Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Preview:
‘Wicked’ added in more elements from the book; however, it still more closely adapted the musical.
‘Wicked: For Good’ will likely do the same, and stick with the happy Hollywood ending.
It would be riskier, but if done right, a book ending adaptation in ‘Wicked: For Good’ would be best.
SPOILER ALERT: Some potential spoilers for ‘Wicked: For Good’ below.
‘Wicked‘ is based on the book by Gregory Maguire and musical by the same name, and while it does take elements from both, it leans more heavily into adapting the musical. Book fans tend to not love the musical as much and vice versa. This is because a lot of things were changed to make it work better for the stage, including removing some of the political plot points, especially when it comes to the animal rights, and completely changing the ending to give it the classic Hollywood ending that audiences like to see.
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The book came first, and because of that, it is the true story in the mind of most readers. It goes more in depth and is unafraid to push boundaries when needed. Surely ‘Wicked: For Good‘, the upcoming film sequel starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, will deliver the musical ending, but if director Jon M. Chu was willing to take a risk with the book ending, it would be the better option. Here’s why.
Jonathan Bailey is Fiyero Tigelaar in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Even for those who have not read book or seen the musical, ‘Wicked’ made it quite clear that Elphaba and Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey), fall in love. By the time he arrives to Shiz, however, he is already married with children. The two end up having an affair, but he is spoken for.
During the resistance, he is murdered by the Wizard’s secret police, the Gale Force. Elphaba casts a spell to try to save him, and she believes it succeeds, turning him into the Scarecrow. After waking up from a coma (and birthing their baby, who goes to live with their family, which is detailed further in the second book, ‘Son of a Witch’), she sends the flying monkeys after the Scarecrow. When they tear him apart and realize that is not the case, Elphaba snaps, completely becoming the Wicked Witch of the West. This was the straw the broke the camel’s back so to speak, no pun intended.
She descends into evil here, feeling like the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), and the government, has taken everything from her. When Dorothy shows up, she panics and throws water at Elphaba, melting her and killing her. A tragic end to a tragic tale. Throughout the book, whenever she cries, even from when she was a baby, water burns her and hurts her. This is something the movie, and musical, completely ignores. The reason why is so that they can change the ending of her story.
How The ‘Wicked’ Musical Changes The Ending
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
In the musical, Elphaba’s spell was successful and Fiyero becomes the Scarecrow. The rest of Dorothy’s friends have a connection to the witch as well. The Cowardly Lion is the lion cub that her and Fiyero saved at Shiz, something that remains the same from the book, and the Tin Man is Boq (Ethan Slater). Nessarose gives him a love potion, hoping he will fall in love with her, but it shrinks his heart and transforms him instead. In the book, he is a former woodchopper named Nick Chopper, who has his limbs replaced with tin after being cursed.
Elphaba is still distraught over the events of the Wizard and the government and what they are doing to the animals of Oz, taking away their rights and their voices, but she has also simply had enough. When she learns that a young girl named Dorothy is coming to attempt to kill her, she goes along with it, planning out a way to escape Oz once and for all.
When the bucket of water is thrown on her, she hides under a trap door, making it look like she has melted away and died. Fiyero, who is now the Scarecrow, helps her escape and the two live together, happily ever after. While she surely misses Glinda, and Glinda thinks she is dead, she still gets to live with the love of her life away from all the things she despises about Oz.
Why The Book Ending Would Best Serve ‘Wicked: For Good’
(L to R) Ariana Grande is Glinda and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
For the most part, those that read the book first prefer the book and those that watch the musical first prefer the musical. There are many reasons, however, that ‘Wicked: For Good’ should lean into the darker ending and embrace what the book has to offer.
First of all, because of these changes, it would be nearly impossible to adapt the other books in the series. ‘A Lion Among Men’ could possibly become a sequel, telling the story of the Cowardly Lion, and ‘Elphie: A Wicked Childhood’ a prequel, but ‘Son Of A Witch’ and ‘Out Of Oz’ are completely off the table, now that Elphaba lives. These books expand on the world of Oz and tell intriguing stories that would make for great movies, but they need the right set-up to truly work.
It is difficult to pull off a dark ending in a way that will not make the readers want to throw their books out the window. Most interpretations of ‘Wicked’ are that Elphaba has finally found peace now. She has gone through so much in her life, losing everyone around her and watching her government rip the rights away from the animals that she loves. In the end she snaps, and then is finally laid to rest. While this is not exactly a happy ending, it fits her story and changing it simply does not feel right.
The saying the book is always better than the movie is a saying for a reason. If ‘Wicked: For Good’ chooses to let Elphaba die, it will be dark and tragic, yes, but it is also the story that was meant to be told and opens the door for more to come.
Ariana Granda is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
List of Movies and TV Shows Based on the ‘Wizard of Oz’:
It’ll be an action movie based on the toy car brand.
J.J. Abrams is aboard as a producer.
