film adaptation of the show. Their casting has been widely praised, with Oscar buzz already building for their performances. So, when GamesRadar+ met with Chu in London to talk about the movie, we asked when we knew he'd captured magic with his leading actors.

"That first day they came out, and we were shooting the dorm room scene where Elphaba moves into the dorm room for the first time," Chu says. "It's a scene that's not in the show, and so it gave them a little bit of room to play something and not try to have some sort of history with it. And the moment I saw that tension between the two as she walks in, [Glinda] goes, 'Come in,' and Elphaba comes in like, 'What the hell have I walked into?' To me that said everything. And I knew this dynamic could work, because that's the relationship that's going to carry us through."

As Chu explains, Grande and Erivo were also given space to put their own stamp on their characters. "They were able to play in it," he says. "When [Grande's Glinda] says, 'Oh, will you not close [the window], I love air,' and she's playing around, that was just on the day. And her playing with that was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing. So we just knew we had this little space to really dig out these characters for now and for them. And I can't wait for people to rediscover each of these actors, because they think they know them. They think they know Cynthia, or they think they know Ariana Grande, but this is a totally new way to see them, and they changed, actually, throughout the whole movie."

This freedom also allowed for Grande and Erivo to explore the deep bond between Glinda and Elphaba in a new way. "We had the show in our hearts, that was the easy part," Chu says of crafting that relationship on screen. "We all know what it meant to us. I think it was more about digging out between them, because they were creating different characters. And even though it's the DNA of Elphaba and Glinda, they had different touch points of what Elphaba was going through, in a weird way.

"Elphaba, in this movie, is not just a joke. She is not the butt of a joke," he continues. "Cynthia really wanted to own her own beauty in it. Elphaba is a woman, so she would do her nails and have some sort of self respect for how she dressed, and that was a new thing, because part of it was like, what was it? Is the joke that she doesn't do any of that stuff? But for Cynthia's version she does, and I love that.

"Even when [Glinda] says, 'You're green,' she says, 'I am.' It's not a challenging situation, it's not a sad situation, it is, 'Yeah, that's who I am.' And so those little details, I think we really wanted to give room for that, for these characters, and that took maybe scene by scene as we were making it to give us more confidence that we could go into that realm, and by day three, we were full on into that. So I really hand it to Ariana and Cynthia for having the ability to bring these characters to life in ways that we maybe couldn't have planned. But by living in the characters, it emerged."

Wicked is in theaters this November 22. For even more on the movie, check out our Wicked review for our spoiler free verdict, or see the Wicked first reactions. You can also fill out your watchlist with our guide on all the upcoming movies of the year.

"Let me tell you the whole story," Ariana Grande's Glinda says in Wicked, the upcoming musical blockbuster that adapts the stageshow of the same name. Though, as fans already know, this isn't quite the whole story – not yet, anyway. This film covers Act 1 of the musical, with Part 2, which finishes the tale, arriving next year.

When GamesRadar+ sat down with director Jon M. Chu in London, we asked about Part 2, and what Chu is particularly excited for everyone to see.

"In movie one, it's all about choices, and it's a big, bold choice that Elphaba has to make at the end, and Glinda is not quite ready to make that choice – for herself, at least," Chu tells us. "I think movie two is about consequences. What happens when you do make those choices? Yes, it's a great ending, to do that. But happy endings aren't just the end. Life is beautiful because it is always a to be continued, in a way. You have tomorrow.

"And what happens when the place that you love and fight for doesn't want anything to do with you?" he continues. "Is that still a home? This question of, 'There's no place like home.' Well, what is home and where is your home? I think those things get to be untangled in this next movie."

If that wasn't enough, Chu also teases more original songs. "We get maybe a new song – or two," he adds. "We get more into the meat, and the best is yet to come with these characters."

Wicked is in theaters this November 22. For even more on the movie, check out our Wicked review for our spoiler free verdict, or see the Wicked first reactions. You can also fill out your watchlist with our guide on all the upcoming movies of the year.

'Defying Gravity' is one of the most iconic musical theater songs of all time, which makes translating it from stage to screen a particularly tall task. That's the challenge Wicked director Jon M. Chu was faced with in his new adaptation – made even more intimidating by the fact that 'Defying Gravity' closes the entire film, since the movie covers Act 1 of the musical (with Part 2 finishing the story when it arrives next year).

"The alternative was not possible, to be honest," Chu tells us of dividing the story when we meet with him in London. "We tried to make it into one movie, and you had to rip out songs and it became not Wicked. They had tried for 20 years to do that. I think the decision to make it one really opened the doors to like, 'Okay, we have to believe these characters.' You get away with things on stage that you can't get away with in a movie. The audience is more skeptical in a movie, and so the emotional turns for the actors and for the characters have to be very solid. So it came out of a necessity more than anything."

And, as Chu explains, this led to some changes for the musical's most famous song. "But something like 'Defying Gravity,' the song, if you just use the song itself the way it's used in the show, it doesn't actually feel like the end of this epic journey that we've gone on," he says. "So we had to break that up a little bit, which is scary. And we questioned ourselves at every turn. We did not make decisions lightly. We actually could make decisions and go backwards. We tried all versions, always. But in the end of the day, it was like, 'I'm rooting for Elphaba to have this for herself, and she can't just get it. She has to earn it, too.' She knows at this moment that you don't have to prove yourself to anyone. She has to prove it to herself. How do we show that through this number that already exists? And you're not going to add new words to it. So what are you going to do?"

Chu adds that one of the changes made to the way the song plays out "brings back all the stuff in the movie that we've seen, all the doubts that have been put upon her, that she has to make a decision that is for herself – or for this little girl, for whatever way you want to interpret it – so that when she says, 'It's me,' the ultimate goal for us this whole movie, we've been saying, 'It's not for anybody else, it's for me,' that she stands up and sings 'Defying Gravity.'

"And I think that was something that, had we not cut it into two movies, you couldn't have those moments," he continues. "And so I think the audience will stick with us on that when you see the movie."

Wicked is in theaters this November 22. For even more on the movie, check out our Wicked review for our spoiler free verdict, or see the Wicked first reactions. You can also fill out your watchlist with our guide on all the upcoming movies of the year.

For more than 20 years, Wicked has been a staple of Broadway, telling the untold stories of the witches of Oz – and a film adaptation has been spoken of for almost as long. Discussions first began in 2004, with everyone from J. J. Abrams to Ryan Murphy attached at various points. But after watching Jon M. Chu's (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) version of this epic story, it feels impossible to imagine any other vision coming close.

Following roughly the first half of the musical, ahead of the release of its second part in 2025, Wicked is a faithful and magical retelling. Situating itself immediately in the lore of The Wizard of Oz, the film begins with the news of the Wicked Witch of the West's death before it then shifts back in time to tell her story. Most of the action takes place at Shiz University, where the isolated Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and the, ahem, popular Galinda (Ariana Grande) first meet and do not see eye-to-eye. Through them, the film follows a searing tale of loneliness and discrimination, and the power of friendship to overcome deep wounds.

While that might seem like a simple, honest core, Chu pastes this onto an epic canvas, making for a completely immersive experience. Deep love has been given to crafting the detailed and vibrant world of Oz, imbuing these characters with visual spectacle and making familiar songs feel as fresh as the first time you've heard them. If you're a fan of Wicked, there's no more you could ask for.

Sheer ambition

Bearing in mind that the full stage musical is just five minutes longer than part one's runtime (and that includes an interval), Wicked is by no means a fast-paced ride. Instead, it spends more time extending its scenes, allowing more room for characters to develop.

In fact, before its release, it was widely speculated that the increased runtime may mean extra additional songs, but aside from one small tongue-in-cheek inclusion, the content remains much the same. What it allows room for is comprehensive and visually arresting worldbuilding.

Christopher Nolan frequent collaborator Nathan Crowley's work as production designer is extraordinary, leaning on physical sets to make Wicked a visual spectacle. Shiz University, Munchkinland, and even the Great Gillikin Forest are all spectacularly rendered, but the most impressive is the Emerald City. Along with Paul Tazewell's costumes, the visual language of Wicked is clear from the very first frames on screen. This is a unique and spellbinding world that's unlike anything audiences have seen before.

