Wicked (titled on-screen as Wicked: Part I) is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It is based on the first part of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. This novel reimagines L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film version. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland. Other actors in the film include Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The story takes place in the Land of Oz before the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and follows the early friendship between Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and her schoolmate Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good.
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who produced the stage musical, announced the film in 2012. After many years of planning and delays, including some caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon M. Chu was chosen to direct the film in 2021, with Erivo and Grande cast in the lead roles. The story was divided into two parts to include all important details and develop the characters more fully. Filming for both films began in England in December 2022. It was paused in July 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and finished in January 2024.
The film had its first showing at the State Theatre in Sydney on November 3, 2024, and was released in the United States on November 22. It was both well-received by critics and popular with audiences, earning $758.8 million worldwide with a budget of $150 million. It became the highest-grossing film based on The Wizard of Oz, the highest-grossing musical film adaptation, and the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2024. Elle and Today called the film a major pop culture event, while Collider and The Washington Post listed it among the best musical films of the 21st century. The film received ten nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, and won awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It also earned three awards from the National Board of Review, including Best Film, and was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the American Film Institute. The sequel, Wicked: For Good, was released on November 21, 2025.
Plot
In the Land of Oz, Glinda the Good joins the people of Munchkinland as they celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. When asked why the Witch became wicked, Glinda explains that the Witch was born from a relationship between Governor Thropp's wife, Melena, and a mysterious traveling salesman. The salesman gave Melena a green elixir, which caused the Witch to be born with green skin. From birth, the Witch was treated unfairly because of her skin and her use of magic, which led her to wish to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the ruler of Oz known for granting wishes. When the Munchkins ask if Glinda was friends with the Witch, she recalls their relationship from school.
Years earlier, green-skinned Elphaba Thropp walks her younger sister, Nessarose, to Shiz University on her first day. Nessarose's inability to walk causes staff to treat her unfairly, leading Elphaba to accidentally use her magic in an emotional moment. Shiz's Dean of Sorcery Studies, Madame Morrible, offers to teach Elphaba privately, hoping she can achieve her dream of working with the Wizard. Elphaba often argues with her roommate, Galinda Upland, who wants to be Morrible's student.
Elphaba follows Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat and professor at Shiz who faces discrimination, to a meeting of Animals off-campus. Learning that the Animals are losing their ability to speak, Elphaba promises Dillamond the Wizard will fix the problem. Rebellious prince Fiyero Tigelaar takes students to a party at the Ozdust Ballroom nightclub. Boq Woodsman, a Munchkin, asks Galinda to join him, but she convinces him to invite Nessarose instead. Nessarose is happy, and Elphaba persuades Morrible to let Galinda study sorcery too. When Galinda is teased for wearing a black hat given to her as a joke, she dances with Elphaba, and they begin to become friends.
When Dillamond tells the class that Animals can no longer teach at Shiz, he is removed from the classroom and replaced by Professor Nikidik, who shows a caged lion cub to prevent Animals from learning to speak. Elphaba uses poppy dust to make the class fall unconscious and escapes with Fiyero. They free the cub and Elphaba expresses sadness over her unrequited feelings for Fiyero, who has chosen Galinda.
Elphaba receives an invitation from the Wizard, who learned of her powers through Morrible. She arrives in the Emerald City with Galinda, who now calls herself "Glinda" in honor of Dillamond, who often mispronounced her name. During their meeting with the Wizard, they are surprised to learn he is an ordinary man. Morrible watches as they urge Elphaba to use a levitation spell from the Grimmerie, a powerful spellbook, which causes the Wizard's monkey guards to grow wings. The Wizard and Morrible celebrate, but Elphaba realizes they are responsible for oppressing the Animals. She also learns the Wizard is not a real magician and used her to control the Animals. Horrified, Elphaba takes the Grimmerie and flees.
