Deon Cole hosts the 57th NAACP Image Awards on February 28th. Photo: Paramount+.
Preview:
‘Sinners’ took home the big prizes at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.
‘Paradise’ and Cynthia Erivo were also among the winners.
The event took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Following the difficult, insulting moments of this year’s BAFTA Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Deon Cole, which took place Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, were a chance to balance things out.
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And Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ proved to be the big winner, going home with 13 awards following a nomination count of 18. Star Michael B. Jordan himself won both a Best Actor award and was honored with Entertainer of the Year.
The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, with NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson honoring the late civil rights activist, whose family was in attendance at the ceremony.
As a whole, it was a fairly run-of-the-mill awards ceremony – some tearful speeches, a sprinkling of politics, jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life – but got the job done.
Glaser returned to host again, offering a few fun skits (a parody of the Nicole Kidman AMC ad targeting podcasts, and a mash-up for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Marty Supreme’ with a Fran Drescher cameo.
Yes, some of the jokes were entirely predictable, but there were some pointed jabs at CBS News (“see BS News”) and the Epstein Files.
And overall, Glaser kept the show moving (it eventually ended roughly 10 minutes late).
There were a lot of expected winners, including several trophies for ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ and the latest for ‘Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet.
But the surprises were more fun –– ‘Hamnet’ scooped the Motion Picture – Drama award, while ‘The Secret Agent’ nabbed Non-English Language Film and a more unexpected (if entirely deserved) Actor trophy for star Wagner Moura.
A lot of the TV awards for drama and comedy were similar to other shows such as the Emmys, with ‘The Pitt,’‘The Studio’ and ‘Adolescence’ all winning more hardware for their trophy cabinets.
Awards shows are usually a mix of humble and heartfelt, and ‘One Battle’s Teyana Taylor certainly got that in early with her tearful acceptance moment.
Outside of acceptance speeches, Judd Apatow killed it presenting Best Director, nodding to Nikki Glaser’s history babysitting his daughters and his “quiet boycott” of the awards after ‘Trainwreck’ lost to ‘The Martian’ in the comedy category a decade ago.
Wanda Sykes was also on top form as she presented the Stand-Up category, swiping at Bill Maher and particularly Ricky Gervais, whose award she accepted “on behalf of God and trans people.”
And Snoop Dogg was… Snoop Dogg, handing out the first Podcast award, which was won by Amy Poehler for ‘Good Hang.’
There was much praise for Macaulay Culkin, who was presenting Best Screenplay, and scored a standing ovation as he took the stage.
Julia Roberts hyped up her own stint on stage Presenting Best Motion Picture Comedy, while poor George Clooney had to note that he did not get the same reaction presenting drama, a fact reiterated by pal Don Cheadle, who showed up to gently rib him.
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA will stream on Netflix March 1st.
Preview:
The nominations for the 2026 Actor Awards have been announced.
‘One Battle After Another’ leads the film field with seven nods.
The ceremony will screen on Netflix once more.
Despite the somewhat surprising decision to change the name of the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the clunkier The Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, everything else about the performer-focused awards is remaining the same.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
(L to R) Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Sam Nivola in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3. Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO.
The Golden Globes will take place on December 8th.
Despite lots of changes behind the scenes and some serious PR airbrushing, the Golden Globes never quite retained their luster. Still, they’re a big stop on the awards circuit and the nominations were announced today by Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall during a press conference held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
And on the TV front, ‘The White Lotus’ and this year’s big small screen sensation, the one-shot drama ‘Adolescence’ have the most nominations for their side of the awards.
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
(L to R) Teyana Taylor as Perfidia and Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another’ Ryan Coogler, ‘Sinners’
Guillermo del Toro, ‘Frankenstein’ Jafar Panahi, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Joachim Trier, ‘Sentimental Value’
Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another’ Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, ‘Marty Supreme’
Ryan Coogler, ‘Sinners’
Jafar Panahi, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, ‘Sentimental Value’ Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell, ‘Hamnet’
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
“Dream as One”, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
“Golden”, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
“I Lied to You”, ‘Sinners’
“No Place Like Home”, ‘Wicked: For Good’
“The Girl in the Bubble”, ‘Wicked: For Good’
“Train Dreams”, ‘Train Dreams’
The 31st Annual Critics Choice Film Awards Nominations have been announced.
‘Sinners’ leads the pack with 17 nominations.
The ceremony will air on E! and the USA Network in January.