While the idea of movies based on IP is satirized in shows such as ‘The Studio,’ it’s a behemoth that just keeps on rolling.
Warner Bros. has had plans for a film based on the ‘Hot Wheels’ line of toy cars for a few years now, but it has finally hit a new gear as Deadline reports that ‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu is now aboard to drive the project.
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With J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot team among its producers, this one also comes from ‘Hot Wheels’ home Mattel, which will no doubt be hoping for a ‘Barbie’-level success on another of its products.
Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, a writer-director duo whose credits include script input on ‘Creed II’ and making ‘They Cloned Tyrone’, will be on screenplay duty for the new action movie.
In case the toy cars have somehow passed you by, here’s a quick primer…
‘Hot Wheels’ as a brand was conceived in 1968 by Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler as a cooler, more performance-oriented alternative to Matchbox cars, which dominated the diecast market at the time. (Mattel went on to acquire that brand four decades after its launch.)
In addition to selling more than 8 billion vehicles worldwide, the brand has proved its influence in automotive and pop culture over the years via collaborations with global leaders in automotive, streetwear, fashion, luxury, entertainment, gaming, action sports and motorsports.
The toys have also spawned a few animated home entertainment movies and series, but Chu’s movie will be the first live-action offering.
As to the story that Taylor and Rettenmaier are cooking up? No details have been revealed beyond the action element and obviously scope for plenty of crazy car action.
While Chu has mostly been focused on musicals and animation of late, he does have action bona fides having directed ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’.
Despite the high profile and crossover appeal of the toys (not to mention the relatively straightforward concept of fast cars that just need a story built around them), outside of animation, ‘Hot Wheels’ has been a real development lemon, with filmmakers including Simon Crane, McG and ‘Fast & Furious’ veteran Justin Lin all trying to sit behind the director’s steering wheel.
Sony and Legendary have both tried to push the pedal to the metal, to no avail, and this isn’t the first crack at the movie for Warner Bros. either, with a previous version produced by Joel Silver that similarly didn’t end up in theaters.
Hot Wheels: the filmmakers speak
(L to R) Composer Michael Giacchino and director J.J. Abrams on the set of ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ Photo courtesy of Michael Giacchino’s Twitter.
Here’s Chu’s comment on ‘Hot Wheels’:
“Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it’s about imagination, connection and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I’m excited to partner with Mattel Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Bad Robot to create an adventure that honors ‘Hot Wheels’ legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new.”
Mattel Studios’ President and Chief Content Officer Brenner had this to say about the new movie:
“Jon’s ability to craft rich, elaborate worlds with a distinct point of view makes him the ideal storyteller to bring ‘Hot Wheels’ to life. His films are visual spectacles — true eye candy — but what sets them apart is how he weaves unforgettable narratives within those stunning frames. Paired with Juel and Tony’s compelling storytelling, this team is uniquely positioned to capture the heart, adrenaline, and spirit of Hot Wheels, a leading brand in car culture.”
Finally, here’s Abrams:
“We already felt incredibly lucky to collaborate with Mattel on this special film. Having Jon, Juel and Tony come aboard takes our excitement to a whole new level.”
‘Wicked’ has soared since its release last November, earning more than $756 million worldwide and scoring 10 Oscar nominations, winning two for production and costume design.
The second part of the story, titled ‘Wicked: For Good’ will be in theaters on November 21st, and anticipation is sky high.
Besides the witchy story, Chu is also at work adapting Dr. Seuss story ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go!’ for Warner Bros. Animation (and Bad Robot, so clearly all involved are happy to work together again).
On the development front, he is attached to sci-fi video game adaptation ‘Split Fiction’ (which has Sydney Sweeney planning to star and co-produce), and various other projects, including a long-held dream to make a ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ musical movie, plans for more ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ movies (which appear to be transforming into a TV series instead) and a ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ TV show.
When will ‘Hot Wheels’ speed into theaters?
Even with this encouraging new development, Warner Bros. has yet to announce a release date for this one –– which makes sense, given how many projects have been handed slots, only to linger in limbo like a car with a bad battery.
If you’re not sure what you’re on about, you might want to cast your mind back to last December, when the news broke that Universal had started the gears turning on a new instalment of the ‘Meet the Parents’ franchise.
That’s not all: John Hamburg, who wrote all three previous movies not only came back to tackle the screenplay again, but will direct the new entry, the title of which remains under wraps.
What’s the story of the ‘Meet the Parents’ movies?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in ‘Meet the Parents’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The idea for the ‘Parents’ franchise actually originated years before Ben Stiller accidentally knocked an urn full of ashes from a mantle or milking a cat was ever discussed.
Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke created and co-wrote an independent film, also titled ‘Meet the Parents,’ back in 1992.
Glienna directed, wrote two original songs, and starred as protagonist Greg: a Chicago advertising agent who travels with his fiancée Pam Burns to meet her parents, Irv and Kay, over a weekend but sets off a series of accidents and causes the family to fall apart.
