“Wicked” is a story of friendship, growth, and love, all accompanied by outstanding music. It was one, if not the most, of the year’s most anticipated movies and was released on Nov. 22. The movie adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
The star-studded cast didn’t end there. Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Jonathan Bailey, and more all made their appearances, adding their special touches to the classic characters from the musical. Towards the end of the film, there were a couple of cameos that true Wicked fans would enjoy.
Smashing box office records, Wicked pulled in $358 million worldwide at the box office, as of Nov. 30. According to Deadline, it stands as the “fourth highest grossing movie based on a Broadway musical after Mamma Mia! ($611.2M), Les Miserables ($442.7M) and Grease ($396.2M).”
Since the movie was announced, I knew I would be in the theater and ready to watch it. Social media was in a frenzy leading up to the film’s release. The theater I went to was packed with people wearing pink and green to represent Elphaba and Glinda. As they say in the film, “Pink goes good with green.”
After braving the long lines, I sat down with high expectations, and the next two hours and 40 minutes were nothing short of incredible.
With an approximate budget of $150 million, everything about this film was outstanding. The cast, costumes, songs, sets, and special effects added so much flare and gave the audience so much to look forward to.
The premise of the movie was to give fans a backstory to the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.” By telling this story, viewers get an inside look at the plot we all know and love. The main concern for me, along with others, was the length of the movie, but there was nothing to worry about. Every minute of the film held my attention, and when it ended, I was shocked since it didn’t feel long at all.
As the end credits started to roll, I immediately heard lots of chatter around the theater, with people saying nothing but great things about the film.
I have seen plenty of movies, but this by far was the best I have ever seen. It’s something everyone should experience at least once, and I am so happy I got to watch such an influential film.
If you’re like me and you left the theater wanting more, keep an eye out for part two of the film, which is set to release on Nov. 21, 2025.