Star turns

A musical really lives or dies on the performances of its cast, and thankfully Wicked is full of stand-outs. Ariana Grande in particular quickly sheds any qualms about stunt casting as soon as she glides down in a bubble. Her musical talents are almost a given, but it's a far cry from pop chart-toppers on show here as her operatic Glinda pays homage to those who have come before her in the role, while also placing a very firm stamp on this part as her own. 'Popular' in particular is her crowning moment, full of physical comedy from Grande and so much pink, it does justice to one of the show's best-loved numbers.

Supporting roles are strong too, most notably from Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, full of bravado and fun, as well as a hefty dose of yearning – and fans of Bridgerton will know that no one does yearning like Bailey. His 'Dancing Through Life' is a blast but he's just as powerful in the film's quieter moments as his chemistry with Elphaba burns. Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum give their all with smaller roles as Madame Morrible and the Wizard, and Ethan Slater is an endearing Boq.

Naturally though, it's Cynthia Erivo who truly steals the show. Infusing Elphaba with both heartbreaking vulnerability and sheer strength as she navigates between all of the character's contradictions, makes for a wonderful through-arc as Elphaba finds herself, and finds her fight, as the story progresses.

'The Wizard and I' and 'I'm Not That Girl' in particular are beautifully choreographed and performed, but it will be 'Defying Gravity', which ends the first act and part one here, that will linger long with audiences. Erivo's raw and shattering vocals nail the emotion of the song and showcase how perfectly her voice blends with Grande's.

Poignant themes

It's the chemistry between the pair throughout that makes these performances truly phenomenal. Most poignantly too because it's through Elphaba and Glinda that the most heartwrenching themes are explored. Wicked is a musical centered around the theme of otherness, and the depths that humanity will go to in order to push it away. Elphaba is an outcast for the color of her skin and is only accepted when Glinda reaches out a hand toward her. But while her story may start leaning towards inclusion, it's here when the plight of animals shows how rigid society is to change.

Gregory Maguire's book 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' inspired the musical, and while the film is very loosely linked to that story, many of its heavy themes are in the lifeblood of Wicked. Propaganda, racism, and facism are all underlying the narrative, but it remains a tale of hope.

A great deal of expectation and pressure had been placed on Wicked, with fans waiting decades for it to reach the screen. This makes what Chu has achieved an even greater feat, turning one of the world's most popular musicals into a cinematic phenomenon. And while Wicked is only one half of this story, it never feels incomplete. As part two will take this story to some weird, wonderful, and heartbreaking places, I cannot wait to see what he and his team accomplish. But at this rate? I don't think anything can bring them down.

Wicked: Part One is released in theaters on November 22. For more upcoming movies, check out our guide to 2024 movie release dates.

Joker: Folie a Deux actor Tim Dillon has some pretty harsh words for the poorly received musical-superhero sequel.

"We would sit there, me and these other guys were all dressed in these security outfits because we’re working at the Arkham Asylum, and I would turn to one of them and we’d hear this crap and I’d go, 'What the f--- is this?' And they’d go, 'This is going to bomb, man.' I go, 'This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen," Dillon said on the Joe Rogan Experience (via People), calling it "the worst film ever made."

The sequel to Todd Philips' critically acclaimed and universally lauded Joker sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, who, while imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, meets the love of his life, Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) and, uh, finds the music within. The cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, and Harry Lawtey.

Dillon has a small role as an Arkham Asylum security guard. The jukebox musical currently sits at a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes for both Critic and Audience scores and grossed just $264.7 million worldwide against its $200 million budget. CinemaScore also gave the film a below-average grade of D on a scale from A+ to F, the lowest grade ever given to a comic book movie.

Joker: Folie a Deux is now available on Digital, just two months after its theatrical release. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip right to our list of movie release dates.

Good news! Wicked first reactions are in, and they're overwhelmingly positive – with tons of praise for Ariana Grande's Glinda. 

Cynthia Erivo stars opposite Grande as Elphaba, with Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. The film is part one of two, with the second half arriving in 2025, and both installments, adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, are directed by Jon M. Chu. 

"I was 'pessimistical' going in, but...WICKED is a masterpiece," says Variety's Katcy Stephan. "Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humor, and hair flips. Jon M. Chu added so much new life to the story that I can see why it needed to be 2 parts! Well worth the 20-year wait."

"#WickedMovie is an Oz-some spectacle that pops and enchants on the big screen. An absolutely stunning vision. Leads Erivo and Grande knock it out of the park. While this perhaps won’t convert many anti-musical folks, genre fans and die-hard Ozians (Wickhards?) will feast on this," says journalist Simon Thompson. 

"#Wicked rocks, kids. Galinda is the role Ariana Grande was born to play. Perfectly suited and genuinely a hilarious, scene-stealing performance. Cynthia Erivo's heavenly vocals allow her to make Elphaba her own. The team of artisans assembled by Jon M. Chu all put their signature touches. Very excited to see what they do with Part 2," says Variety's Clayton Davis. 

The Playlist also has high praise for Grande's Glinda: "Grande, who is campaigning for Supporting Actress, is often a euphoric beacon of light as Glinda in this Wizard of Oz prequel. She’s not doing a Kristin Chenoweth impersonation or playing a stereotypical ditzy, popular girl princess type. The pop megastar often delivers startling depth to her character before jumping into a musical number that will have you grinning from ear to ear. You sort of can’t believe what you're watching."

Similarly, Variety is very impressed by Grande: "As Glinda, Ariana Grande brings charm and wit to a character known for her bubbly exterior and hidden depth. The 31-year-old pop star commands each of Glinda's signature numbers, including a delightful rendition of 'Popular'. But it's her knack for comedic timing that makes her so memorable. Her delivery of various one-liners and zingers is one of the film's highlights, potentially positioning her for a first-time Oscar nomination in the best supporting actress category… This role is the one Grande was born to play."

"The world is not ready for how great @wickedmovie is. Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande have gifted us a musical masterpiece that is much more than we could have ever expected. Ariana & Cynthia will blow you away. The production design and costumes are a visual spectacle," is the verdict of Variety's Jazz Tangcay.

Chu recently talked to our sister publication SFX magazine about Grande's Glinda, too. "She, of course, has the best comedic timing, but her emotional stuff which people don't even know yet…" he commented. "The fact that I get to introduce the world to this new Ariana Grande, that's what making movies is all about. It's like, here's your new star, let me show you. You think she's a star already but you don't even know."

Wicked arrives in theaters this November 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of this year's most exciting upcoming movies to get planning your theater trips. 

A new trailer for The Wizard of Oz prequel Wicked is here – and it promises to tell us "everything" that happened "before Dorothy".

The new clip, which you can watch above, starts with an ominous tone, as Glinda announces that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead. We rewind a bit after that, though, and we see Elphaba and Glinda meeting for the first time, as well as Elphaba learning of the extent of her powers. When the pair travel to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz, however, it's clear that he's not all he's cracked up to be – his plan to unite the people of Oz is to get them behind a common enemy, and that just so happens to be Elphaba. 

We also get a glimpse of Elphaba and Fiyero interacting. "Why is it you're always causing some sort of commotion?" he asks her. "I don't cause commotion. I am one," she replies. "Some of us are just different."

Based on the hugely popular Broadway and West End musical of the same name (which, in turn, was adapted from the novel by Gregory Maguire), the movie follows two witches who become unlikely friends while studying at Shiz University: popular Glinda (Ariana Grande) and outcast Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo).

Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights helmer Jon M. Chu is in the director's chair, and the cast also includes Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Shiz headmistress Madame Morrible, Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond, a four-legged professor at the university, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.

"It's scary to make Wicked because everyone has such high expectations and if we do it, if we go middle of the road, no one will be satisfied, especially us," Chu previously told GamesRadar+. "We all had to be bold, and we all had to stick our necks out and sometimes be scared of what people would think. But we knew that the only way to excellence was to be able to go through that together." 

