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"Wicked," released with enough green and pink merchandising to choke a horse, has been one of the rare musical extravaganzas to cross over from an audience of theater enthusiasts into the mainstream. Based on the popular Broadway musical starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (which in turn was based on a Gregory Maguire novel of the same name), "Wicked" tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz." Elphaba ends up becoming roommates with Glinda (Ariana Grande as the future good witch) while they're both studying magic at university. An unlikely friendship blossoms between the two total opposites -- until it's suddenly tested by the lure of the Wizard and his Emerald City. 

"Wicked" was a smash hit, earning over $700 million at the box office and 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress (Grande). It ultimately won...

Welcome to Tony Talk, a column in which Gold Derby contributors Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan offer Tony Awards analysis. Now that more than 700 users have weighed in with their first Tony predictions, we break down our earliest picks for the hotly contested Best Musical race, which we think will pit two Helperbots against a mummified outlaw.

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David Buchanan: Hi Sam! It's a perfect day to do a deep dive into our first Best Musical predictions because Maybe Happy Ending has just moved into first place in Gold Derby's odds. Death Becomes Her has been leading for the past two weeks and now ranks a very close second, followed by Operation Mincemeat, Dead Outlaw, and Buena Vista Social Club. As a major fan of Maybe Happy Ending, do you agree with the consensus that it is the frontrunner for the top prize?...

Exclusive: Tim Sheader, who last year became the Artistic Director of prestigious London theater the Donmar Warehouse, has signed with CAA.

Prior to taking over as Artistic Director at the Donmar last March, Sheader held the same post at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, where he directed more than 20 productions and won four Olivier Awards and two Evening Standard Awards.

His productions included Jesus Christ Superstar, which subsequently toured across the U.S. for three years, toured the UK, played a season at The Barbican, and currently is touring Australia.

Other Sheader credits for Regent’s Park include To Kill a Mockingbird (also UK tour and the Barbican); and Into the Woods (also New York). Sheader has also directed productions at the National Theatre, The Young Vic, and The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), among many others.

His work in opera includes the premiere of The Monstrous Child (Royal Opera), Turn of the Screw,...

As Blake Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni progresses, the actress recently attended the world premiere of her upcoming film, Another Simple Favor, the sequel to Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor (2018). While Blake Lively reunited with Anna Kendrick for the film, fans are fully convinced that the two actresses do not get along with each other. Now, it could be true or it could be far-fetched, but as far as Blake Lively is concerned, working with Anna Kendrick again has been nothing but great.

A Simple Favor (2018) | Credits: Lionsgate

At the world premiere, Blake Lively was asked about returning to work with the Pitch Perfect actress and her response would’ve put an end to feud rumors but Anna Kendrick sure had other plans.

Blake Lively on working with Anna Kendrick on Another Simple Favor Blake Lively in Another Simple Favor (2025) | Credits: Amazon MGM Studios

Thanks to past interviews,...

Exclusive: Lucy Punch (Amandaland) has been cast as a series regular in AMC and AMC+’s untitled Jonathan Glatzer Silicon Valley drama headlined by Billy Magnussen. Also added as a series regular is Everett Blunck.

The series, produced by AMC Studios, is set within the delusion bubble of Silicon Valley. The story follows an ethically compromised tech CEO (Magnussen) who is outrunning reputational damage as he tries to rescue his company from the brink of failure by any means necessary. Dragged into his chaos are his family, his kid’s elite prep school, an assortment of Sv power players and his psychiatrist (Sarah Goldberg).

Punch will play tech CEO’s wife who is having a retaliatory affair after her own husband’s infidelity. Blunck will play a high school student who moves to Silicon Valley to stay with his mom and stepdad.

In addition to Magnussen and Goldberg, they join fellow series regulars Meaghan Rath,...

Since Gold Derby started taking predictions for the 2025 Tony Awards nominations, hundreds of users have made their preliminary picks. This season 21 musicals and musical revivals and 21 plays and play revivals will compete for only a handful of slots in each category. With five more productions than last season, this year is one of the most competitive in recent memory.

Below, we break down where the top eight races stand at the very start of the season. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a tally of nominations by show in 17 of the 26 categories based on our current combined odds.

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Best Musical

1. Death Becomes Her — 51/20

2. Maybe Happy Ending — 59/20

3. Operation Mincemeat — 9/2

4. Dead Outlaw — 8/1

5. Buena Vista Social Club — 14/1

Our earliest prognosticators feel strongest about the top three contenders in the race, including two of the biggest success stories from the fall — Death Becomes Her...

With this year’s Tonys coming up on June 8, the American Theatre Wing will soon be announcing its Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The honor has gone to veteran stage performers, directors, choreographers, playwrights, songwriters, producers, and designers. In some years we get multiple recipients. Last year it was directors Jack O'Brien and George C. Wolfe.