After Pam’s sister Fay commits suicide, framing Greg in the process, Irv attempts to shoot him but accidentally kills Kay and Pam before dying of a heart attack. So… yes, a little darker even than what followed.
Sensing some potential (albeit with less murder/suicide), Universal bought the rights to the indie movie. The studio hired screenwriter Jim Herzfeld to expand the script and tone down some of the sharper edges, which led to what we all now know as ‘Meet the Parents’ in 2000.
Jay Roach directed that film, with John Hamburg re-writing the script. It stars Stiller as Gaylord “Greg” Focker, a male nurse who is looking to propose to his girlfriend, Pam (Polo). Upon learning that Pam’s sister’s fiancé sought her father’s permission to marry, Greg sees an opportunity when they travel to her parents for the wedding.
As it turns out, Pam’s father is the stern, authoritative Jack Byrnes (De Niro), who claims to have been a florist in his career but is in fact a retired CIA counterintelligence officer. And not quite as retired as he claims. Chaos ensues, including the aforementioned urn destruction, injuries and bad behavior from Jack’s beloved cat Mr. Jinx.
(L to R) Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro in ‘Little Fockers’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Danner played Dina, Jack’s wife who is much less stress-inducing than him, but still less easygoing than Greg’s family. Yet despite all the madness, Greg does manage to convince Jack he’s worthy of Pam and ends up engaged.
That film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $166.2 million domestically and a total of $330.4 million worldwide.
A sequel was greenlit, with Roach returning to direct and Herzfeld and Hamburg once more writing. In 2004’s ‘Meet the Fockers,’ Greg and Pam decide to have Jack and Dina meet his parents.
The eccentric, fun-loving and free-spirited couple are, Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman), a lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-dad, and Roz (Barbra Streisand), a sex therapist for elderly couples. While Dina bonds with the Fockers, cracks form between Jack and the Fockers due to their contrasting personalities and backgrounds.
There’s also the small matter of Greg potentially having fathered a child as a teenager with the Focker family house-keeping and renewed tension with Jack. Yet it all works out happily and Greg and Pam marry at the end.
‘Meet the Fockers’ was an even bigger hit, earning more than $279 million domestically and more than $522 million worldwide.
The world had to wait until 2010 for the third entry, ‘Little Fockers,’ which saw Hamburg back writing, this time alongside Larry Stuckey. Paul Weitz took over directing chores.
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‘Little Fockers,’ which finds Greg and Pam preparing to celebrate the fifth birthday of their twins Samantha and Henry.
However, things seem to go awry for Greg when his in-laws, Jack and Dina Byrnes, visit them, and Jack announces he is looking for his successor as the head of the Byrnes family. Jack’s family has been hit by his daughter’s (Pam’s sister) divorce and more disruption, plus some health issues.
Yet more madness follows, though it ends well for both men, even if Greg’s parents announce they’re moving to Chicago to be closer to him and Pam.
This third film was critically panned and not as successful as the previous two entries, ending up with a worldwide total of $310.7 million.
As for what might happen in a future entry? We predict tension, slapstick and chances for family bonding. There’s a chance that Hoffman and Streisand could return as Greg’s parents.
Could Grande be playing one of Greg and Pam Focker’s kids in the new ‘Parents’ movie? The timing is a little skewed, but she did, after all, play a college student in ‘Wicked’…
Unless you have somehow been trapped under a wayward Kansas farmhouse dropped by a tornado, you’ll know that Grande is a music superstar with seven studio albums, a soundtrack album, a live album, a remix album, a compilation album, and two EPs to her name, plus 61 singles, including 17 as a featured artist, and 15 promotional singles.
She has won Grammys and a host of other awards, but these days appears to be leaning more towards her acting career.
That’s largely thanks to the success of ‘Wicked,’ which shattered box office records, becoming the most successful Broadway musical film adaptation of all time, earning almost $800 million worldwide. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture, winning for Costume Design and Production Design (Grande was nominated for Best Supporting Actress).
Grande will be back as Glinda the Good in the second half of the ‘Wicked’ story, ‘Wicked: For Good,’ which will be in theaters on November 21st.
When will the new ‘Meet the Parents’ movie hit theaters?
Since the details are now starting to come together, Universal is confident enough to plant a flag for this one: the new movie will be out on November 25th, 2026.
(L to R) Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in ‘Little Fockers’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
List of Movies in the ‘Meet the Parents’ Franchise:
Sydney Sweeney is aboard to star in ‘Split Fiction.’
‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu will handle the game adaptation.
The duo is currently looking for a distributor for the project.
There are, it appears, two things that Hollywood just can’t get enough of for its project: video game source material and Sydney Sweeney in a lead role.
In the cinematic equivalent of “two great tastes that taste great together,” Sweeney is already on board for a film based on arcade and console classic ‘OutRun’ that also happens to have Michael Bay attached as its potential director.