Wicked arrives on the big screen on November 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's biggest upcoming movies. 

The first reactions for Joker: Folie a Deux are here – and they are delightfully mixed.

The long-awaited sequel to Todd Phillips' award-winning Joker sees Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) fall in love and break out of Arkham Asylum – all while singing and dancing. The cast includes Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Harry Lawty as Harvey Dent, Steve Coogan as a popular TV personality, and Catherine Keener as Arthur's defense lawyer.

Deadline called it a "brilliant musical return to a world of madness" adding, "With song, dance, comedy, darkness, animation, drama, violence and more, this is a musical, if it even is a musical, like no other."

"It's a great sequel with surprising twists! With added song and dance, Joker's story struts down a more meditative path that is more restrained. Lady Gaga shines in Joker: Folie a Deux's musical sequences!" a DiscussingFilm journalist wrote.

"Joker: Folie à Deux is a bold, daring and mesmerizing masterpiece. Joaquin Phoenix continues to amaze as Arthur Fleck while Lady Gaga delivers the best performance of her career thus far as Harley Quinn. Todd Phillips has truly upped the ante in almost every way with this sequel including the musical elements, which are brilliantly executed. Joker: Folie à Deux is the film of the year and will spark a lot of conversation and debate going into award season," someone tweeted.

"I can confirm: Joker Folie a Deux is a musical, no matter what the filmmakers (or WB) say. It's also a challenging sequel that adds depth to Arthur Fleck, making him (and his fans) more pathetic, and more interesting, than ever," TheWrap said.

"Joker: Folie à Deux feels like it’s bad on purpose. A fascinatingly lifeless troll of a movie designed to anger fans and bore everyone else. Its complete waste of Lady Gaga is worse than any of Joker’s crimes," wrote David Ehrlich of IndieWire.

Variety was also unimpressed, calling the sequel, Todd Phillips’ desperate-to-be-darkly-irreverent but actually rather clunky and earthbound musical sequel to “Joker."

Similarly, IGN wrote, "Despite the best efforts of Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and an opening hour set in Arkham Asylum, Joker: Folie à Deux wastes its potential as a movie musical, a courtroom drama, and a sequel that has anything meaningful to say about or add to the first Joker."

Our own review calls the sequel, "art courtroom movie, part behind-bars romance, Folie à Deux is an unconventional musical sequel that fails to hit the high notes."

Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

The first trailer for Disney's long-awaited live-action Snow White remake is here.

In the brief clip, which can be viewed below, Rachel Zegler is dressed in arguably a much different version of Snow White's gown than we're used to seeing. and frolics through the forest – where she meets up with the Seven Dwarfs, and the group sings the classic song "Whistle While You Work." 

Elsewhere, Gal Gadot's Evil Queen is plotting her revenge, and we hear her ask that infamous question: "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" before turning herself into an old woman and heading into the forest to make sure Snow White takes a bite out of that poisonous apple. We also get our first look at Andrew Burnap as Jonathan (who we believe is the Prince.)

The cast includes Ansu Kabla as the Huntsman, Dujonna Gift as Maple, and Martin Klebba as Grumpy. Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) directs from a screenplay penned by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson.

Though the movie is far from the first live-action Snow White adaptation – the last being Snow White and the Huntsman – it's the first to serve as a direct remake of the original 1937 film, which was based on the 1812 fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm. After first being announced in 2016, filming took place in 2022, with reshoots happening in June 2024.

Snow White is set to hit theaters on March 21, 2025. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Wicked has pulled its release date forwards – which means it's now releasing on the same day as Gladiator 2. Naturally, that's reminded everyone of the last time an unconventional double bill took hold of the multiplex: Barbenheimer. 

When Barbie and Oppenheimer were set for release on the same day, a cultural phenomenon was born, and both movies went on to great critical and commercial success (as well as immortality via memes). 

Now, the entire internet is making jokes about the Wicked and Gladiator 2 combo, and it looks like we might have another Barbenheimer on our hands. 

Wicked is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda. It's only an adaptation of the first act of the musical, though, with a second part coming in 2025. 

Gladiator 2, meanwhile, is Ridley Scott's follow-up to his 2000 movie Gladiator, which starred Russell Crowe. The sequel has a massive cast, including the likes of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn. The first look at the movie was unveiled yesterday, and it looks like we're in for another swords and sandals epic. 

"He wants nothing to do with the image of Rome. He wants nothing to do with it other than to tear it apart initially," Mescal told Vanity Fair of his Gladiator 2 character. "The Romans were some savage, savage individuals. They would go from continent to continent and just destroy communities and nations. The film doesn't shy away from the kind of brutality of that, and the emperors at the center of it, and this kind of corrupted power that he can see through." 

Wicked and Gladiator 2 both arrive on November 22 in the US, while the UK gets Gladiator slightly earlier on November 15. You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the other major upcoming movie release dates through the link. 

Jon M. Chu is no stranger to bringing Broadway hits to the big screen. The director of 2021's In the Heights adapted Lin-Manuel Miranda's pre-Hamilton hit into a critically acclaimed movie, and now he's turned his sights from New York City's Washington Heights to the yellow brick road. Chu, who's also behind the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, is helming Wicked, the Wizard of Oz prequel that took both Broadway and the West End by storm, with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo taking on the lead roles of two polar opposite witches: popular Glinda and green-skinned outcast Elphaba. 

The first full-length trailer for the movie musical releases today, giving us our best look yet at Chu's take on Elphaba and Glinda's friendship, the magical Shiz University, and the Emerald City – where they meet the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), a mysterious figure with a vendetta against Elphaba... 

We sat down to chat with Chu to ask him about bringing his version of Oz to life, heading back in time to Elphaba's childhood, and the personal touches Erivo and Grande brought to their roles.

The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

GamesRadar+: I'm really interested in how you created this version of Oz for the screen because you've got so much more scope and scale with a movie set than a theatre set. What were your reference points – did you look at the Victor Fleming movie? Did you look at the novel that Wicked is based on? Where do you start with creating such a vast landscape?

Jon M. Chu: Well, it was a big challenge. Oz is a giant world that has been interpreted many times and the L. Frank Baum novel has such a beautiful design to it, with these pops of colors within it and it has this art deco feel to it as well. I needed to build a team that understood that what we wanted to do was immerse the audience in this world where I felt like I'd never been in Oz. So Nathan Crowley, our production designer, Paul Tazewell our costume designer, Alice Brooks, our cinematographer, we all came together and we just started putting things together and used the images from the original book, the [W.W.] Denslow drawings, as the beginnings of our inspiration. All the lands were connected by waterways, so that really helped us be like, 'Oh, okay, if they're connected by waterways, before the era of the yellow brick road, [that] probably was their main transportation.' Our movie has such big themes of transition and change and transportation has such a big place in that, whether it was from walking on a road, riding on a horse, automobiles, a train, or actual flight. So this idea of progress, and what does progress take? It was really through story that we found how we were going to design it. 

But it was challenging, you know, we've seen magic schools before. So how do you make it unique to Oz? We would always go back to those original drawings and things that made us delighted. In fact, every time something was too normal, we'd look at it, like, 'What's delightful about it?' When you think of Alice in Wonderland, Wonderland is designed to make you feel a little bit crazy, and Neverland is a place for your childlike imagination to play. And Oz's place in those worlds, to us, was wonder and delight – that you were supposed to follow a yellow brick road and this guy was going to give you all the answers and give you your heart's desire. It was like this perfect thing, and in this movie, we're going to break that, we're going to shatter that. So to establish that facade at first was so important. And at the same time establish this natural side – what was Oz before [the Wizard] ever arrived? And so that's why nature has been a big part of our design, the grass breaking through the road and the trees and things like that, all sort of circular. Elphaba is the crack, the 'z' in Oz, so as the movie develops you see more sharp edges start to come in and invade that space, but the two together are what make life beautiful. 

Speaking of Elphaba, from the trailer, it looks like we get a flashback to her childhood in a way that isn't really explored in the stage show. Why was it important to you to delve a bit more into her backstory in this movie?

