The musical hit Wicked has been enchanting fans worldwide for over 20 years and, according to Variety, has been able to do so with its numerous productions ever since more than 5 billion (!) dollars gross – 1.6 billion of them just on Broadway alone, as Playbill documents. On December 12, 2024, after a long wait, the blockbuster film adaptation of the musical Juggernauts, Wicked, will finally start in German cinemas as the first chapter of a two-part epic fantasy epic.
Wicked broke records even before its German cinema release
Wicked is not only the adaptation of the musical of the same name, but also a new interpretation of the fantasy classic The Wizard of Oz. The first part tells the story of an unexpected and incomparable friendship between the later Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) tells the story – long before a certain Dorothy from Kansas lands in a hurricane in the magical land of Oz.
German Wicked fans are the last to enjoy the musical film adaptation. The spectacle has been running in the USA and numerous other countries since November 22, 2024 and broke a surprising cinema record on its opening weekend.
Wicked succeeded in grossing over $162 million worldwide most successful start of a Broadway musical adaptation ever, as Deadline reports. If the hype holds up in the coming weeks, then the front runners of musical adaptations, Mamma Mia (609 million) and Les Misérables (441 million), will have serious competition.
Wicked is a fantasy event like no other
The first Wicked film is not only a surprise success, but also a damn good fantasy blockbuster, which currently has an incredible rating average of 8.2 points on IMDB and an audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. And all the praise is completely justified.
Wicked is a 160-minute (!) rush that isn’t a minute too long. The performances of the two leading actresses, Cynthia Erivo as the green outsider and Ariana Grande as the unbridled pink bundle of energy, are rousing, touching and often really funny. And especially as a musical adaptation, the film triumphs across the board, because the stage original is adapted almost unchanged, true to the original and with sensible additions.
The highlight is of course the total of 11 musical sequences, with outstanding (and mostly live-filmed) singing voices and directed by Jon M. Chus incredibly energetic choreographies are a real feast for the eyes and ears that should really blow away every musical fan.
However, if you don’t know what to do with musicals, you can at least look forward to a fantastic fantasy film a detailed and exciting world that, away from the protective school walls of the Glizz Magic University, drifts straight into fascism. This only comes into play in the much darker second part of the Wicked saga, but it already presents the young Oz witches with uncomfortable decisions. However, I can make one easy decision for every fantasy fan: definitely watch Wicked on the big screen!
Wicked opens regularly in German cinemas on December 12, 2024. There will be preview screenings in some cinemas from December 4th. The sequel Wicked Part 2 will be shown from November 20, 2025.