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Yet that’s clearly not enough for the actor, who is also now part of a package that has companies ready to open their wallets to score it: Variety reports that Sweeney’s on for an adaptation of Hazelight Studios and Electronic Arts’ ‘Split Fiction,’ with red-hot ‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu also involved.
‘Split Fiction’ blends fantasy and science fiction, following a pair of authors, Mio and Zoe, who become trapped in the worlds they wrote.
Written by director and Hazelight studio chief Josef Fares and Sebastian Johansson, the title is a co-op adventure game that features gameplay mechanics involving split-screen combat, platforming challenges and differing abilities for each character.
The game has been a rising star of the industry since its release in March. game quickly became a hit with players and critics alike, receiving positive reviews and massive sales. According to Hazelight, the game sold more than two million copies in the first week following its launch, and that number continues to rise at a rapid pace.
Any new movie will be produced by Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson’s Story Kitchen (formerly dj2 Entertainment), Chu’s Electric Somewhere. Sweeney is set to be an executive producer.
What else is Sydney Sweeney working on?
Sydney Sweeney in ‘Euphoria.’ Photograph by Eddy Chen/HBO.
Sweeney’s current schedule is as packed as anyone’s in Hollywood.
She followed those up with one that she might wish to vanish from her resume, misfiring Spider-Man spin-off ‘Madame Web.’
The actor also filmed the Ron Howard-directed thriller ‘Eden’ about a society of people who opt to start a new life in the Galapagos islands, only for things to wrong. That one should be in theaters this year.
She has shot the Lionsgate adaptation of the novel ‘The Housemaid,’ which has Paul Feig in the director’s chair, and has worked on two other movies, ‘Echo Valley’ about a woman (played by Julianne Moore) whose life is turned upside down when her daughter (Sweeney) shows up covered in someone else’s blood, and a biopic of real-life boxer Christy Martin, with Sweeney in the lead role (not to mention it’s another movie she produced).
And that list doesn’t even include the potential movies to which she is attached: that list includes a remake of sci-fi comedy ‘Barbarella,’ thriller ‘The Caretaker’ and a drama called ‘The Registration.’
Finally, we have HBO series ‘Euphoria,’ whose much-delayed third season which has at least been shot for a 2026 release.
What else does Jon M. Chu have going on?
‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu.
Right now, Chu is deep into the editing and fine-tuning process for ‘Wicked: For Good,’ the second film about the witches of Oz that serves as a prequel to what happens in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’
‘Wicked,’ based on both the stage musical and the Gregory Maguire novel it itself is sourced from, became one of the biggest box office hits of last year, with more than $755 million at the box office and two Oscars in its trophy cabinet.
‘Oh! The Places You’ll Go!,’ written in the author’s 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.
And then there’s the new TV version of ‘Swiss Family Robinson,’ which he’s aboard as director and producer, and the small screen spin-off of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ that now appears to be the way that story will continue after Chu’s successful 2018 movie.
When will ‘Split Fiction’ arrive on screens?
Without a studio home in place yet, it’s far too early to tell when this might get anywhere near theaters or any other screen.
Sweeney, as we note above, has a variety of projects on the go, and Chu will be in ‘Wicked’ world at least until November when the second movie is released.
Following last year’s decent if unspectacular return to Oscar standard behavior, the 2025 ceremony was one heralded with some trepidation. There was a new host (comedian and talk show veteran Conan O’Brien), the need to pay tribute to Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfires and speculation as to whether many of the categories would break the way they have in other awards shows.
As it turned out, it was a giant night for one movie which, while it had certainly been seen as a major contender, hadn’t been performing that way elsewhere. Some history was made and while the speeches had a political flavor at times, the show itself largely eschewed politics (beyond one smart gag about a certain sitting president and his attitude to Russia).
All said and done, despite a hefty running time (three hours and 45 minutes all told), this year’s Academy Awards is likely to be seen as largely a success. Read on for more of our thoughts…
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the long-running stage musical may only have picked up a couple of trophies on the night (more on one of them below), but following a middling montage celebrating movies set in Los Angeles, the movie’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, kicked off the show properly with a blast of nostalgia and then smart use of ‘Wicked’s standout song.
The pair began with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” before segueing into “Defying Gravity” and the stylish presentation combined with powerhouse pipes proved to be just the right mix of celebration and spectacle.
There were the usual concerns in some quarters when Conan O’Brien was announced as this year’s Oscars host –– would he be too intellectual for audiences, was he enough of a “name”? As it turns out, he might just have scored a regular gig (assuming he wants this much pressure every year). Because by all estimations, he was a stellar emcee for the night.
Opening with a ‘Substance’ gag that was fairly expected but still played well, O’Brien’s monologue set the right tone: witty, entertaining and as usual, full of his trademark self-deprecating humor.
From threatening long-winded speeches with ‘Conclave’ star John Lithgow looking sad and disappointed to ejecting a tracksuit-clad, cheery Adam Sandler from the audience, he was assured and calm.
