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There can be no overstating how excited fans are for Part 1 of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked to hit the 2024 movie calendar. The countdown is on for the November 22 release of the musical, which was first adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire into a beloved Broadway musical — winning three of the 10 Tony Awards it was nominated for in 2004 and a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album — before now being turned into this two-part movie event. Some have had the opportunity to screen the film early, and the first reactions are likely to boost fans’ expectations even more.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo lead the cast of Wicked as witches Galinda (later Glinda) and Elphaba, and their performances have already won the overwhelming approval of OG Glinda Kristin Chenoweth. The critics seem to agree that the actresses are simply magic on the big screen, as Clayton Davis of Variety writes on X (Twitter):
Wicked rocks, kids. Galinda is the role Ariana Grande was born to play. Perfectly suited and genuinely a hilarious, scene-stealing performance. Cynthia Erivo’s heavenly vocals allow her to make Elphaba her own. The team of artisans assembled by Jon M. Chu all put their signature touches. Very excited to see what they do with Part 2.
In fact, the way Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande embody their characters has people already thinking about the Oscars. Moviegoer pacificsouI is blown away, saying:
Just saw the Wicked Movie early and I have to say I was hesitant about Ariana Grande but I can fully say with my chest she exceeded all my expectations. and CYNTHIA? That voice is godgiven. Their Oscars should be engraved right away! incredible job from Jon M. Chu and crew!/cast ♡
Entertainment outlet Atom agrees wholeheartedly, calling Wicked – Part 1 one of the best musicals ever for its emotion, humor and adventure. In a social media thread, they write:
The whole cast is obviously amazing with delightful chemistry. But to no surprise, the leads are indeed the highlights. Cynthia & Ariana are stunning together, an electric & truly Oscar worthy set of performances. You will laugh, cry & fall in love with Wicked.
The site even goes on to say that the upcoming musical has the ability to bring in new fans while still staying faithful to the source material. That’s got to be good news for fans like Jazz Tangcay of Variety, who had reservations about the project due to her love for both Wicked and The Wizard of Oz. However, after the screening, the critic says:
As someone who loves The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked music, I was skeptical about it. Did this need to be two films and this long? What were those clips? I wasn’t sold. And I was wrong! Wicked is everything cinema should be. The crafts and acting are the absolute SHIZ.
Scott Menzel writes that Wicked is one of the very best big screen adaptations of a Broadway musical ever. Strong words, and the critic continues:
Jon M. Chu perfectly captures the magic of the Broadway show while adding in some of his own unique flourishes to the source material. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo completely knock it out of the park as Elphaba and Galinda. Jonathan Bailey is also quite phenomenal in the film. Wicked lives up to the hype and often succeeds it. Oh, and there is one scene that fans of the Broadway show are going to absolutely lose their minds over. Wicked is hands down one of the year’s best films.
Drew Taylor of The Wrap has only the smallest of critiques but overall was left anticipating Part 2, which is set for a Christmas Day release on the 2025 movie calendar. Taylor says:
Wicked is solid — sumptuously realized, occasionally quite moving (both leads are amazing). But it also falls into some of the traps of the Disney live-action remakes that diminishes its power — overlong, noisy, over-designed. Overall I liked it a lot and can’t wait for part 2🧹
If the first reactions are any indication, Wicked fans are in for quite the treat come November 22. So get ready to grab a gorgeous bucket of popcorn (as weird as that sounds) and get ready for some witchy fun with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.