Glinda follows Elphaba, who refuses to apologize to the Wizard as Morrible publicly criticizes her. Elphaba tries to escape the Emerald City in the Wizard's hot air balloon, but the path is blocked, and the balloon burns. In a palace attic, Elphaba uses the levitation spell on a broom. She asks Glinda to join her, but Glinda stays behind. The two share a heartfelt goodbye. Fiyero leaves Shiz on horseback during a mass evacuation, and Governor Thropp has a fatal heart attack after learning of Nessarose's situation. Elphaba flies west, leaving Glinda behind.
Cast
During the "One Short Day" sequence, several cameos happen. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who played Elphaba and Glinda in the original Broadway version of the musical, play the main members of the Emerald City Players. Michael McCorry Rose, who also performed as Fiyero in the Broadway production, appears as the Wiz-O-Mania narrator. Winnie Holzman, who wrote the script for both the stage musical and the film, appears as an audience member who says, "He can read it [the Grimmerie]! He must be a Wizard!" Composer Stephen Schwartz appears as the Emerald City Guard, who tells Elphaba and Galinda, "the Wizard will see you now." Adam James and Alice Fearn, who played Elphaba in the musical's West End production, briefly appear as Galinda's parents, nicknamed "Popsicle" and "Momsie" by Galinda.
Production
In the 1990s, Universal Pictures received an idea from actress Demi Moore, producer Suzanne Todd, and writer Linda Woolverton to make a movie based on Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), a new version of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Other actresses, including Whoopi Goldberg, Claire Danes, Salma Hayek, and Laurie Metcalf, had also shown interest in adapting the story. They were considered for the main roles along with Michelle Pfeiffer, Emma Thompson, and Nicole Kidman. Woolverton was hired to write the screenplay, and Robert Zemeckis was thought about as a possible director.
By 1998, composer Stephen Schwartz convinced Universal and then-head of production Marc Platt to turn the book into a stage musical. Winnie Holzman joined as the writer. The musical, named Wicked, opened on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in 2003. It became the fourth longest-running show on Broadway and won three Tony Awards. The first Broadway production featured Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.
In 2011, Universal began planning a movie version of the musical. Chenoweth, Menzel, Lea Michele, and Amy Adams were said to be possible leads. Holzman and Schwartz were considered as writers, and J. J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, James Mangold, and Ryan Murphy were thought about as directors. In 2012, after the movie Les Misérables was successful, Platt announced the film would be made, aiming for a 2016 release. After many years of planning, Universal said in 2016 that the movie would be released in theaters on December 20, 2019, with Stephen Daldry as director. Daldry was reported to be thinking about casting Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes for the roles of Elphaba and Fiyero. By 2024, Holzman was credited as the only writer. In August 2024, the Writers Guild of America said Dana Fox worked with Holzman on the screenplay and that Craig Mazin added more written material. Like the musical, the movie includes made-up words such as "braverism," "hideoteous," and "confusifying," creating a special "Ozian" language for the Land of Oz.
In May 2017, Schwartz said the movie would include "at least two" new songs. In August 2018, Universal paused the project to focus on other films, giving Cats the date originally planned for Wicked. In February 2019, Universal set a new release date of December 22, 2021. In April 2020, the project was paused again because of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving Sing 2 the 2021 date. In October 2020, Daldry left the film due to scheduling issues. In February 2021, Jon M. Chu was named the new director. In August 2021, Alice Brooks was confirmed as the cinematographer.
In November 2021, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were cast as Elphaba and Glinda. Grande had first auditioned for Elphaba because of a misunderstanding. She had previously recorded a version of "Popular" in 2012 and performed "The Wizard and I" in a 2018 TV special. Erivo had performed a part of "Thank Goodness" in a 2021 TV special. Grande said she auditioned three times for Glinda and took acting lessons for a year before her first try. She also said it took months to change her voice to match Glinda’s high notes. Dove Cameron, Reneé Rapp, and Amanda Seyfried were also reported to have tried out for Glinda.