There were also solid gags about Timothée Chalamet’s yellow suit and bike safety, and a funny bit about promising to show stars’ early headshots if they rambled (Chalamet again, with an ultrasound image).
Later in the show there was the crack at Trump via a mention of ‘Anora’ (“I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian”) and a promise that the show was not made using A.I. (“We would never do that; we used child labor — hey, they’re still people!”)
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Yet despite a funny musical number (featuring a dancing Deadpool and a ‘Dune’ sandworm on piano) about not wasting the audience’s time, the show still ran very long, though that was more on the producers than the host. Which bring us to…
Perhaps the most egregious example of padding was the choice of the tribute to the music of James Bond. Introduced by former ‘Die Another Day’ star Halle Berry, it was a mishmash of performance art (Margaret Qualley showing off her well-honed dancing abilities) and karaoke night for the likes of Doja Cat and Lisa from Blackpink.
It’s a little ironic that the celebration of the venerable espionage franchise comes just as it has been fully swallowed up its corporate overlords at Amazon.
Also given special memorial treatment was music icon Quincy Jones, but despite a classy intro from Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, the choice of “Ease on Down the Road” from ‘The Wiz’ was a vaguely confounding one.
Still, if the opening montage fell flat, the respect for First Responders (who have been more a staple of recent award shows than Karla Sofía Gascón) worked much better. Initially seeming like a now-traditional wave-and-accept-applause moment, O’Brien and his writing team turned it around by having fire officers and others read out jokes he thought were too mean, including LAFD Captain Eric Scott kicking off the bit with, “well, our hearts go out to all of those who have lost their homes… and I’m talking about the producers of ‘Joker 2.’ ”
If last year was all about big-budget blockbusters with “Barbenheimer,” 2025 was the year indies struck back.
Sean Baker’s ‘Anora,’ whose combined budget ($6 million) and box office ($40.9 million worldwide) would barely cover some of the salaries for some of the giant movies, went on to take five statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker (who also scored Best Original Screenplay and Editing) and Mikey Madison named Best Actress.
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Baker became the first person since Walt Disney in 1954 to win four Oscars in one night (and the first for one movie they have personally directed), and showed that the Academy was ready to root for the little guys again.
Madison’s win was something of a surprise itself –– while she’d been going toe-to-toe with ‘The Substance’ star Demi Moore all awards season –– there had been a narrative of Moore’s legacy forming around the Best Actress gong. Yet it was Madison who ended up taking the stage for a teary, heartfelt speech.
Madison wasn’t the only winner to express her feelings. While the Oscar stage is no stranger to strong emotion, there was the usual blend of politics and heart-string plucking.
Baker used his various triumphs as a combined rallying call to support movies big and small and for seeing films in theaters in this age of shrinking windows and streaming dominance.
Best Documentary Feature ‘No Other Land’s Palestinian co-director Basel Adra called for an end to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, while his Israeli collaborator Yuval Abraham insisted that there can be peaceful solution to the war in Gaza that honors both Palestinian and Israeli people, adding that “the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe and Basel’s people can be truly free?”
There were shoutouts to sex workers and immigrant children, while Team ‘Brutalist’ (especially composer Daniel Blumberg) seemed surprised and overawed by their wins, giving real, nervy speeches.
Kieran Culkin accepts the Oscar® for Actor in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
And then there was the comedic speech of the night, with predicted Best Supporting Actor winner, ‘A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin proving once more to be anything but on stage. He was enthusiastic and funny, and got further laughs by pointing out to his wife, Jazz Charton that they’d talked about having more children after his Emmy win, and that she’d mentioned she’d only consider a fourth child if he won an Oscar. Whoops!
Culkin wrapped up his moment in the spotlight with:
“You remember that, honey? You do? Then, I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get crackin’ on those kids. What do you say? I love you!”
Best reaction to that? Culkin’s former ‘Succession’ co-star J. Smith Cameron, who played the long-suffering Gerri Kellman to his foul/motormouthed Roman Roy, offering the perfect tweet:
For the most part this year, the presenters did not embarrass themselves and the bits were relatively painless.
We got Ben Stiller slowly being swallowed by scenery to introduce Best Production Design, June Squibb admitting she’s being played by ‘Nosferatu’ star Bill Skarsgård in prosthetics whenever she’s at an event and Robert Downey Jr. following Conan’s comedic lead and then going sentimentally honest handing out Best Supporting Actor.
Some awards, such as Best Costume Design were presented by the stars of the nominees’ movies, and that proved to be a mixed bag, since they worked on an emotional level, but tended to drag a little. Thank goodness then, for John “I love a roomy cassock” Lithgow and ‘Wicked’s Bowen Yang bringing the funny.
A highlight? Rock icon Mick Jagger taking the stage to present Best Original Song, full of jokes about how Bob Dylan was asked to do his job first (which was true; the Academy offered the subject of ‘A Complete Unknown’ to host and perform, and he turned them down).