Well, we really had to gather our horses around the Elphaba character. When we looked at what two movies could look like, [we thought] is one about Elphaba and one more about Glinda? What are we driving people towards so that each movie feels satisfying, emotionally, in itself, not like you're left on a cliffhanger? Of course, plot points are left to stretch through, but emotionally, you want to feel like 'Defying Gravity' or wherever we end up is the thing you've been waiting for. And that means moving backward in this character of Elphaba.

The movie starts with a narrator who is not Elphaba, who is telling [you] that she's dead and then you go back and you find out more about her. But then you go back to a time when [Elphaba and Glinda] were in school together, and then you meet Elphaba. So it's very late [in the movie]. But when you start to track Elphaba, you find out you need to know more – so many times she doesn't have dialogue and you're like, she needs to say something here. Sometimes, Elphaba can get treated as just a one-liner joke: 'Oh, that girl who dresses weird and moves weird.' But with Cynthia, we couldn't do that. There's no way, she was like, 'This is where I live, it's not gonna have nothing. I would have a book, I would have things, I'm a woman, I would have what I want to take care of myself. I don't take not take care of myself.' So we had to build props and things that she needed as a character. [She was] like, 'When I am dancing at the dance, I'm not just being silly to be silly. This is not a joke. I need to find how I express myself when I move. It's the first time I'm making space for my movements. Whether they like it or not, it's my defiance.' And that suddenly becomes much more emotional, it suddenly becomes so much more character-driven. 

So everything we did was driven on that arc of, 'Where is Elphaba? Where is Glinda? Why are they necessary? Why do they need each other to be the best that [they] can be? And why does that hurt our hearts?' To actually be the best that they can be, they have to go apart. And that push and pull is what we did in the script to try to get it there so that you would feel all the feels because, actually, a movie requires that. A show, you can kind of let it go when it's fun, it's whatever. But a movie, you can call bullshit on a lot, so you have to tie all that up.

Going back to what you said about Cynthia and Elphaba – was there a lot of that kind of collaboration with her and Ariana? It sounds like Cynthia's kind of put her own riff on 'Defying Gravity,' so were they keen to put their own personal touches on their musical numbers? 

All the time. That was the thing between Ari, Cynthia, and I, and even Jeff [Goldblum] and Michelle [Yeoh] and Johnny [Bailey], we were creating this together. That's the way I like to work. It's scary to make Wicked because everyone has such high expectations and if we do it, if we go middle of the road, no one will be satisfied, especially us. We all had to be bold, and we all had to stick our necks out and sometimes be scared of what people would think. But we knew that the only way to excellence was to be able to go through that together, so we linked arms and said, 'Okay, let's push each other. Let's find the truth in all of this,' because we knew how much the original musical still to this day has such truthful words in it, so we would find every ounce of where our own lives were intersecting with these characters. It felt like therapy the whole time because the story is full of moments of change and decisions and right now in our lives, all across the world, everyone's making significant changes and decisions based on what our next chapter is going to be.

Wicked arrives in cinemas on November 28. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's biggest movie release dates.  

The first full-length trailer for Wicked is here, promising an emotional roller coaster through the world of Oz. A short teaser was released back in February, but this new clip gives us a much better look at director Jon M. Chu's big-screen take on the hit Broadway and West End musical (which is in turn based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire).

In the trailer, outcast Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and popular Glinda (Ariana Grande) meet for the first time as new students at Shiz University, and headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) allocates the pair as roommates. 

Glinda isn't too happy about this, as she was "promised a private suite," and things get off to a rocky start for the pair. We discover that Glinda is the reason Elphaba wears that iconic pointy black hat, too, but it's not a gift given out of kindness: Glinda doesn't want it anymore, and jokes to her friends that she "would give it away, but I don't hate anyone that much", before encouraging Elphaba to wear it to a dance. She soon regrets her decision to humiliate her roommate, though, and the duo strike up an unlikely friendship. 

At Shiz University, we also get another look at Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero and Peter Dinklage's Dr. Dillamond, who's both a professor and a goat and tells us that a "true sorcerer" is a rare thing these days. Elphaba might be just that though, with Morrible telling her that she's "remarkable" – but this poses a threat to the powers that be. 

We get a better glimpse at the Emerald City and Jeff Goldblum's Wizard of Oz, who's also got a vendetta against Elphaba aided by a team-up with Morrible. "The way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy," we hear him say, and that enemy to unite the people just so happens to be a certain green-skinned witch… 

Wicked arrives on the big screen on November 28 in the UK and on Thanksgiving in the US. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other best upcoming movies on the way in 2024. For more on the trailer, check out our interview with director Jon M. Chu.

Last year I spent a small fortune buying tickets to one of Madonna’s greatest-hits gigs at the O2 in London. Her Madgesty was on top form that night (and on time…) and my wife and I had a pretty good view from our seats in the lower tier.

Well, we did until Mads arrived on stage. At that moment, the couple directly in front of us shot to their feet and proceeded to remain that way for the next two hours. Oblivious to anyone around them, they writhed, gyrated and Vogue-d like they were auditioning to be backing dancers. Instead of watching a 65-year-old pop star turn back time, we spent the evening looking, both literally and figuratively, at a pair of annoying arses.

I had another concert experience in 2023 that was the total opposite of our compromised night in North Greenwich. A great seat I got to sit in for the entirety of the set. A perfect view of the stage that stayed blissfully unobstructed. Flawless sound, epic tunes and not a single camera phone held aloft anywhere in my vicinity. And all for a fraction of what I had spent on Madonna’s Celebration shindig.

The concert was Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, thrillingly and thoughtfully captured on film in all its three-hour, multi-costumed glory. What a treat it was to savour it in the comfort of my local cinema, safe in the knowledge there would not be one duff note, dodgy key change or screaming Swiftie to temper my enjoyment.

I had just as much fun watching Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, another fine record of a game-changing performance with revealing backstage footage thrown in for good measure. Not for a moment did I feel I was missing out; if anything, I felt I was getting more bang for my buck than I would ever have got in a stadium. If Tay Tay and Queen B’s cine-triumphs are anything to go by, the new breed of concert film is no longer a lesser alternative: it’s visually, sonically and sensorily superior. Or is it just me?

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The trailer for the Wicked movie is here as it debuts during the Super Bowl, and it sees Cynthia Erivo defying gravity.

This marks the first major look at the epic musical adaptation, aside from some early stills, as the trailer introduces its two leading witches, Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Charting their unlikely friendship that develops at Shiz University, the musical acts as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, with the film being divided into two parts.

The trailer gives us some insight into director Jon M. Chu’s epic scale, showcasing Erivo's incredible pipes in the musical's most popular song, "Defying Gravity" and bringing the world of Oz to life in a way not seen on screen since the 1939 film. Grande makes her debut as Glinda, donning the famous pink Good Witch gown, with Erivo putting on that classic black Wicked Witch hat. We also get our first look at Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Michelle Yeo as Madame Morrible. Ethan Slater's Boq is noticeably absent.

"It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me," Elphaba tells Glinda. The two veer off into different directions, with Glinda becoming enamored with power and Elphaba determined to stay true to herself. The movie is mainly an adaptation of the hit musical that has enjoyed long runs on both the West End and Broadway, but it also draws on the book that inspired it by Gregory Maguire. If you've seen the Judy Garland-led film... you already know how this ends. Still, we can't wait for what's going to be a truly breathtaking, gut-wrenching movie musical.

Filming recently wrapped on both movies, with Chu sharing an update via Instagram. "Thank you to the massive crew and cast and @universalpictures pictures for supporting the most ambitious cinematic production I have ever been a part of or, frankly, ever witnessed," he wrote. "We built real Munchkinland! A multi-level Shiz University Campus! I walked and shopped in a real Emerald City and met the actual Wizard head that moved in realtime!"

Wicked: Part One is scheduled to release in theaters on November 11th 2024. Check out what else is also coming your way with our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies.

And that trailer wasn’t the only new look that debuted at the 2024 Super Bowl either, with Twisters, Deadpool 3, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also landing.

