Sandra Bullock presents the Oscar® for achievement in cinematography during the live ABC Telecast of the 90th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Credit/Provider: Aaron Poole / A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: A.M.P.A.S.
Preview:
Sandra Bullock will star in an untitled new movie.
Deadline reports that Sony is hoping that the pair can bring more success to a new movie.
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Right now, we know very little about the new project, beyond the fact that Fox –– fresh off of success from co-writing the two ‘Wicked’ movies is writing and producing, and that Bullock will also produce via her Fortis Films company.
What’s the story of the new Sandra Bullock/Dana Fox movie?
(L to R) Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in ‘The Lost City’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The new film is being kept very quiet for now –– Sony has yet to release any plot details on this one.
All we really know at this point beyond the star and writer is the fact that the package was attractive enough for Sony to stump up the money to buy it in a competitive situation.
Where else can we see Sandra Bullock?
(L to R) Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in ‘Practical Magic’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Perhaps the most exciting Bullock movie on the horizon is ‘Practical Magic 2’ witch the witchcraft sequel reuniting her with Nicole Kidman. That one is headed for theaters on September 11.
Bullock also has an untitled romantic thriller in the works that sees her team back up with ‘Speed’ co-star Keanu Reeves.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in ‘Speed’. Photo: Disney.
(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.
(L to R) Ariana Grande (as Glinda), Director Jon M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo (as Elphaba), on the set of ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Continuing the epic story of magic and friendship begun in last year’s ‘Wicked,’ follow-up ‘Wicked: For Good’ returns us to the land of Oz, where witches Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) are still trying to save their home from the machinations of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).
Moviefone was in attendance at a virtual press conference for the epic film, which featured director/writer Jon M. Chu, and stars Grande and Erivo.
1) Ariana Grande had to keep a handle on where Glinda was in the story
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Since ‘Wicked’ and ‘Wicked: For Good’ were shot together, the cast had to make sure they knew where each scene fit on their character’s journey, and Ariana Grande also wanted to explore more about Glinda.
Ariana Grande: “We filmed both at the same time, which I know is insane. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of the week we would be filming part one, and then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, we’d be filming part two, so it was simultaneous. I just wanted to make sure that I knew who she was as well as possible before we even got there. So even things about her that you never got to see on screen, if they weren’t referenced in a scene, talked about or performed, I just wanted to make sure that, even in the first film, beneath the shiny, perfect exterior, her you know, bubble of privilege, as I call it, there’s a person underneath that has a lot of insecurities, a lot of little wounds that, you know, contribute to her need for all of that external validation.”
2) Cynthia Erivo wasn’t prepared for how the first ‘Wicked’ movie and its characters have been embraced
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba (center) in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Cynthia Erivo: “I don’t think I could have fully prepared for what has happened since, since the first movie, and what is happening now. I knew that it would be a life-changing project from the beginning. But I don’t think I quite know the gravity of – please excuse the pun – of what it would be. I knew it was something that would challenge me. I knew it was something that would change the way I see my art, or increase the love I have for it.”
3) Ariana Grande was nervous performing one of the two original songs for the new movie
(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.
Ariana Grande: “It was daunting and also so incredible, the privilege of a lifetime to originate a Stephen Schwartz song. But of course there’s a scary element, it’s a new piece. To be trusted with that was all of the right kinds of nerve-wracking, and also just such an honour. But what I love most about it is that it’s such a narrative piece for her. I’m so glad that we get to see her experience that moment of change, that to make that choice to begin the chapter of being truly good.”
4) Cynthia Erivo is proud of one song in particular in ‘For Good’
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Cynthia Erivo: “I’m really proud of ‘No Good Deed,’ because we shot it in the space, but it was me on my own, there was no-one there. I’m shooting against really a blue screen and a plinth and fire and rocks. And so the dynamism with which we had to shoot it, looking back at the memories, looking back at things that had gone past, none of that was there to look at, it’s all in the mind. So I was really proud of being able to do something that was that big, that grand, and still be able to hone into the feeling, the moment.”