Was this the start of a stealth campaign to get Jagger a belated, throwback Oscar for ‘Freejack’? Your guess is as good as ours. And our guess is, “maybe?”
Sean Baker wasn’t the only filmmaker making history on Oscar night. ‘Wicked’ costume maestro Paul Tazewell became the first black person to win his category, making emotional note of the fact.
And while we all knew she would scoop her trophy (despite, er, being much more a lead than a supporting turn), Zoe Saldaña was gracious in victory and was clearly moved by becoming the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar as one of two for ‘Emilia Pérez.’
‘Flow’ surprised in the Animated Feature category, and became the first Latvian Oscar winner. “Ball’s in your court, Estonia,” quipped O’Brien after the team left the stage.
Proving that stars don’t have to just recreate classic scenes for Super Bowl commercials, ‘When Harry met Sally’ leads Billy Crystal (no stranger to Oscar hosting, he quipped “I used to work here,” following Ryan’s question of how long ago with “nine tuxedos…”) and Meg Ryan came on stage to give out Best Picture.
They were a classy, classic wrap to a successful event, which ended with ‘Anora’s Best Picture triumph.
‘The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody took home Best Actor while ‘Anora’s Mikey Madison was named Best Actress.
Conan O’Brien was the ceremony’s host.
So that, then, was the 97th Academy Awards. Hosted by comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien, the 2025 Oscars ended with ‘Anora’ taking home Best Picture.
The indie film from A24 had been picking up other awards, but began to dominate the ceremony with Sean Baker taking Director, Editing and Original Screenplay and star Mikey Madison winning Best Actress in what was a surprise, since the “Demi Moore rebirth” narrative had seemed to be dominating.
And Baker’s four personal awards made Oscar history –– no-one has nabbed so many trophies in one night before. Also making the record books? ‘Wicked’ costume designed Paul Tazewell, who becomes the first black man to win his category and getting to celebrate that very fact in his speech.
In fact, outside of ‘Anora’s big shocker, it was a largely democratic Oscars, spreading the love around a few titles, including ‘The Brutalist’ (Cinematography, Score and Adrien Brody as Best Actor) ‘Wicked’ (which took the aforementioned Costume Design prize alongside Production Design), ‘Dune: Part Two’ (Sound and Visual Effects) and ‘Emilia Pérez,’ which saw Zoe Saldaña score yet another trophy on her triumphant awards season march.
‘Flow’ made waves as Best Animated Feature, seeing off the bigger studio likes of ‘The Wild Robot’ and ‘Inside Out 2,’ while in the Entirely Unsurprising section, Kieran Culkin took the stage for his latest Best Supporting Actor win for ‘A Real Pain.’
Conan O’Brien made for a snarky, witty host, and proved he’s got the goods for this particular gig. There were the political statements, emotional moments and, of course, a sprinkling of cross-promotional opportunities (such as having Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot of the forthcoming live-action ‘Snow White’ team up to hand out an award.
But the show also ran to three hours and 45 minutes, and even a funny musical bit by O’Brien at the start (featuring a ‘Dune’ sandworm on piano and a dancing Deadpool) about not wasting time couldn’t quite make up for that.
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There was also criticism of an overlong and weird Bond music tribute, while the choice of tune (“Ease on Down the Road” from ‘The Wiz’) to salute music legend Quincy Jones was also questionable.
Kieran Culkin accepts the Oscar® for Actor in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Zoe Saldaña accepts the Oscar® for Actress in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Peter Straughan accepts the Oscar® for Adapted Screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
‘A Complete Unknown,’ Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
‘Conclave,’ Screenplay by Peter Straughan – WINNER
‘Emilia Pérez,’ Screenplay by Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
‘Nickel Boys,’ Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Sean Baker accepts the Oscar® for Original Screenplay during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Clément Ducol, Jacques Audiard and Camille Dalmais accept the Oscar® for Original Song during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Lily-Rose Depp and Elle Fanning present the Oscar® for Costume Design to Paul Tazewell during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Richard King, Gareth John, and Ron Bartlett accept the Oscar® for Sound during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
‘A Complete Unknown,’ Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco
Rachel Szor, Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham and Hamdan Ballal accepts the Oscar® for Documentary Feature Film during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington accept the Oscar® for Documentary Short Film during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Walter Salles accepts the Oscar® for International Feature Film during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Gregory Zalcman accepts the Oscar® for Animated Feature Film during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales accept the Oscar® for Production Design during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
‘The Brutalist,’ Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia
‘Conclave,’ Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter
‘Nosferatu,’ Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová
‘Wicked,’ Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales – WINNER
FILM EDITING
Sean Baker accepts the Oscar® for Film Editing during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
With early frontrunners for Best Picture like ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Emilia Perez’ suffering major controversies, the award is now completely up for grabs with recent BAFTA and SAG winner ‘Conclave’ and PGA winner ‘Anora’ taking the lead.