In June 2022, Chu confirmed hiring Nathan Crowley as the production designer. In September 2022, Jonathan Bailey was cast as Fiyero, beating other actors for the role. In October 2022, Jeff Goldblum was in final talks to play the Wizard. Goldblum completed talks in December, when Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael were also added to the cast. In April 2024, Peter Dinklage was cast as the voice of Dr. Dillamond. Unlike earlier films about Oz, no actors with dwarf stature were cast as the Munchkins.
In April 2022, Erivo said she wanted to see the Broadway show again before filming and mentioned that she was "relearning everything." She also said plans for the movie’s visual style were being discussed, and Paul Tazewell was hired as the costume designer. Erivo described Elphaba’s costume as having a "gilded age" look inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier. She also said she designed Elphaba’s hair and nails, explaining that they were a nod to her culture and the world of Oz. She added that Elphaba’s nails were part of her magic, growing naturally from her skin.
In April 2022, Chu announced that the movie would be split into two parts: Wicked and Wicked: For Good. He said splitting the story allowed more depth for the characters. In June 2022, Schwartz agreed, saying a new song was being written. He noted that "Defying Gravity" was written to end the musical, making it hard to change.
New characters in the movie include Miss Coddle, Elphaba’s childhood nanny, and Galinda’s parents, who drop her off at Shiz University. Miss Coddle is the headmistress of the school, a role previously held by Madame Morrible in the musical. Morrible is now the Dean of Sorcery. New scenes include Elphaba’s lessons with Madame Morrible, flashbacks to her childhood, and moments showing her relationship with her sister, Nessarose. In the musical, Dr. Dillamond was the only Animal professor at Shiz; in the movie, other Animal professors are added. Some parts of the story were changed to make the movie suitable for more people and to get a PG rating. Pfannee, who is female in the book and musical, is male in the movie. In the musical, Elphaba is already at Shiz with Nessarose; in the movie, she goes there to
Marketing
On April 16, 2023, early pictures of Elphaba and Glinda were shared on social media. Footage showing the movie being made, including early versions of songs "Defying Gravity" and "Popular" performed by Erivo and Grande, was shown at CinemaCon on April 26, 2023. A 60-second teaser trailer was shown during Super Bowl LVI on February 11, 2024. On April 10, 2024, new footage was shown at CinemaCon, where the cast of Wicked promoted the film. Costumes and props were displayed in the lobby during the event. A three-minute theatrical trailer was released on May 15, 2024, followed by a LEGO-style version on May 29. NBC promoted Wicked during its coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, with many TV and streaming ads. Erivo and Grande attended the opening ceremony and the women's gymnastics qualifying round. On September 4, 2024, character posters were shared before a new trailer was released the next day, which combined "Defying Gravity" with the "Wicked Witch" theme from The Wizard of Oz (1939). A behind-the-scenes TV special, Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked, aired on NBC on November 19, 2024. After the special, the "What Is This Feeling?" performance was uploaded to YouTube on November 22, 2024, the same day the film was released.
Wicked was promoted with the "Journey Through Oz" Press Tour before its release. Each city visited during the tour was decorated to look like locations from the film: Sydney (Munchkinland), Los Angeles (Shiz University), Mexico City (Enchanted Forest), New York (Ozdust Ballroom), and London (Emerald City). Universal released many Wicked products, including toys, clothes, books, beauty items, and accessories. Universal had 450 promotional partners, with a media value of $350 million, the highest ever for a Hollywood movie. Universal created an interactive website for Shiz University, including a welcome brochure and a virtual campus tour. Grande's makeup brand, R.E.M. Beauty, released a Wicked-themed collection. A 96-page Wicked-focused issue of People magazine was released in November 2024, featuring cast interviews and photos from the film. Wicked was shown at the 2025 Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California, with a 55-foot-long float decorated with 60,000 tulips. Universal promoted the streaming version on Peacock, selling the most Pay 1 movie ad spots ever with sixteen brand partners.