There are several female Broadway vets, over the age of 65, who are deserving. With the likes of Jane Greenwood, Rosemary Harris, and Graciela Daniele having already received the award, here are 10 possible women who could be next in line. Vote in our poll below to let us know who you’d like to see honored.

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Jane Alexander

Tony-winning actress for The Great White Hope (1969). Additional nominations for 6 Rms Riv Vu (1973), Find Your Way Home (1974), First Monday in October (1979), The Visit (1992), The Sisters Rosensweig (1993), Honour (1998), and...

The American Theatre Wing will soon be announcing the Tonys' Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. It traditionally goes to veteran stage performers, directors, choreographers, playwrights, songwriters, producers, and designers. In some years there are multiple honorees. Last year's recipients were directors Jack O'Brien and George C. Wolfe.

Several living male Broadway vets have already received this award: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Tommy Tune, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, Joel Grey, and John Kander. Here are 10 possibilities, all accomplished men over the age of 65. Vote in our poll below to let us know who you’d like to see honored.

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John Caird

Two-time Tony-winning director for The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982) and Les Misérables (1987). Additional nominations for helming Stanley (1997) and cowriting Jane Eyre the Musical (2001).

Tim Curry

Three-time Tony-nominated actor for Amadeus (1981), My Favorite Year...

The Mayfair Witches season 2 finale, "Into the Woods," certainly saw a lot go down. There was a big and major death, a key character is leaving (we think?), and Rowan has now been changed, possibly forever. As far as finales go, I think it was a really good one! So is there more to come?

At the time of this writing, AMC has not revealed whether a Mayfair Witches season 3 is happening. The Anne Rice series has been a bit hit or miss with fans, especially those who have read the author's books and can't help compare the novel to the adaptation. I do agree that the series is messy and need some work if it does continue.

Though I do think the story could be written much better, there actually is more to tell and explore. Plus, Anne Rice's universe has become pretty established at the network, with Interview...

“SNL50” delivered another Kate McKinnon-led alien abduction sketch, with some especially big names making a surprise appearance, including Meryl Streep, who showed up as McKinnon’s similarly filthy-mouthed mother.

“We are eager to talk to you as you have all experienced a verified alien abduction,” a government official played by Aidy Bryant asked a disheveled McKinnon, Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson as they were joined by a fellow Pentagon employee, played by Jon Hamm. “Let’s start with how you were all brought aboard the spacecraft,” Hamm said.

“This beam of light appeared from the bottom of the ship, lifting me up like a soft hand,” Pascal said, with Harrelson adding, “we met these two beautiful, glowing aliens who took our hands and said, ‘welcome’ — I’ve never felt so safe.”

McKinnon, who reprised her role as Ms. Rafferty, had a bit of a different experience, recalling “I was...

Miss Rafferty has a mother, and it’s … Meryl Streep?!

The three-time Oscar winner made her first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live during the 50th anniversary special on Sunday night. She popped up as Colleen Rafferty Sr., the mother of Kate McKinnon‘s iconic character who frequently gets abducted by aliens. Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson played their co-abductees, while Jon Hamm and Aidy Bryant interviewed them all as Pentagon officials.

“Us Rafferty gals, we always attracted the freaks,” Streep declared during SNL50. “For years I thought Colleen’s father was part alien, but it turns out he was just uncircumcised.”

The 75-year-old actress added, “I still had my pants on when they took me, but much like her, I’ve got an ‘into the woods’ sort of situation going on. My ex used to say that it was like trying to hack his way through the black forest.” That...

Going into this year’s Grammys, each of the six nominees for Best Musical Theater Album has its own distinct advantages, from involvement of previous nominees/winners to encouraging statistics. So let’s consider the possibilities.

The frontrunner to win based on the official Gold Derby odds is Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a jukebox musical mining the song catalog of Alicia Keys, who also wrote a few original tunes for the show. Jukebox musicals in general tend to be catnip for voters in this category as they contain material voters are familiar with. Previous champs include Jersey Boys, which used the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; American Idiot, an adaptation of Green Day‘s eponymous 2004 concept album; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which featured Carole King‘s song catalog; and Jagged Little Pill, an adaptation of Alanis Morissette‘s 1995 album.

Keys has plenty of bona fides.

Meryl Streep, we miss you at the Academy Awards.

It’s been seven years since Streep was last nominated for an Oscar for her work in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” in 2018.

Seven years without Streep is a long time.

Back then, she broke her own record as the most-nominated actress in Oscar history. Her best actress nod for playing Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham landed Streep her 21st Oscar nomination. Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson are tied in second place with a dozen each.