Below are our predictions for who will win Oscars on Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards. We are only breaking down our predictions for the six major categories, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Let’s Begin!
BEST PICTURE
(L to R) Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’. Photo: Courtesy of NEON.
Without a doubt, this has been one of the strangest award seasons of all time.
‘Wicked’ began the season as a possible frontrunner, but after losing the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy to ‘Emilia Perez’, quickly saw its chances fade away. ‘Perez’ and ‘The Brutalist’, after its Golden Globe win for Best Morion Picture – Drama, seemed to be the two films that would battle it out for Oscar gold, but both movies have since suffered controversies that have affected their campaigns.
‘The Brutalist’ was revealed to have used AI to adjust some of the audio performances of the cast, while ‘Emilia Perez’ has suffered from recently discovered problematic social media posts from star Karla Sofía Gascón, which has basically ended her Oscar campaign. While both films will likely still take home some Oscars, Best Picture now seems a long shot for both.
At this point, ‘Conclave’ and ‘Anora’ seem to now be the frontrunners for Best Picture. ‘Conclave’ won the BAFTA for Best Picture, as well as the Outstanding Performance by a Cast from the SAG Awards. But ‘Anora’ has won the all important Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures award from the Producers Guild, putting both films in a race for the Oscars.
But it is worth mentioning that the Academy uses a preferential ballot for Best Picture, meaning that it is not the film with the most #1 votes that wins, but instead the movie with the most #1 and #2 votes combined. So the question really isn’t who people will vote for in the top spot, but more, who will get the most #2’s, # 3’s and #4’s. With the PGA win, and Sean Baker likely taking Best Director (more on that below), I’m putting my money on ‘Anora’ to win the gold when its all said and done.
(L to R) Sean Baker and DP Drew Daniels on the set of ‘Anora’. Photo: Courtesy of NEON.
Early in the season it looked like Brady Corbet for ‘The Brutalist’ or Jacques Audiard for ‘Emilia Pérez’ would be the frontrunners, that quickly changed after their films’ respective controversies.
‘Wicked’s Jon M. Chu won Best Director at the Critics Choice Awards, but unfortunately, he was not nominated in this category.
But after winning both Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards and the all important Outstanding Directing – Feature Film from the Directors Guild, it now looks like Sean Baker is the frontrunner for Best Director.
Winning almost every major award this season, Adrien Brody is still the frontrunner to take home his second Oscar for ‘The Brutalist’.
However, while the AI controversy hasn’t completely destroyed his chances of winning, it has definitely hurt his otherwise perfect run, having recently lost Best Actor at the SAG Awards to Timothée Chalamet for ‘A Complete Unknown’. Also, keep in mind that the Oscars will be the first awards this season where the final votes will be tallied after ‘The Brutalist’s controversy took place.
Chalamet gave my favorite performance last year, and while I really hope he wins, I think Brody will still pull it out. Chalamet has only won SAG, and with Brody’s Golden Globe, BAFTA and Critics Choice wins, he’s definitely still the one to beat.
Demi Moore has won every important award this season including Best Actress form the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG, which firmly puts her in the frontrunner position.
However, Mikey Madison has won Best Actress from BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards, so she is hot on Moore’s heals.
But its also important to note that the Oscar ceremony will be the first time all season that ‘I’m Still Here’s Fernanda Torres will be competing in the same category has Moore and Madison, and Torres did win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes.
However, much like Karla Sofía Gascón, Torres has also had her fair share of controversy from questionable actions in her past, that could affect her chances of winning.
That said, I still think nostalgia for Moore’s overall career will give her the win on Sunday.
This is the easiest category to predict. Kieran Culkin has dominated this category all season winning every Best Supporting Actor award along his way including the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, BAFTA and SAG, so I see no reason that his winning streak won’t continue all the way to the Oscar stage,
Zoe Saldaña as Emilia Pérez in ‘Emilia Pérez’. Photo: Netflix.
In another locked category, the ‘Emilia Pérez’ controversies do not seem to be affecting Zoe Saldaña’s chances of winning Best Supporting Actress. Saldaña has won every major award including Golden Globes, Critics Choice, BAFTA and SAG, and I think sh’e most likely to win again on Oscar night.
However, if ‘Conclave’ goes big and wins best picture, don’t count out a nostalgia win for veteran actress Isabella Rossellini … and we know the Oscars love to surprise us.
The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards will air Sunday, February 23rd on Netflix. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Movie actors Timothée Chalamet and Kieran Culkin won at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
On the TV front, ‘Shogun’ did well, taking three awards.
The event was held on Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium.
This year’s movie awards season is careening towards its conclusion with next weekend’s Oscars, but this Sunday was the turn of the actors, with the Screen Actors Guild Awards, broadcast for the second time on Netflix and hosted once again by Kristen Bell.
