Universal Moves Up ‘Wicked’ Part 1 Release Date
Universal is moving the release of Wicked Part 1 to Wednesday, November 27, 2024 from its original date of December 25, 2024.
The shift enables the film to take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and avoid direct tentpole Christmas competition. Part 2 is still scheduled to release on December 25, 2025.
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Jon M. Chu is directing the untold story of the Witches of Oz, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The pic is based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winne Holzman and Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz.
First introduced to the Great White Way in 2003, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel of the same name — itself based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was previously adapted into MGM’s classic 1939 film of the same name. It’s a prequel to The Wizard of Oz which examines how the green-skinned Elphaba (Erivo) became the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as the sorceress Glinda’s (Grande) trajectory to becoming known as the Good Witch.
Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldbum, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater also star.
Marc Platt is producing through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, alongside David Stone, with Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers and Vice President of Production Development Lexi Barta overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.
The Broadway stage musical is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Marc Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
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