On October 9, 2024, a poster was released with Erivo and Grande in character, recreating the original stage musical poster. Some people liked the poster, while others thought it looked different from the original. This led to fan edits and internet memes that tried to make the poster more like the original using photo editing tools. A Twitter user created an edited version, changing details like Elphaba's eyes and Glinda's hand. Many fans thought this was an improvement. On October 16, Erivo shared the re-edited poster on Instagram and said:
The user later removed the post, explaining they did not mean to upset Erivo. However, on October 20, the user shared the edit again, saying they respected Erivo but believed the edit was a tribute to the original poster. On October 19, Grande commented on the controversy, saying, "I think it's very complicated… but I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much." On October 29, Erivo told Entertainment Tonight that her comments were not meant to criticize fans, but to protect the role of Elphaba. She said, "It was a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba."
Mattel made dolls of Glinda, Elphaba, Fiyero, Madame Morrible, and Nessarose in a wheelchair. In August 2024, two song clips ("Popular" and "Defying Gravity") were leaked from a sound chip in Mattel's singing dolls. In November 2024, some doll boxes had links to the adult film studio Wicked Pictures (wicked.com) instead of the movie's official site (wickedmovie.com). Mattel apologized and asked parents to destroy the packaging. In December 2024, a mother in South Carolina sued Mattel, saying the mistake caused emotional distress for her and her daughter. Mattel said the dolls were sold with corrected packaging and that the error did not affect the product's value or play experience.
Release
The movie Wicked was shown only for influencers, people who talk about awards, and others in the entertainment industry at Universal Studios on October 16, 2024. A private screening took place at Kim Kardashian’s home on October 22, 2024, and was attended only by her family, along with actors Taron Egerton and Ariana Grande. Another private screening was held at the DGA Theater in Manhattan, New York, on October 28, 2024. This event included Taron Egerton, Ariana Grande, director Marc Platt, producer Lin-Manuel Miranda, original Broadway cast members Kristin Chenoweth, Norbert Leo Butz, and Christopher Fitzgerald, as well as other actors who had played Elphaba and Glinda in Broadway or national tours. Before the screening, a video message was shown from Idina Menzel, who could not attend because she was rehearsing for a new musical called Redwood. A screening hosted by Anna Wintour was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 14, 2024, and was attended by the cast and other celebrities. Public screenings began at the State Theatre in Sydney on November 20 through November 22, 2024.
The movie premiered in Sydney at the State Theatre on November 3, 2024, followed by premieres in Los Angeles on November 9, Mexico City on November 11, Manhattan, New York, at the Museum of Modern Art on November 14, and London at the Royal Festival Hall on November 18. Universal Pictures released the film in theaters in Australia and Mexico on November 21 and in the United States on November 22. It was shown in formats like RealD 3D, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX, and D-Box. The film was also shown as the closing movie at the 32nd International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage in Poland on November 23, with cinematographer Alice Brooks and production designer Nathan Crowley attending. Advance screenings were held for Amazon Prime members on November 18 and for the general public on November 20. These two screenings were the only times during the film’s release when most U.S. theaters showed it in IMAX, because other movies like Gladiator II took over those screens. A sing-along version of the film was released in theaters on Christmas Day, 2024.
The movie was originally planned to be released on December 20, 2019, December 22, 2021, December 25, 2024, and November 27, 2024. The November 27 date was changed to avoid competition with Avatar: Fire and Ash and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Later, the release date was moved to November 22 to avoid competition with Moana 2, which placed it against Gladiator II. This led to discussions about a situation similar to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, which happened when Barbie and Oppenheimer were both released on July 21, 2023. Marc Platt, one of the film’s producers, said the story became more relevant after the 2024 U.S. presidential election, noting it focuses on people connecting with each other and seeing others as equals.
The film was re-released in 100 North American theaters on June 4, 2025, with a special trailer premiere for Wicked: For Good. A second re-release happened from November 14 to 21, 2025, and a one-time double feature of Wicked and Wicked: For Good was shown in select theaters on November 20.
Before the film was released in Kuwait, it was removed from some theaters due to "public ethics" concerns. However, it is still shown in some cinemas there. After the film’s U.S. release, a conservative Christian group called One Million Moms asked people not to watch the movie, claiming it "promotes witchcraft and pushes the LGBTQ agenda." Kristin Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the original Broadway production, responded on Instagram, saying the group is small and that the movie is about "girl power."