With the focus, a little like the Critics Choice before it, on Los Angeles and the incredible impact of the wildfires on the city and its environs this year, there was time for a tribute to the first responders who fought the flames and provided aid.
But actors being actors, this was mostly a chance to celebrate, well, acting, as Bell launched into a monologue –– parodying a song from ‘Frozen,’ which we suppose she’s one of the few people who can still get away with that after this many years –– to look at various actors’ early jobs.
The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards will air Sunday, February 23rd on Netflix. Photo: Netflix.
Otherwise, it was award show business as usual –– trophies were handed out, speeches read and jokes attempted.
The main movies up for ensemble had their casts out “presenting” each title, and those seemed particularly awkward, with little evidence of rehearsal or prep.
Other presenter duos seemed like they’d been imbibing or were simply nervous, with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson stumbling through their spiel and even the steps in presenting an award. For reference, it goes read nominees, wait for nominee intro list, read winner.
As for those who claimed awards, there were the predictable ones: Kieran Culkin accepted yet another trophy for ‘A Real Pain’ and if there’s a nailed-on prospect for an Oscar, he’s surely at the top of the list. His rambling speech also began one of the night’s running gags, with several winners (and at least one presenter) referring to how heavy the “actor” award statuette is. Zoe Saldaña added more hardware for her trophy cabinet for ‘Emilia Pérez’, while cast members of ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Baby Reindeer’ and ‘The Penguin’ won more awards.
The Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler, will broadcast LIVE on E! on Friday, February 7, 2025 (7:00 – 10:00pm ET/PT) from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The show will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
Preview:
The winners of the 30th Annual Critics Choice Film Awards include ‘Anora’ and ‘Wicked’
‘Emilia Perez’ and ‘The Substance’ also did well.
The ceremony was hosted by Chelsea Handler.
If you had to use a metaphor to describe the 2025 edition of the Critics Choice Awards, it would be Oprah Winfrey during her big giveaway days on her talk show, but with kudos instead of cars: you get a trophy! You get a trophy! You all get a trophy!
Yes, while ‘Anora’ missed out on all of its other categories, Sean Baker’s film about an exotic dancer who falls for –– and marries –– the spoiled spawn of a Russian oligarch took home Best Picture.
This year’s awards, hosted for the third time by Chelsea Handler (whose monologue proved to be both funny and pointed in places, even touching on the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni legal PR chaos) at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, was a typically jolly affair.
Yet it was tempered by plenty of references to the wildfires that have devastated chunks of the city’s hilly surroundings, and first responders were invited and saluted during the opening and in more than one speech.
Despite being snubbed by the Oscar nominations, it was ‘Wicked’ filmmaker Jon M. Chu who won Best Director, comically shouting out his shut-out by the Academy, quipping, “I’m gonna win that Oscar!”
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His film took three awards in total, including Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
Also scoring a trio of trophies? ‘The Substance,’ for which Demi Moore won yet another Best Actress trophy along with Best Original Screenplay and the Hair and Make-Up award. And the controversy-hit ‘Emilia Pérez,’ which nabbed a Best Supporting Actress gong for Zoe Saldaña Best Song for “El Mal,” collected by the movie’s co-composer Camille and Best Foreign Language Film.
A few of the winners were entirely unsurprising; Kieran Culkin, who has been collecting hardware left, right and center, notched up another Best Supporting Actor award (though he wasn’t present at the show) for ‘A Real Pain’ and Adrien Brody won Best Actor for ‘The Brutalist.’
Actually a surprise? The seemingly forgotten ‘Challengers’ nabbing two, Best Editing and Best Score.
Here’s the full list of winners…
Critics Choice 2025: Film Nominees
BEST PICTURE
Mikey Madison as Ani in ‘Anora’. Photo: Courtesy of NEON.
(Left) Director Jon M. Chu on the set of ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures. (Right) Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Photo: Amazon.
Preview:
Jon M. Chu and co-director Jill Culton are adapting ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’
It’ll be the latest movie based on a Dr. Seuss book.
‘La La Land’ Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are writing songs for it.
Riding high on the success of his current musical movie, ‘Wicked,’ (even if he was denied a Best Director Oscar nomination) Jon M. Chu is already overseeing development on another, adapting the Dr. Seuss children’s tome ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ into an animated musical.
In fact, Chu has been attached to this one since 2021, but it’s now actually moving forward.
Warner Bros. Animation is backing the new project, which will see Chu co-directing alongside Jill Culton, a veteran of Pixar and DreamWorks who has directed the likes of ‘Abominable’ and ‘Open Season.’
And they have quite the team on this one –– J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot team are aboard to co-produce, and the movie will boast song by no less a duo that ‘La La Land’ and ‘The Greatest Showman’ EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
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 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.
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.
Add to that the fact that Chu is also busy in post-production on the second part of the ‘Wicked’ movie, ‘Wicked: For Good,’ which will be in theaters on November 21st.