After turning its box office fortunes around (and er, just being purchased), Warner Bros. is also seeing some awards success this year, with the likes of ‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ nabbing nominations and taking home trophies.
Also up for awards this year are the likes of ‘Hamnet’, ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Wicked: For Good,’ which have all also been getting attention during the current awards season.
(L to R) Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Jonathan Bailey is Fiyero in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Preview:
Universal wants to keep going to the ‘Wicked’ well.
The company is looking at other stories to tell within the land of Oz.
No details have been provided yet.
As Universal says “thank goodness” for the success of 2024’s ‘Wicked’ and this year’s follow-up, ‘Wicked: For Good,’ the company already has one eye on the future of the franchise. Even if it all remains clouded in secrecy for now.
Universal Studios’ chief marketing officer Michael Moses said this to Vulture about the potential for more stories set in the land of Oz:
“Because of ‘Wicked’s’ success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe. Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway.”
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So, yes… we can expect more trips to the land of Oz, even if the likes of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) seem unlikely to show up in anything more than cameos.
Who else has been talking about more ‘Wicked’ projects?
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
It’s not just the studio that has been hinting at future ‘Wicked’ ideas in the works.
Stephen Schwartz, the award-winning composer (who pushed to make the story into a stage show years ago and crafted all the songs, including the new entries in ‘For Good’) told the Ankler newsletter that he and Winnie Holzman –– who wrote the book for the musical and co-wrote the screenplay for both movies –– have been conjuring something up themselves.
Here’s what Schwartz said:
“I think the Glinda and Elphaba story feels complete — but there are other aspects that could be explored. Gregory Maguire, the original ‘Wicked’ novelist, has several books, for example. But there’s another idea that Winnie and I are discussing: not a sequel, but an adjunct. Let me put it that way.”
What shape could a ‘Wicked’ spin-off take?
Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
While the story of the ‘Wicked’ movies themselves does indeed feel like it has been told, there is no shortage of other material to draw from.
As Schwartz notes, Maguire has written eight sequel novels. His most recent book was published this year and was an Elphaba prequel story titled “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.” A Glinda prequel is scheduled for 2026.
Universal may well look to television also, with the potential for stories set on the small screen –– and let’s not forget that the company has its theme parks, where there may well be the chance for guests to interact with Ozians to a greater degree now that the movies are such a hit.
(L to R) Jonathan Bailey is Fiyero and Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:
‘Zootopia 2’ was a hit at the Thanksgiving holiday box office.
The Disney animated sequel earned $156 million across five days.
‘Wicked: For Good’ had a solid second weekend.
Disney has long staked out the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period as prime box office real estate, priming one of its animated movies for release as families are looking for something to watch as part of their celebrations.
And in the case of ‘Zootopia 2,’ the strategy has worked, with the sequel to the 2016 original enjoying a successful first fun, ending up with $156 million for the extended weekend period ($96.8 million from Friday to Sunday).
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That puts it just behind last year’s ‘Moana 2’ (which is still the top Thanksgiving grosser) and ahead of other Disney stablemates such as ‘Frozen II.’
In addition to its domestic haul, the new movie earned good reviews and broke some records overseas.
It scored the top opening day of the year to date for an animated title in key markets, including in France, Germany and Italy, an even more impressive feat considering it isn’t a holiday elsewhere, not to to mention a record-setting $272 million in China at a time when Hollywood is worried about the future of the Chinese market.
The movie ended up with a massive $556 million globally to stand as the fourth-biggest opening weekend in history.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
(L to R) Bowen Yang is Pfannee, Bronwyn James is Shenshen, and Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
‘Wicked: For Good,’ the second part of Jon M. Chu’s ambitious adaptation of the stage musical and Gregory Maguire book that present an alternate look at the storyline from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ fell 62.2% from its opening weekend, but still put up some impressive numbers.
It crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office on Thanksgiving day itself and ended up with a $93 million total at the end of the five-day period, for a $270.4 million total in the States and $393.3 million globally after 10 days on release.
While its reviews and earning power might not have been as rapturous as last year’s first ‘Wicked,’ it’s clearly still enchanting audiences.
Third place went to ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,’ with the latest entry in the magician heist franchise taking $10.1 million across the five days.
In fourth, we find ‘Predator: Badlands’ with $85 million so far domestically since release, ahead of fifth-placed entry ‘The Running Man,’ which truly seems to have run out of steam, ending up with $34 million total in the US so far.