5) Director Jon M. Chu worried about the smallest detail – even down to the shade of the Yellow Brick Road.
(L to R) Cynthia Erivo (as Elphaba), Ariana Grande (as Glinda), and Director Jon M. Chu on the set of ‘Wicked For Good’.
Jon M. Chu: “I want to walk away from this beautiful experience, look back and say, “wow, the whole thing was great, and the world saw us and saw our work as well.” Every day I thought about that in the edit room. Even colour. Yellow, we talked about yellow so long, and then you go from [color tones] P3 to Rec709, and the yellow’s all over the place again. I had to make sure that it’s the yellow we talked about three years ago. So those are the things that keep me up at night, and whether people saw it or not, I don’t know, but I really wanted it to be something we could be proud of.”
‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu, opens in theaters on November 21st.
What’s the story of ‘Wicked: For Good’?
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba 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.
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Following a pop cultural behemoth such as ‘Wicked’ was never going to be an easy feat, and the challenges were more than the simple fact that the second film was shot at the same time as the first with no room for course correction if anything didn’t click with audiences.
As with the second half of the show, which doesn’t feature quite the same level of memorable music as the first (save perhaps the emotional finale which gives this new movie its name), ‘Wicked: For Good’ suffers some in comparison with the 2024 movie, but it still manages to be a fitting, heartfelt adaptation.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Ariana Grande (as Glinda), Director Jon M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo (as Elphaba), on the set of ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Screenwriters Winnie Holzman (who wrote the book for the musical) and Dana Fox have once again expanded on the stage show’s basic plotline, taking advantage of the different medium to flesh out certain elements. Some work wonderfully –– the characters of Nessarose and Boq in particular get meatier material, while others feel less necessary, such as flashbacks that feel like filler and, in one moment, what is meant to be a callback to Elphaba’s glimpse of her younger self during “Defying Gravity” that here comes off as a repetitive rip-off.
The two new songs by composer Stephen Schwartz are good but don’t really hold a candle to the original showstoppers.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Jonathan Bailey is Fiyero in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Once again, and unsurprisingly, this is really all about Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, with the former given more of a character arc this time. Both actors are excellent, offering powerhouse musical performances but also finding the nuance when needed.
Of the supporting cast, Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard is still a quirky delight, while Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater take full advantage of more to do with Nessarose and Boq. Dorothy, meanwhile, is treated much like the stage version: very much a shadow presence.
Final Thoughts
Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
To say ‘For Good’ isn’t as good as ‘Wicked’ is not to try and tear it down. Make no mistake, this is another soaring, spectacular trip to the land of Oz, and nails the landing.
‘Wicked: For Good’ receives 85 out of 100.
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
What’s the story of ‘Wicked: For Good’?
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba 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.
Who is in the cast of ‘Wicked: For Good’?
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba
Ariana Grande as Glinda
Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero
Ethan Slater as Boq
Marissa Bode as Nessarose
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard
Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion
(L to R) Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:
Colman Domingo is the latest addition to ‘Wicked: For Good’.
He’s voicing the Cowardly Lion.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo return to star in the second half of the story.
Though director Jon M. Chu and his team have long since finished shooting both parts of ‘Wicked’, there is still room for news about some characters, especially those who are CGI in the second movie, ‘Wicked: For Good.’ And now we know that Colman Domingo (‘Sing Sing’) will be off the see the wizard as the voice of the Cowardly Lion.
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The movie’s official Instagram account partnered with the actor to make the announcement via the social media platform:
Ariana Grande is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Following up last year’s huge box office and pop cultural hit, ‘Wicked: For Good’ continues to adapt both the stage show and the original Gregory Maguire source novel.
The story jumps forward in time to show Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) fully considered an enemy to all of Oz, gaining the nickname “The Wicked Witch.” Glinda (Ariana Grande), meanwhile, is still seen as the Good Witch, but truly begins to question what’s right and wrong.