Streep has won Oscars for “Kramer vs. Kramer” in 1979 (supporting actress), “Sophie’s Choice” in 1982 (best actress) and “The Iron Lady” in 2011 (best actress).

The last time she went missing from the Oscars for a long period of time was in the 1990s when she had a gap between her nominations for “Postcards From the Edge” in 1991 to her best actress nod in 1996 for “Bridges of Madison County.

MacKenzie Mauzy is famous for her role as Phoebe on The Bold and the Beautiful. From 2006 to 2008, the actress played Ridge and Taylor’s daughter and Steffy’s twin sister. Following her departure from the show, Mauzy’s life has been busy, and there’s much for her to celebrate.

Mom-To-Be

After leaving B&b, Mauzy continued acting with roles in the film Into the Woods and shows like NCIS: New Orleans. Now, she’s preparing for her greatest role: mom.

The actress and her husband, Scott Ratliff, are expecting their first child. In October 2024, Mauzy revealed her pregnancy via an Instagram video. “Took a solo trip to connect with myself, some of my favorite places, and the little surprise shared here,” she captioned the video. The reel starts with Mauzy arriving at her cabin and then showing off her baby bump in front of a mirror.

View this post on...

It’s a Broadway smash!

It, of course, refers to “Bombshell,” the fictional musical-within-a-musical at the center of “Smash,” a new stage adaptation of the beloved cult favorite, much hate-watched TV series that ran for two seasons on NBC from 2012-2013. Variety has an exclusive preview of the meta backstage comedy, which begins preview performances on March 11 ahead of opening night on April 10 at the Imperial Theatre.

Like the television series, created by Theresa Rebeck and described by Vulture as “one of the messiest shows to air on network television,” the stage version follows the process of mounting “Bombshell,” a jaunty musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. In the first-look image, set outside the fictional show’s Broadway house, a brightly lit marquee boasts such raves as “Amazing!” “Stunning” “Amazingly Stunning!” At the center of it all is Marilyn, wearing the iconic white dress from “The Seven Year Itch,...

Exclusive: The CBS drama series Elsbeth has added Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show) and Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious) to its growing list of guest stars for Season 2. New episodes return on January 30 at 10 p.m.

Based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, the series follows Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), the astute but unconventional consent decree attorney working with the NYPD to catch New York’s well-heeled murderers utilizing her unique point of view.

Ullman will portray Marilyn, a professional psychic with elite Manhattan clients who won’t make a move without consulting her first. When the stepson of one of her wealthy clients is murdered, Elsbeth must match wits with a woman whose supernatural gifts usually keep her one step ahead.

Brewster will play Chloe, a beautiful, elegant “lifestyle consultant,” usually found on the arms of the high rollers on billionaire’s row.

Merle Louise, whose Broadway debut in the original cast of Gypsy launched a decades-long association with Stephen Sondheim that would include notable appearances in Company, Sweeney Todd and Into The Woods, died January 11 in New York City. She was 90.

Her death was announced by family.

Born Merle Louise Letowt on April 15, 1934, in New York City, she started her stage career in local theater companies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, traveling back to New York for auditions. While still using Merle Letowt as her stage name, Louise landed the ensemble role of Thelma in the original 1959 Broadway production of Gypsy. She soon took on the featured role of Dainty June in the musical, both on Broadway and in the first national tour.

Though she would appear in non-Sondheim musicals on Broadway – La Cage aux Folles (1983), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993) and, most recently, Billy Elliot (2008) – Louise, after dropping the “Letowt,” originated the role...

The upcoming Netflix series “The Four Seasons” has added Julia Lester to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.

Lester will appear in a recurring role alongside series stars Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Erika Henningsen, Marco Calvani, and Will Forte. The series was originally picked up for eight episodes in January 2024 and completed filming in New York in November. It is based on the 1981 film of the same name that was directed by and starred Alan Alda.

In the film, three married couples take vacations together each season, but things are thrown for a loop when one of the husbands leaves his wife and begins bringing a younger woman with him. Lester will appear as Lila, the daughter of Anne (Kenney-Silver) and Nick (Carell).

Lester is perhaps best known for her role in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” appearing as Ashlyn across the show’s four seasons.

The cultural phenomenon Wicked seems to have found a new fan in George Lucas. The Star Wars creator reportedly saw the musical film and complimented director Jon M. Chu for his vision and execution. Lucas reportedly called Chu right from the mall where he saw the movie.

Wicked has become the highest-grossing musical adaptation in the US and has broken several other box office records in the genre. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, the film has an ensemble cast led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, along with Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, and Michelle Yeoh.