The film was released on video on demand in the United States on December 31, 2024. It was also released on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 4, 2025, by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. These versions include both the theatrical and sing-along versions, as well as bonus features like deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage. The film began streaming on Peacock on March 21, 2025, and made its broadcast television premiere on NBC on November 19, 2025, two days before Wicked: For Good was released in theaters.
Reception
Tickets for Wicked became available on October 9, 2024, the day after Paramount Pictures sold tickets for Gladiator II. On October 10, Fandango reported that Wicked was the second most popular film for first-day ticket sales in 2024, after Deadpool & Wolverine from Marvel Studios. It also had the best first-day ticket sales for a PG-rated film in 2024 and was the third most successful PG-rated film in history, behind Frozen 2 and the 2019 version of The Lion King (both from Disney). According to Deadline Hollywood, Quorum predicted Wicked would earn $67–74 million in its first weekend in the United States and Canada. Box Office Theory estimated $96–150 million, and Boxoffice Pro estimated $100–125 million. These predictions suggested Wicked would outperform Gladiator II at the box office. Before its release, some people doubted if musical films would be profitable after the pandemic. By the time Wicked was released, predictions increased to $165–200 million worldwide and $125–150 million in the United States and Canada. Positive reviews and awards buzz helped raise these estimates.
Wicked earned $475 million in the United States and Canada and $283.8 million in other countries, totaling $758.8 million worldwide. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film’s net profit as $230 million, after accounting for costs like production, marketing, and talent fees. Revenue from box office sales, television, streaming, and home media made Wicked the fifth most profitable film of 2024.
In the United States and Canada, Wicked earned $46.47 million on its first day, which included $19.2 million from preview screenings the week before its release: $2.5 million on Monday, $5.7 million on Wednesday, and $11 million on Thursday. It opened with $112.5 million in the United States and Canada and $162.9 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical. This surpassed Into the Woods (2014), which opened with $31.1 million in the United States and Canada, and Les Misérables (2012), which opened with $103 million worldwide. On the next Thursday, Wicked earned $16.9 million, the second-highest Thanksgiving Day total, behind Moana 2 ($28 million). It earned $32 million on Black Friday.
Wicked earned $80 million in its second weekend, totaling $117.5 million over five days, a 29% drop, and finished behind Moana 2. By the end of the holiday weekend, it had earned over $250 million in the United States and Canada, becoming the highest-grossing stage musical-to-screen adaptation in North America. It surpassed Grease (1978), which earned $190 million in the United States and Canada. In its third weekend, Wicked earned $34.9 million, remaining in second place, with a total of $455 million worldwide. By December 15, 2024, it had earned $525 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film based on L. Frank Baum’s Oz stories, surpassing Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), which earned $493 million worldwide. By Christmas Day, Wicked had earned $392.4 million in the United States and Canada, making it the 49th highest-grossing film of all time in those regions. By December 29, 2024, Wicked surpassed Mamma Mia! (2008) to break the Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing musical film adaptation. By January 2025, it surpassed Dune: Part Two to become the fifth highest-grossing film of 2024 and surpassed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and F9 (2021) to become Universal’s third highest-grossing film in North America and nineteenth highest-grossing film worldwide.
In its first week on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, Wicked topped charts on iTunes Movies, Google Play, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video. Universal reported that Wicked earned over $70 million in premium VOD sales in the United States and Canada during its first week, including over $26 million on New Year’s Eve. It surpassed The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) to become the highest first-week VOD performer for a Universal theatrical film. As of April 2025, the film’s sales revenue across all video platforms exceeded $100 million. During its first weekend on Peacock, Wicked topped Nielsen’s preliminary streaming chart for March 17–23, 2025, with 882 million minutes watched. It outperformed Plane, The Wild Robot, and Anora, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Impact
I watched Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform as the cameras recorded their scenes. Their ability to portray their characters, as well as Jonathan Bailey's performance, was very impressive.