This latest adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning tale of an African-American girl’s coming of age in early 20th-century Georgia takes its cue not from the 1985 Steven Spielberg movie but the noughties Broadway musical. Making her screen debut, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Fantasia Barrino reprises her stage role as the abused Celie, whose only respite comes from her bond with sister Nellie (radiant Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey). 

Celie is handed over to cruel farmer Mister (Colman Domingo) to care for his home and ungrateful brood, but a lifeline arrives in the form of jazz singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson). Although Mister is infatuated with Shug, she’s the one who helps set Celine on the path to sexual and spiritual empowerment. 

Despite its cast’s myriad talents, 2023's The Color Purple (helmed by Blitz Bazawule, who co-directed Beyoncé’s Black is King) proves less impactful than its forerunners. Boasting spectacular choreography, it’s an utter feast for the eyes. But there’s often a disconnect between its harrowing subject matter and upbeat song and dance numbers. 

The chemistry between Barrino and Henson is somewhat lacking, but Danielle Brooks (another Globe/BAFTA nominee) is formidable as Celie’s daughter-in-law Sofia (a role that previously bagged an Oscar nod for Oprah Winfrey, here one of the film’s producers, alongside Spielberg). 

Meanwhile, the third act sees a series of redemption arcs come together in an overly neat way; the film treads a fine line between saccharine and crowd-pleasing, though there’s no doubt a few moments will elicit tears. 

The Color Purple is in US theaters now and in UK cinemas from January 26. 

The first trailer for Jennifer Lopez's (semi-autobiographical?) musical movie has arrived – and we're not entirely sure what's happening.

Lopez is set to release her new album This Is Me...Now, a sequel to 2002's This Is Me...Then, this February, with a Prime Video-exclusive narrative musical titled This Is Me...Now: A Love Story dropping on the same day. Directed by Dave Meyers and co-written by Ben Affleck, the narrative movie musical is an "ode to Lopez's journey of self-healing and everlasting belief in fairytale endings" (H/T NBC).

The trailer, however, is an unexpectedly epic yet extremely campy big-budget extravaganza that puts J-Lo on the back of a motorcycle, in a hazmat suit, on a basketball court, and in outer space at one point. The trailer cuts from a dance sequence taking place in the middle of a wedding to her sitting on the couch opposite rapper Fat Joe, who is her therapist. 

We then cut to an intervention held by her friends in which they sit her down and tell her they think she might be a sex addict. Suddenly, she's in group therapy explaining how she couldn't sleep at night when she was eight years old, and then she's working (and dancing) in a factory. There's also what appears to be a basketball court musical number, a homage to Singing in the Rain, then she's an alien princess of some kind. Yeah.

The cast includes Trevor Noah, Kim Petras, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara – and astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson for some reason.

This Is Me...Now: A Love Story is set to hit Prime Video on February 16, 2024. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond.

Over a year after his glimmering masterpiece Elvis hit the big screen, director Baz Luhrmann now wants to return to the King of Rock and Roll’s life story, but this time in TV show format. 

In a conversation with CinemaBlend about his recent Hulu series Faraway Downs, which essentially is the director’s 2008 feature Australia divided into episodes, Luhrmann revealed he is now planning to do the same to Elvis, but it will differ from the movie. “I really would love to do the episodic version of Elvis. And I'll take a completely different storytelling style than I would if I'd done it for the cinema.” said the Moulin Rouge director. 

Luhrmann’s 2022 epic starring Austin Butler as the hip-swinging singer was a big hit with critics and audiences alike, and earned eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor. So why after all of the success and accolades would Luhrmann want to turn the story into a different format?

“Now, okay, why would I be so stupid? Well, like when an iconic, popular musician does a song and they perform it in concert and they do, you know, let's say it's a dance cut, they do a heavy metal version. I think of the dexterity of music, and the ability to take the same piece and reinterpret and rediscover.” The Great Gatsby director explained. “It keeps the artist engaged. But it also keeps decoding and recoding the story, [and] keeps it alive in the moment. So that's why I would do it. And I think I would do it with Elvis.”

Thinking about Elvis’ life story as a musical ensemble is certainly fitting, as his life story can certainly be interpreted in many different ways. Luhrmann's movie focused on the star's rise to fame and his troubling relationship with shady manager Colonel Tom Parker, whereas Sofia Copolla’s 2023 movie Priscilla tells the Elvis tale from his wife’s perspective. 

With the musician's illustrious career both on and off the stage, we are sure that Luhrmann’s Elvis only just scratched the surface, and there is so much more to tell about one of the most famous men to ever live. We for one cannot wait to see what Luhrmann does with it all next! 

Elvis is avalible to rent on Amazon Video now. For more check out our list of upcoming TV shows heading your way in 2023 and beyond.

We finally know when Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will arrive on streaming platforms, and fortunately for fans of the pop star, it's pretty darn soon. 

The singer recently announced that the movie will be released digitally on December 13 in honor of her birthday, with three extra songs from the live show that weren't included in the theatrical version. The announcement came the morning after she performed the final 2023 date of the tour in Brazil.

The original film has grossed $178 million in the US, setting a record for a concert film many times over. Worldwide, it's racked up around $248.9 million.

On Instagram and Twitter, Swift revealed to her followers that the extended version – which will be available to rent on demand in the US, Canada and additional countries to be announced soon – will feature performances of Wildest Dreams, The Archer, and Long Live.

"OMGGGGG!!! Can't wait to rewatch 20 times!! Only Tay gives presents to Swifties on HER own birthday!!" someone replied, while another excitedly said: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME OMG I AM SCREAMING!!!! I'LL BE WATCHING THE ERAS TOUR FILM 24/7 STARTING DECEMBER 13TH. This honestly feels like it's my birthday instead??!!??"

Although it seems not everyone is happy, with several fans responding to the tweet to ask about one particular track that was cut from the film and seemingly won't be added ahead of streaming, either; Cardigan.

"WHERE IS CARDIGAN," one disgruntled onlooker cried, as another said: "AND NO CARDIGAN?!? why does she hate me..."

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour releases digitally on December 13. While we wait, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies coming out in late 2023 and beyond. 

15 years after the release of the original, the producer of the original Mamma Mia! movie confirms that despite delays, a third installment is well on the way.

In an interview with Variety ,producer Judy Craymer revealed that Mamma Mia! 3 is in the works but some people *cough* ABBA *cough* may need a little more convincing first. “I’m sure [the third movie] will happen. I’m in the privileged position that I have Universal Studios wanting to do it, who I love working with, and I have a storyline,” said Craymer, adding that past Mamma Mia! movies also took time to come to fruition. “Bjorn and Benny always take a certain amount of convincing. I don’t know how much more convincing they’re gonna have because everybody wants another film.”

The original Mamma Mia! movie, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried as Donna and Sophie - the unconventional mother-daughter duo living on a rural island in Greece - is a fun and vibrant romantic-comedy slash jukebox musical adapted from the theater production of the same name created in 1999.

Way back in 2008, Craymer convinced the Swedish pop supergroup ABBA to allow her musical to utilize their back catalog, sampling songs such as Take A Chance On Me, Knowing Me Knowing You, and Dancing Queen. The band also agreed to have their tracks played in the 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Baby Driver’s Lily James as a young Donna.

Craymer later said that the team took a break in creating Mamma Mia 3 as she had a Mamma-Mia-themed singing competition show to make, and the band also had their hands full with their latest virtual reality residential in London, ABBA Voyage. But despite delays, the producer attests the third act will happen, stating: “We’ve done the television show and now maybe I’ll focus on the movie.” For now, it is uncertain when the new movie will hit screens but if Craymer can convince ABBA to share their musical talents once more, the sequel will be here before we know it. 

Mamma Mia! is available to rent on Amazon Prime and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is available to stream on Netflix right now. For more upcoming movies, check out our list of the most exciting new films coming in 2023 and beyond.

