The November 22 public release date for the first part of the Wicked film may be just around the corner, but the review embargo for the film has lifted!
The hotly anticipated film adaptation, directed by In the Heights and Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu, is the most talked about movie musical in recent memory. Did the film soar over the rainbow? The critics weigh in below; warning, spoilers abound!
Read the reviews below.
Backlot Magazine (Ridge Harripersad)
Business Insider (Palmer Haasch)
Chicago Reader (Albert Williams)
The Daily Beast (Kevin Fallon)
Entertainment Weekly (Christian Holub)
Hello Magazine (Rebecca Lewis)
The Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney)
The Independent (Chris Wasser) *
The Irish Examiner (Declan Burke) *
The Irish Times (Donald Clarke)
The New Statesman (Simran Hans)
The New York Post (Johnny Oleksinski) *
People Magazine (Eric Andersson)
Screen Daily (Fionnuala Halligan)
The Seattle Times (Moira Macdonald) *
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Featuring songs by Stephen Schwartz, a screenplay by Winnie Holzman, and designs by Tony winner Paul Tazewell, the Wicked film stars Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and Grammy winner Ariana Grande as, respectively, Elphaba and Glinda.
They are joined by West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, 2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose.
Stage and screen star Keala Settle, SNL's Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael also play roles new to the musical's screen version, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
READ: 15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book by Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
Find tickets at a theatre near you at WickedMovie.com. Pre-orders and pre-saves are also now available for the film's soundtrack album, which will also release November 22. The second part of the film will be released Thanksgiving 2025.