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who first played Elphaba and Galinda on Broadway, praised the film's actors. Kristin Chenoweth said, "The whole cast is amazing. Jon Chu did an excellent job. I was very emotional and happy watching it." Idina Menzel added, "The film honors the original musical while adding new, beautiful elements." Lorna Luft, one of Judy Garland's daughters, who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, described Wicked as "breathtaking" and "everything I hoped it would be." Carol Kane and Sheryl Lee Ralph, who performed Madame Morrible on Broadway and in touring productions, also praised the film. Carol Kane said, "After performing this show for many years, I was still deeply impressed by what I saw in the film." Mark Hamill, Paul Mescal, Ryan Reynolds, Kieran Culkin, Fernanda Torres, Millie Bobby Brown, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift expressed admiration for the film. Mark Hamill called it an "instant classic."
Elle UK's Panashe Nyadundu wrote that Wicked provided a "much-needed escape" with a message about kindness and acceptance that audiences welcomed after the 2024 United States presidential election. She added, "The film highlights LGBTQ+ representation, disability rights, animal rights, and female friendship, while offering both fantasy and a reminder of how to address real-world issues like corruption and discrimination." In November 2024, a clip from an interview in which journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist told Erivo and Grande that viewers were "holding space" for the lyrics of "Defying Gravity" became popular online. Gilchrist later explained that "holding space" means being fully present and feeling something deeply, even when hearing familiar lyrics.
Fans and cast members from Broadway and West End productions recreated the choreography for "What Is This Feeling?" on TikTok and Instagram Reels. The widespread praise for the "Defying Gravity" scene led Avid to release a 14-minute video on December 23, 2024, explaining Myron Kerstein's editing choices using the Media Composer timeline. Kerstein later repeated this demonstration in person at the 2025 NAB Show on April 5, 2025, as part of a panel discussion with Alice Brooks.
In February 2025, The New York Times reported that Universal Destinations & Experiences was planning attractions based on Wicked for one of its theme parks. Some believed these attractions might be added to Universal Epic Universe in Orlando after its opening in May 2025 or to the Universal United Kingdom park, expected to open in 2031. In January 2026, Universal City Studios LLC applied for a trademark related to the phrase "Oztacular Spectacular."
Accolades
Wicked won many awards and was nominated for more. It won three awards at the National Board of Review (NBR), where it became the first fantasy film to win the Best Film award and the fourth musical film to win, the first since Moulin Rouge! in 2001. Jon M. Chu received the Best Director award, while Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received the NBR Spotlight Award for their creative work together. The American Film Institute named Wicked one of the top 10 films of 2024. The AFI jury explained its selection in the following way:
At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Wicked won the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Cynthia Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Ariana Grande). It tied with Conclave for the most nominations at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards, receiving 11 total, and won three: Best Director (Jon M. Chu), Best Production Design (Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales), and Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell). At the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards, Wicked had five nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Jonathan Bailey), Outstanding Performance by a Cast, and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble. It tied with other films for the most nominations in the ceremony's history.
At the 97th Academy Awards, Wicked tied with The Brutalist for the second-most nominations, with 10 total, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress (Grande). It won Best Costume Design for Paul Tazewell (who became the first African American male costume designer to win the category) and Best Production Design for Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales. At the 75th American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards, it won Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) for Myron Kerstein. At the 2025 Kids' Choice Awards, Wicked had eight nominations and won three, including Favorite Movie, Favorite Movie Actress (Grande), and Favorite Song from a Movie ("Defying Gravity"). At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the film's soundtrack was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, while Erivo and Grande won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their version of "Defying Gravity."
Sequel
The movie Wicked was first planned as one film, but in April 2022, it was divided into two movies. The follow-up movie, Wicked: For Good, was released on November 21, 2025, and shows the story from the second part of the musical. In November 2024, Schwartz and Holzman said they had talked about the chance of creating more content related to the Wicked film adaptation, but they did not confirm it would be a third or fourth movie.