“Seventeen years of music, one era at a time.” That’s how pop superstar Taylor Swift pitches The Eras Tour, her biggest project to date. While that simple description acts as a neat summary, it doesn’t come close to capturing the sheer scale and ambition involved here. A triumphant homage to all of Swift’s albums, from her 2006 self-titled debut to her most recent effort Midnights, The Eras Tour tells the story of one of the most influential figures of the 21st century. 

Tickets for the actual gigs were like gold dust, so Swift and co. decided to do something special for the fans. Filmed over three nights during the tour’s US leg, this concert movie brings the experience to millions via the big screen. That alone is something to be celebrated, making a once-in-a-lifetime moment accessible for those unable to attend IRL, whether for financial, health or other reasons. Swift thanks her fans, saying: “This is all because of you and for you.” It’s a statement we’ve heard countless times from other stars, but here rings true. 

As Swift takes us through nearly two decades’ worth of music, her incredible range is highlighted like never before. From the country-pop sounds of Fearless to the edgy Reputation to the indie-folk tones of Folklore, the set-list is impressively varied, fully justifying the nearly three-hour runtime. In fact, it could’ve been longer; though we get banger after banger, a few favourites are missing like Exile, State of Grace, New Romantics… (some tracks from the tour are also MIA, such as Cardigan). 

Still, every era is vividly brought to life, with dazzling staging that reflects the mood of each album. While the folky Evermore section takes us to the woodlands (cue a piano covered in leaves), the more upbeat 1989 segment sees Swift and her superb dancers smash up a digital car. 

The attention to detail is remarkable; even the microphones are changed to suit each era. The performers go all out for energetic songs such as Shake If Off, which will have viewers desperate to jump up and boogie, while quieter ballads are more stripped-back affairs. Seeing Swift alone on the stage for a 10-minute take on All Too Well - often hailed as her best work - is especially powerful, hitting you right in the tear ducts. 

It’s an emotional film full stop, giving us an intimate look at Swift and her experience of these massive gigs. Though we don’t go behind the scenes - this is very much a concert movie rather than a documentary - director Sam Wrench doesn’t skimp on close-ups of the star, who’s clearly blown away by the crowd’s response. Swift takes it all in, eyes often filling with tears, face dripping with beads of sweat (that iconic red lipstick stays intact throughout, though). The result is an honest portrait of an artist who, despite being captured at the height of her powers, still has significant vulnerabilities. 

But what if you’re not a Taylor Swift fan? Naturally, the less familiar you are with her music, the less you’ll likely get out of this movie. All the same, you don’t need to be a Swiftie to admire the astonishing staging, endless creativity, and the spectacle of an artist giving her all. 

And despite this being The Eras Tour, running through Swift’s greatest hits, you can’t help feeling at the end that the surface has only been scratched; that this is an ever-evolving musician who still has quite the journey ahead of her. Here’s to the next era…

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is in cinemas now. 

“Hi! I’ve got a tape I want to play.” These now legendary words are uttered by David Byrne at the start of the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense without any bravado, something matched by the simple staging of the musician standing with a guitar against a plain background. But as he starts strumming along to the beats of Talking Heads’ classic song ‘Psycho Killer’, it becomes clear that despite the stark simplicity of this scene, we are in for something truly special.

It’s been no secret over the past four decades that the band’s movie is a masterpiece, often being regarded as the greatest concert film ever made. Throughout the years many have come close, from LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up And Play The Hits to another one from Byrne - American Utopia, but nothing has reached the heights set up by this seminal triumph. However, as the credits rolled on a recent special screening of A24’s newly remastered edition of the film at the BFI IMAX a new realization dawned upon me - Stop Making Sense isn’t just the ultimate concert movie, but it is the ultimate cinematic experience too.

Burning down the house

As Nicole Kidman tells us in the now infamous AMC advert, we go to the cinema for “magic… to laugh, to cry, to care… for that indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and we go somewhere we’ve never been before”. However, it isn’t just about losing yourself in the film itself, but also about sharing that wonderful experience with the strangers sitting around you. At the end of the day it’s all about community, as we sob together, are dazzled together, and laugh together in the comfort of the darkness. And so, I asked myself - at which screening have I most felt this special bond? Well, the answer was as clear as day - Stop Making Sense, not once but twice.

In fact I hadn’t heard of the film until 2014 when I was volunteering as a student at the Leeds International Film Festival for their 28th edition. On the Saturday I was assigned to manage the doors at their all-day event titled ‘Once In A Lifetime - A Day Of Classic Music Concerts’. Showing a range of films including 1991: The Year Punk Broke and Awesome: I Fuckin’ Shot That, the Leeds Town Hall had been completely transformed to bring a festival-like atmosphere. The usual seats had been replaced by deck chairs, whilst at the back was a bar which also served street food. After checking tickets, volunteers were allowed to stay for the movies, and so I watched the likes of The Beastie Boys do their thing on-screen whilst hovering by the door.

But then Stop Making Sense began to play and the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. Audience members started to sing along, tapping their feet along with Byrne’s, and soon enough the chairs were being moved to the sides of the room to clear space for dancing. I was transfixed not only by the film itself but by how the crowd was reacting - eventually someone noticed me swaying in the corner and pulled me into the mix. The whole town hall was moving in union - no matter who you were in that room, everyone was connected, sharing a sense of euphoria. It feels cheap to call it a spiritual experience, maybe even religious, but that’s simply what it was - holy communion.

Once in a lifetime

Since then I have thought the experience was a one-off. Well, that was the case until the BFI IMAX special screening last week, which saw a packed crowd of strangers be brought together once again by Stop Making Sense. Just like before, there was singing, dancing, and joy, as we all felt an overwhelming sense of elation. At one point I turned around just to witness the pair of teenagers who were sitting behind me, happy tears in their eyes, singing along with ‘Take Me To The River’. 

Every sense is engaged when watching Stop Making Sense. This is something that the remaster has heightened too, bringing the film to life even more vividly than before. The new sound mix allows you to tune in to a singular instrument if you want, from Chris Frantz’s drums to Tina Weymouth’s bass. You can see the beads of sweat dripping down Byrne’s face as he runs around the stage in that famous oversized suit - which on the IMAX has never looked bigger. I’ll never forget moderator Spike Lee exclaiming the two, simple words “fat suit” to a bewildered Byrne during the screening’s Q&A, broadcast from the Toronto International Film Festival.

Seeing the Stop Making Sense remaster with that cheering crowd last week reminded me of what cinema is really about - togetherness. It’s a very special film for many reasons but for me, it’s that sense of community that it creates which makes it something to treasure - it’s pure cinema. 40 years on it’s the same as it ever was and it will certainly continue to burn down the house for decades more. Now - does anybody have any questions?

Stop Making Sense is out now in IMAX cinemas across the UK and US. General release is September 29.

For everything else the year has in store, check out our guide to all of 2023's upcoming major movie release dates.

Taylor Swift is shaking off the competition. The pop superstar's worldwide domination is showing no signs of slowing down – after pushing The Exorcist: Believer back from its original release date, Swift now has bad blood with both Batman and Doctor Strange. 

To be clear, you're not going to find footage of Swift battling it out with the superheroes, Endgame-style. No, we're talking about box office pre-sales. Swift's juggernaut Eras Tour is getting its own concert movie screening in theaters, and, per a report from Deadline, the movie has already raked in over $65 million in pre-sales. The Batman's US and Canada pre-sale figure was $42 million, while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' was $60 million. Swift certainly isn't having a cruel summer, then. 

We're also still a month out from Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour hitting theaters. That's plenty of time for Swift to be on another box office milestone's scent like a bounty hunter.

But, Swift hasn't quite caught up to Spider-Man: No Way Home just yet, which pulled in $120 million before its release. According to Deadline's sources, a $100 million opening for the Eras Tour movie wouldn't be a surprise, though. The Eras Tour is also being distributed directly by AMC and has a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, so it's not contravening the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors' strike, either. 

Batman and Doctor Strange aren't the first to lose the great war to the Eras Tour movie, with The Exorcist abandoning its Friday the 13th release date to make way for Swift, and GameStop stock movie Dumb Money, Meg Ryan rom-com What Happens Later, The Persian Version, and Ordinary Angels all best believing in Swift's bejewelled box office power and moving out of her way, too. 