As for the Cowardly Lion, he’s the cub we met in ‘Wicked’ whom Elphaba and Fiero (Jonathan Bailey) rescue after Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) has been taken away and a new professor brings a caged lion to class.
As the story moves on, we see the cub fully grown, and blaming Elphaba for his nervous situation. With the sequel overlapping timelines with ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the lion is seen alongside Dorothy, The Tin Man and Scarecrow heading down the Yellow Brick Road to see the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He’s also seen during the musical number “March of the Witchhunters.”
However, as in the Broadway musical, the character doesn’t have a large role.
The actor, who scored awards attention for his role in ‘Sing Sing,’ will be back on our screens in Edgar Wright’s adaptation of ‘The Running Man’, due in theaters on November 14.
He’s also in the cast for the Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael,’ though that has been facing some legal issues leading to changes.
When will ‘Wicked: For Good’ be on screens?
The new movie will enchant audiences once more on November 21.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba (center) in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:
Ariana Grande and Josh Gad are leading the voice cast for ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’
Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton are directing the Dr. Seuss adaptation.
‘La La Land’ Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are writing songs for it.
Looks like filmmaker Jon M. Chu is ready to reunite with one of his ‘Wicked’ stars –– the director, who is hard at work co-directing an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ with Jill Culton, has now cast Ariana Grande in one of the main voice roles for the new animated movie.
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And that’s not all: as per the Instagram post from production company Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Josh Gad is filling the other main part.
The movie boasts not just Chu and Culton, but also J.J. Abrams as producer alongside Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul writing songs for the musical movie.
Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Photo: Amazon.
Written by prolific author Dr. Seuss –– AKA Theodor Seuss Geisel –– the original book was first published by Random House on January 22nd, 1990.
It was the last book to be published during Seuss’ lifetime.
The story, written in his usual rhyming form, begins with the narrator, relating the decision of the unnamed protagonist (who represents the reader) to leave town.
The protagonist travels through several geometrical and polychromatic landscapes and places, eventually encountering a place simply called “The Waiting Place,” which is ominously addressed as being a place where everyone is always waiting for something to happen.
As the protagonist continues to explore, spurred on by the thoughts of places he will visit and things he will discover, the book cheerfully concludes with an open ending.
The movie will reportedly focus on a young adventurer navigating the ups and downs of life.
What other Dr. Seuss books have been adapted?
(Left) Jim Carrey as the Grinch in ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Seuss is an author whose works have long been source fodder for TV shows, stage productions and more, including theme park experiences.
The same studio behind ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ also has ‘Thing One and Thing Two,’ presumably focused on the chaotic sidekicks to The Cat in the Hat character, in development.
And that’s not even counting all the various theatrical productions, live shows and even movies that put the author himself front and center, talking about his life or his political views.
It’s perhaps not surprising that so many productions have sprung from his work –– after all, that includes many of the most popular children’s books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death in 1991.
Where else can we see Ariana Grande and Josh Gad?
Ariana Granda is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Grande, as mentioned, played Glinda in Chu’s successful movie adaptation of the ‘Wicked’ stage musical (and the Gregory Maguire novel from which the show was sourced). She received an Oscar nomination for the role and will be reprising it in the second half of the story, ‘Wicked: For Good’, also directed by Chu (since he shot them back to back).
‘Wicked: for Good’ will be in cinemas on November 21st. And Grande is not done with ‘Wicked,’ either, since she and co-star Cynthia Erivo will be part of a live concert special featuring music from the movies, which will be broadcast on NBC on November 6th.
Gad is best known for roles such as snowman Olaf in the ‘Frozen’ animated movie franchise and playing LeFou in the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ live-action film.
The actor will also return to two of his most familiar roles, including a third ‘Frozen’ entry in 2027 and ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’, in theaters the same year.
When will ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ be in theaters?
Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Photo: Amazon.
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has announced that the movie will head to cinemas on March 17th, 2028.
That might seem like a long way away, but don’t forget the time it takes to make big, animated movies such as this.