There were few new entries looking to challenge Disney’s dominance of the holiday, but A24 did open whimsical afterlife comedy drama ‘Eternity’ in more than 1,400 theaters, where it took in $5.2 million.
(L to R) Callum Turner and Elizabeth Olsen in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Preview:
‘Wicked: For Good’ has launched successfully at the box office.
It made $150 million in North America.
The film also had the fourth most successful global start for a movie in 2025.
The signs and portents were already healthy around ‘Wicked: For Good,’ but the actual launch of the second movie adapted from the hit Broadway musical (and source novel) really showed some magic, and is now the most successful film adapted from a stage show.
Director Jon M. Chu’s second film, which followed last year’s ‘Wicked’ has begun its box office run as the second most successful movie debut this year, with $150 million in North America. That wasn’t enough to topple ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ which was still the best launch with $162 million this past April.
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Still, assuming ‘For Good’ has legs (and the “A” grade CinemaScore from audiences suggests it might), this should easily be one of the biggest hits of the year).
And it’s a welcome boost for the box office in general, which has been languishing of late.
(L to R) Ariana Grande is Glinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
With an additional $76 million from overseas markets and more than $226 million globally, ‘For Good’ was the fourth-biggest launch this year, behind the likes of the live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch,’‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, and, of course, ‘A Minecraft Movie.’
Still, Universal will be happy with the result, and is far ahead of where ‘Wicked’ was upon its own opening last year ($164.2 million).
Here’s Franchise Entertainment Research’s David A. Gross on the movie’s success:
“This is a sensational opening. The only limitation, relatively speaking, is the series’ overseas performance. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a classic American story, with a natural domestic skew.”
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
There was less to feel good about for other new releases.
‘Rental Family,’ which stars Brendan Fraser as a lonely, struggling actor who lands the not-so-plum job of playing stand-in roles for strangers in Japan, opened in fifth with $3.3 million. Yet it did at least enjoy strong reviews and positive word of mouth, which might help it stick around.
Action thriller ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ landed at sixth place with $2.6 million, behind already soft estimates of $3 million. That’s less than 2023’s prior instalment, ‘Sisu’, which opened to $3.3 million.
‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’, the third instalment of the magician heist movies, slipped to second place on $9.1 million, a 56% drop from its debut. ‘Predator: Badlands’ was pushed to third, earning $6.5 million in its third weekend, while ‘The Running Man’ lagged behind in fourth place and $6.1 million.
Glen Powell stars in Paramount Pictures’ ‘The Running Man’.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:
(L to R) Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
1939’s ‘The Wizard of Oz‘, which is based on L. Frank Baum‘s novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, has become one of the most beloved movies in cinematic history.
While the 1939 film is the movie most associate with the book, it was not the first attempt at adapting the source material to the big screen and had previously been made into a silent film in 1925 and a Canadian animated short in 1933.
And since the release of the classic movie starring Judy Garland, the book has been adapted into sequels, prequels, spinoffs and new interpretations on both film and TV including 1978’s ‘The Wiz‘, 1985’s ‘Return to Oz‘, 2013’s ‘Oz the Great and Powerful‘, and the TV series ‘Tin Man‘ and ‘Emerald City‘.
Last year, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ‘Wicked‘ caused a cultural phenomenon when it was released, smashing box office records and earning multiple Oscar nominations including one for best picture. On November 21st, the long-awaited conclusion, ‘Wicked: For Good‘, opens in theaters once again directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their iconic roles.
In honor of the new sequel, Moviefone is counting down the best of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ adaptions on both the big screen and TV, including ‘Wicked: For Good’.
2017’s ‘Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz’. Photo: Warner Bros. Animation.
With her friends by her side and her ruby slippers on her feet, Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road toward magical mischief and embarks on exciting adventures that only a land like Oz can bring.
1986’s ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. Photo: Discotek Media.
A young girl named Dorothy has gone to live with her grandparents on their small farm. One day when Dorothy is left alone in the house a tornado appears. Dorothy fails to get to the basement in time, and the entire house is picked up and transported to a magical land, falling on and killing a wicked witch. There she is informed by a good witch that she must travel to the Capital of Emerald and meet a great magician who may be able to help her find a way home. Along the way she makes some incredible friends and sees many strange and fantastic things.