The Eras Tour movie is hitting theaters in the US, Canada, and Mexico this October 13 – as overseas Swifties will remember all too well, the film doesn't yet have an international release confirmed. 

The film will also only screen on four consecutive weekends (plus Halloween), so if you plan to have the time of your life fighting dragons with Swift, you'll need to drop everything now and find a free weekend. Are you ready for it?

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates for everything else the year has in store (and yes, I have run out of Taylor Swift lyrics to quote). 

Stellan Skarsgard is pretty sure he'll be dead by the time Mamma Mia 3 comes around.

"I will be in an urn by the time there's a script for Mamma Mia 3," Skarsgard told Vogue. "But I will gladly participate as a pile of ashes."

The actor played Bill Anderson, one of Sophie's (Amanda Seyfried) three possible fathers in both Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia!  Here We Go Again, who eventually falls in love with Donna's (Meryl Streep) friend Rosie Mulligan (Dame Julie Walters).

Earlier this year, producer Judy Craymer told Deadline that a script for a third film was "in its earliest stages" and that star Streep would definitely come back if "the script was right."

Streep told Vogue: "We might have to call it Grand-Mamma Mia! by the time we make it!"

The musical movie, based on the music of Swedish pop sensations ABBA, became fifth-highest grossing movie of 2008, grossing $52 million against a budget of $11 million. Phyllida Lloyd directed the film from a screenplay by Catherine Johnson.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, directed by OI Parker, was released ten years later in 2018. The film, which serves as both a prequel and a sequel, grossed over $400 million against a $75 million budget. There's no official word on when a third film will be released, but we'll definitely be here for it – and hopefully so will Stellan Skarsgard.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Have you ever wondered what The Third Man might be like as a musical? Or The Time Traveller’s Wife? Or perhaps even The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? If you live anywhere near London you don’t have to. The same applies for Sunset Boulevard, Mrs. Doubtfire, Back to the Future, and Brokeback Mountain. Musical takes on films are now a staple in the British capital’s theatreland, and clearly everyone wants a piece of the action.

You can see the attraction for a West End producer or a playhouse needing to put bums on seats in the wake of the pandemic. Curiosity, nostalgia, and brand recognition make a potent combination, with lasting affection for the original sure to drive ticket sales, sight unseen. Bring in a creative or two with their own loyal fanbases – Bryan Adams, say, or Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics – and you’ll have a package intriguing enough to tempt filmgoers and music lovers alike. So much so, indeed, that you’ll likely accrue a healthy advance long before you even have to face the critics’ sharpened quills.

As a former theatre critic myself, it’s been interesting to see the medium I used to write about permeated in recent years by the one I write about now. And if the crossover works – as with the likes of Amélie, The Band’s Visit, and Heathers – it can be the best of both worlds. For all that, I can’t help feeling cinema’s inroads into theatre have cost the latter more than it’s actually gained. Established IP might be savvy business-wise, but it’s also something of a crutch – a buttress against risk that ultimately stifles genuine innovation and inventiveness.

Back in the day, a composer and lyricist duo such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice could take a seemingly unpromising notion – the life of an Argentinian dictator’s wife, for example – and mould it into theatrical gold. Who would take a punt today on a newcomer with a concept that outlandish? Films and musicals have been great bedfellows, but the time has surely come for a trial separation. Or is it just me?

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• Is it just me, or should more films have intermissions? 

Timothee Chalamet's Wonka looks a bit like a certain Jim Henson muppet – and, uh, we agree.

A Twitter user provided a side-by-side comparison between Chalamet's wardrobe in the upcoming musical prequel and Gonzo the Great in The Muppet's Christmas Carol... and it's rather uncanny. Both Wonka and Gonzo are wearing a brown top hat (that's seen better days), a burgundy coat with sleeves just short enough to get a glimpse at their white undershirts, and a similarly knotted neck scarf. Even more odd, the vest under Wonka's coat bears the same yellow-and-blue color scheme from Gonzo's scarf.

While it's entirely possible that the outfit similarities are just a coincidence, both Wonka and The Muppet Christmas Carol do take place in the same Victorian/Edwardian time period. A quick Google search will tell you that Wonka is meant to serve as a prequel to the 1971 Gene Wilder film, but director Paul King (Mr. Paddington himself) says the film is meant to be more of a companion piece to film, rather than a direct prequel.

The Muppet Christmas Carol, directed by Jim Henson's son Brian, premiered in 1992, and is a Muppet retelling of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Gonzo serves as the narrator for the film, starring as Dickens himself. Given that the original story takes place in 1843, this was very much the Victorian era – and Gonzo's attire reflects that. We don't blame the Wonka costume team for taking inspiration: it's a great fit.

The Gene Wilder-let film was the first adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with the studio deciding to put Willy Wonka in the title instead as to sound more exciting and mysterious for moviegoers. The costume design includes the signature top hat, but with a purple velvet jacket, a green bowtie, and a floral vest. Tim Burton's 2005 reimagining put Wonka in a black top hat, nixed the bowtie, switched the jacket to a darker burgundy, and added some leather gloves. It's safe to say that Chalamet's Wonka attire is somewhere in the middle, combining the design elements of both... but it still looks like he robbed Gonzo off the street.

Wonka is set to hit theaters on December 15, 2023. For more Wonka, check out our interview with Paul King or watch the trailer here.

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies may have received two nominations in the Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming category at this year's Emmys, but viewers will struggle to watch the show. 

The Grease prequel premiered on Paramount Plus in April 2023, with episodes releasing weekly until the finale on June 1. By the end of the same month, the series had been canceled and permanently removed from the streamer. 

Rise of the Pink Ladies follows the founding members of the titular girl gang in 1954, four years before the events of the movie Grease. The show follows the girls as they go from fed-up outcasts to forming the school's first clique that dares to have fun on their own terms – sparking a moral panic in the process that will change Rydell High forever.

The show features a number of musical numbers, and its Emmy nominations recognize choreographers Jeffrey Mortensen and Louise Hradsky for their work on the songs 'Pulling Strings', 'Hit Me Again', 'High Rollin'', along with Jamal Sims for his work on 'New Cool', 'Hand Jive', and 'The Boom'.

Elsewhere in this year's Emmy nominations, Succession led the way with 27 nominations. The HBO series also made history by becoming the first show to have three of its stars nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Brian Cox were all recognized in the category. The Last of Us and The White Lotus were close behind, with 24 and 23 nominations apiece. 

The Emmys are currently scheduled to take place on September 18, but there's a chance they may be delayed due to the ongoing writers' strike and the imminent actors' strike. For more on the awards, check out our full list of the 2023 Emmy nominees.

Adapted by Tim Firth from his own stage musical The Band and directed by Coky Giedroyc (How to Build a Girl), Greatest Days is billed as "the official Take That musical".

But though its soundtrack sports sundry reworked Take That songs, this is neither biopic nor A Hard Day’s Night-style caper. Instead, the focus is on five fangirls and, by extension, pop music’s ability to transport us emotionally. 

The premise is (deceptively) straightforward: forty-something nurse Rachel (Aisling Bea) wins a competition to see her favourite teenhood boy band play in Athens. Given four extra tickets, she invites her closest pals from school in Clitheroe, despite the fact that they haven’t seen each other for 25 years…

Switching confidently between two time frames – 1993 and present day – and casts (the adult contingent includes Alice Lowe, Jayde Adams, Amaka Okafor and, as Bea’s husband, Marc Wootton), the story is structured around a series of spectacular song-and-dance set pieces. The first flashback Introduces us to Rachel’s adolescent self (played by Lara McDonnell, a convincing match for Bea), who has the gift of being able to summon from imagination her favourite (unnamed) pop idols, prompting drab reality to give way to exuberant fantasy. 