When 12-year-old Dorothy Gale discovers her mother’s mysterious journal in her Kansas home, she and her dog, Toto, are transported into a bustling, modern Emerald City. Disoriented and determined to get home, Dorothy embarks on an epic journey with West, a young witch, and Ojo, a giant Munchkin, to seek the magic she needs – as Oz faces its greatest magic crisis. Based on L. Frank Baum’s books.
The Witches of Oz follows the exploits of the grown Dorothy Gale (Pauline Redding), now a successful children’s book author, as she moves from Kansas to present day New York City. Dorothy quickly learns that her popular books are based on repressed childhood memories, and that the wonders of Oz are very, very real. When the Wicked Witch of the West shows up in Times Square, Dorothy must find the inner courage to stop her.
2013’s ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he’s the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.
Executive Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have assembled a Tony-winning creative team, the imaginative Cirque du Soleil Theatrical and a diverse cast of showstoppers designed to create an eye-popping new take on the musical unlike anything ever seen.
In the blink of a tornado’s eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale (Adria Arjona) and her K9 police dog are transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before, where wicked witches don’t stay dead for long and a young girl becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands.
The miniseries is a continuation of the classic story ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, with science fiction and additional fantasy elements added. It focuses on the adventures of a small-town waitress named DG (Zooey Deschanel) who is pulled into a magical realm called the O.Z., ruled by the tyrannical sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson). Together with her companions Glitch (Alan Cumming), Raw (Raoul Max Trujillo), and Cain (Neal McDonough), DG journeys to uncover her lost memories, find her true parents, and foil Azkadellia’s plot to trap the O.Z. in eternal darkness.
1985’s ‘Return to Oz’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
Dorothy (Fairuza Balk), saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, finds herself back in the land of her dreams, and makes delightful new friends, and dangerous new enemies.
2005’s ‘The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz’. Photo: The Jim Henson Company.
A young woman named Dorothy Gale (Ashanti) dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, Dorothy embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both Dorothy and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.
(L to R) Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), an ostracized but defiant girl born with green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), a privileged aristocrat born popular, become extremely unlikely friends in the magical Land of Oz. As the two girls struggle with their opposing personalities, their friendship is tested as both begin to fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and The Wicked Witch of the West.
Young Dorothy (Judy Garland) finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion (Bert Lahr), a scarecrow (Ray Bolger) and a tin man (Jack Haley) as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard (Frank Morgan) and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) is the only thing that could stop them.
The success of last year’s ‘Wicked‘ has made Jon M. Chu one of the most popular directors in Hollywood and earned him a Critics Choice Award for Best Director.
Chu now returns to the big screen with the highly antcipated sequel to ‘Wicked’ entitled ‘Wicked: For Good‘, which once again stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and opens in theaters on November 21st.
In honor of the new sequel, Moviefone is counting down every film Jon M. Chu has ever directed, including his latest.
A scene from 2015’s ‘Jem and the Holograms’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
As a small-town girl (Aubrey Shea) catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a one-in-a-million journey of discovering that some talents are too special to keep hidden. Four aspiring musicians will take the world by storm when they see that the key to creating your own destiny lies in finding your own voice.
A scene from 2008’s ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
When rebellious street dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the schools hottest dancer, Chase (Robert Hoffman), to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore s underground dance battle The Streets.
Justin Bieber in ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Tells the story of Justin Bieber, the kid from Canada with the hair, the smile and the voice: It chronicles his unprecedented rise to fame, all the way from busking in the streets of Stratford, Canada to putting videos on YouTube to selling out Madison Square Garden in New York as the headline act during the ‘My World Tour’ from 2010.
A scene from 2010’s ‘Step Up 3D’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world’s best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.
(L to R) Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Now You See Me 2’. Photo: Lionsgate.
One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their mind-bending spectacles, the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan) resurface only to find themselves face to face with a new enemy who enlists them to pull off their most dangerous heist yet.
(L to R) Ray Park and Dwayne Johnson in ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Framed for crimes against the country, the G.I. Joe team is terminated by Presidential order. This forces the G.I. Joes into not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.
(Center) Anthony Ramos in ‘In the Heights’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Lights up on Washington Heights… The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.
(L to R) Henry Golding and Constance Wu in ‘Crazy Roch Asians’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
An American-born Chinese economics professor (Constance Wu) accompanies her boyfriend (Henry Golding) to Singapore for his best friend’s wedding, only to get thrust into the lives of Asia’s rich and famous.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
In the land of Oz, ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda (Ariana Grande) at Shiz University, and the two’s unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