Giedroyc doesn’t ignore life’s inevitable sadnesses – along the way there are unexpected bereavements, family rifts, unfulfilled youthful dreams… It’s the uplift that sticks, though. Greatest Days’ greatest scene sees the women preparing to board a budget flight in a Busby Berkeley-esque whirl of gold ball gowns, top hats and canes, and geometric patterns. "Let It Shine", indeed…

Greatest Days is in UK cinemas on June 16. For more upcoming films, check out our 2023 movie release dates.

Not everything can be fixed in post, but it doesn't hurt to try. Grease prequel Rise of the Pink Ladies recently had to attempt its own CGI DIY to work around a lead actor departing the series – to hilarious results.

As first spotted by LittleKuriboh (of Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged fame) on Twitter, it appears that Richie actor Johnathan Nieves left partway through production and was replaced by a body double and what looks like a Photoshopped image of the actor's face.

The end of the eighth episode sees the leader of the T-Birds get into a physical confrontation with Buddy, with Richie looking decidedly static during the showdown.

Look a little closer and it's clear that body doubles and some slapdash CGI are used to avoid drawing attention to the fact that Nieves wasn't physically present in the scene. Unfortunately, as you can see below, it didn't quite go as planned.

"It looks like they printed out a photo of his face and glued it to the tip of some guy's nose," one wrote on Twitter.

In the show's defence, another added: "Oh man, I hate that this is gonna be the reason people hear about the show and not because of how charming it is."

It's not clear why Nieves left the show, but he's only fully absent in episodes 9 and 10. With Richie having left Rydell for a stint in military school, there's every reason he could return if Rise of the Pink Ladies gets a second season on Paramount Plus.

For more on what’s coming your way on streaming, check out our guide to new TV shows.

Benjamin Millepied’s feature directorial debut doesn’t just reimagine Georges Bizet’s classic opera Carmen, it completely reinvents it. Doing away with its music, plot, and setting, this version takes place on the Mexican/US border, a locale established through scorching vistas that feel as if they could catch fire at any moment.

And at points, they literally do. When Carmen steps onto the screen in the form of Scream 6 star Melissa Barrera – radiant as a young woman reeling with grief over her mother's murder - she sets her home alight. Leaving her past behind, she flees across the border and into the path of Paul Mescal’s Aidan, a former soldier struggling to adjust to civilian life. 

The Aftersun star’s blistering performance exudes frustrated masculinity as he waltzes around in his Stanley Kowalski-style vest top, while his chemistry with Barrera sizzles as the pair end up on a cross-state chase from the law. 

Dancer-turned-director Millepied captures their passionate journey through a series of emotional dance sequences that echo his impressive choreography for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. Dream-like moments weave movement through the narrative in a series of bold arrangements; particular stand-outs are a neon-streaked fairground scene and a rap-narrated boxing match. As the tragedy – one of the few held-over themes from the original – unfolds, their story culminates in a dust-filled desert dance that lingers long after the credits roll. 

Yet despite the leads’ chemistry, Carmen doesn’t manage to turn these sparks of brilliance into something bigger. The focus on dance over dialogue doesn't help a meandering plot that never feels like it’s getting anywhere. And while the Mexican/US border offers ripe context for political discourse, the script only scratches the thematic surface. 

Perhaps the biggest issue is the underuse of the leads’ musical talents. Barrera’s captivating rendition of 'Tú y Yo' and Mescal’s soulful 'Slip Away' teases their potential. Elsewhere, though, the lack of earworms means that for an adaptation (however loose) of one of the world’s most famous operas, this comes up short. 

Carmen is in selected UK cinemas from June 2. For more upcoming movies, here's our guide to 2023 movie release dates.

Moana star Auli'i Cravalho has confirmed she won’t be back for the upcoming live-action remake. While the actor, who voiced the young girl in the 2016 movie, remains an executive producer on the film, she shared a statement on Instagram confirming she won’t star. 

"When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career," she told fans. "In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell."

Cravalho is now 22, while the character of Moana is 14, which is seemingly one of the main reasons behind the choice. The original movie was set on the Polynesian island of Motunui and followed Moana’s journey across the ocean to return the heart of Te Fiti to its rightful owner.

"I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength," Cravalho added. "I’m truly honored to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent to honor our incredible Pacific peoples, cultures, and communities that help inspire her story, and I look forward to the beautiful Pacific representation to come."

While the lead actor won’t be back, her co-star Dwayne Johnson will be reprising his role as Maui. He confirmed that the live-action remake was in the works in April, saying he was "humbled" to appear in the new adaptation.

Moana is the latest in a long line of live-action remakes from Disney, including Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid. For more on other new Disney movies, check out all the latest through that link.

Timothée Chalamet has revealed why he said yes to starring in Wonka as the titular chocolatier – and it's a very wholesome reason. 

"To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy," Chalamet told Vogue. "That's why I was drawn to it. In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there's so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate."

Wonka footage has yet to be revealed to the public, but some did play behind closed doors for CinemaCon attendees. The footage revealed that Hugh Grant will be playing an Oompa Loompa, while Sally Hawkins plays Wonka's mother, and Calah Lane plays a friend of the chocolatier's. 

"This is a Willy that’s full of joy and hope and desire to become the greatest chocolatier," Chalamet told the CinemaCon crowd.

The film will be a prequel that explores Wonka's origins, directed by Paddington and Paddington 2 helmer Paul King. Rowan Atkinson and Olivia Colman are also part of the cast, along with Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jim Carter. 

Chalamet can next be seen in the highly anticipated Dune 2, in which he plays Paul Atreides opposite an all-star cast that includes Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and many, many more. 

He'll also be starring as Bob Dylan in a biopic of the singer-songwriter. James Mangold is directing and Elle Fanning will co-star. 

Wonka arrives this December 15. While you wait, check out our guide to all of 2023's major movie release dates for everything else the year has in store. 

Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer has a promising update regarding a third film.

"It’s in its earliest stages. I don’t want to over-egg it, but I know there’s a trilogy there," Craymer told Deadline. "There is a story there, and I do think Meryl should come back – and if the script is right, she would, I think, because she really loved playing Donna."

Mamma Mia!, based on the 1999 jukebox musical of the same name which in turn is based on the discography of Swedish pop group ABBA, tells the story of a young bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) who invites three men to her wedding, with the possibility that one of them could be her father. 

The A-list cast included Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Dominic Cooper, and Stellan Skarsgård. The musical movie became fifth-highest grossing movie of 2008, grossing $52 million against a budget of $11 million. Phyllida Lloyd directed the film from a screenplay by Catherine Johnson.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, this time directed by OI Parker, was released ten years later – and serves as both a prequel and a sequel, with Lily James playing a young version of Streep's Donna and most of the original cast returning to reprise their roles. The film grossed over $400 million against a $75 million budget.

Craymer is also working on a movie about Cher, who also made a cameo in Here We Go Again.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Hugh Grant will be playing an Oompa Loompa in the upcoming movie Wonka. In some new footage which debuted at CinemaCon, his casting was confirmed as attendees got their first look at his character.

Per Variety, the new footage featured Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka meeting Grant’s Oompa Loompa for the first time. The chocolatier encounters him when he’s trapped in a tiny glass jar and, naturally, he hires him to run his chocolate factory. 

Other actors appeared in the footage too, including Olivia Colman who’s playing an innkeeper, Sally Hawkins who plays Wonka’s mother, and Calah Lane who will star as Wonka’s new friend. Chalamet can also be seen singing and dancing as he goes on a journey to find magical chocolate recipes. "Every good thing in this world started with a dream," Wonka says, "so you hold onto yours."

Chalamet introduced the footage on stage at CinemaCon, where he said seeing Grant as an Oompa Loompa was a "trip", according to New York Times reporter Nicole Sperling. The actor also said playing Wonka was "a dream come true," confirming this version of the character won’t be "cynical". "This is a Willy that’s full of joy and hope and desire to become the greatest chocolatier," he added.

Elsewhere at CinemaCon, the first footage from Kraven the Hunter debuted and viewers got the chance to see The Flash as the first reactions trickled in. 

Wonka arrives in theaters on December 15, 2023. For all the other 2023 movie release dates, check out our guide to upcoming movies.