George Lucas praised Wicked director John M. Chu for his vision George Lucas | Credits: YouTube/Star Wars

George Lucas may not often be considered among the greats in cinema but his contribution to pop culture is nothing short of immense as he created the Star Wars franchise. He only...

For an artist who has a house full of Grammys, Alicia Keys is about to get her most special one yet.

The Recording Academy announced on Thursday that the singer-songwriter will receive the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the fourth annual Recording Academy Honors, taking place Jan. 30, 2025. The Global Impact Award was established in 2023 to celebrate artists for their musical excellence as well as their entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and their overall impact around the globe.

“From her timeless music to her unwavering dedication to uplifting others, Alicia has made an indelible impact on the world,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement, “Her artistry knows no bounds, her advocacy inspires meaningful change, and her influence has profoundly shaped culture.”

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Over the course of her career, Keys has won 16 Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for her breakthrough hit,...

Laura Benanti may have led the Broadway revival of “She Loves Me” with Zachary Levi in 2016, but the actress certainly doesn’t share the sentiment of the title. Benanti opened up about the ill feelings she maintains about her former co-star this week on the That’s a Gay Ass Podcast, hosted by Eric Williams.

“I never liked him. Everyone was like, ‘He’s so great!’ And I was like, ‘No, he’s not. He’s sucking up all the fucking energy in this room. He wants to mansplain everybody’s part to them,'” Benanti said. “He really sucked everybody in with his dance party energy, like, ‘We’re doing a dance party at half-hour.’ I was like, ‘Good luck, have fun.’”

Benanti’s criticism of Levi reached an emotional peak when the conversation touched on their “She Loves Me” co-star Gavin Creel, who died in September at the...

Note: The following story contains spoilers from “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 6, Episode 9.

From its first season, “What We Do in the Shadows” has been a show unafraid to cheekily drop big names, especially if the actors in question have a vampire on their IMDb page. And in its final season, the FX comedy embraced its chaotic, star-studded side once more.

“Come Out and Play” once again finds the Staten Island crew among the many, many, many throngs of vampires that inhabit New York, from the Meatpacking hotties to the aspiring artist vampires who have to hold down day jobs as baristas. But there’s one especially tall, pale and questioning vamp that may have caught viewers’ eyes. Here’s your guide to the “True Blood” star who’s casually in this latest season.

Alexander Skarsgård in a crowd shot on “What We Do in the Shadows” (Photo...

Sunday Update: With a five-day domestic debut of $221 million, “Moana 2” shattered numerous box office records including the biggest five-day opening of all time (surpassing “Super Mario Bros. Movie”/$204.6 million), the biggest Thanksgiving debut and Thanksgiving weekend (3-day and 5-day), the biggest Thanksgiving day, and the biggest Black Friday ever. The Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving weekend, and Black Friday totals for “Moana 2” surpass records previously set by “Frozen II.” “Wicked” continued flying high as well, taking in $117.5 million over the five-day holiday weekend, followed by “Gladiator II” with $44 million, “Red One” with $18.7 million, and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” with $4.9 million.

Wednesday Update: “Moana 2” crashed into theaters with $13.8 million in Tuesday preview box office receipts. That’s a new record for Disney animated films, surpassing “Inside Out 2’s” $13 million Thursday preview last June, and “Toy Story 4,” which took in $12 million in Thursday previews in 2019. Those films went on to earn $154 million and $121 million,...

The biggest movie in the world right now is Wicked, the musical revisionist take on The Wizard of Oz that in no way includes James Franco and/or a CGI monkey voiced by Zach Braff.

Wicked, of course, fills us in on the Wicked Witch of the West’s backstory, casting her in a more sympathetic light, which wasn’t totally necessary, considering that most of us would be justifiably pissed off if a teenager accidentally killed our sibling and then helped themselves to the corpse’s footwear.

Wicked has already made over $165 million worldwide. Its opening weekend was the biggest ever for a movie based on a Broadway musical, and it’s considered an Oscar frontrunner. And according to some folks on the internet, we have James Corden’s non-involvement to thank.

Obviously, the people who actually made the movie, and the original show, deserve the most credit. But...

Wednesday Update After Exclusive: Disney’s Moana 2 came in at $13.8M in previews Tuesday night, which is the best preview figure ever for a Walt Disney Animation title, the best ever for the studio on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (ahead of Ralph Breaks the Internet‘s $3.8M) and the second-highest preview figure for an animated movie behind Incredibles 2 ($18.5M).

Moana 2‘ also beat the preview figures of Inside Out 2, Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2. Incredibles 2 posted $183M 3-day opening. What AMC boss Adam Aron heard just might be right: Moana 2 is poised to outgross Inside Out 2.

Universal’s Wicked landed at $16.6M, the second-best November Tuesday ever behind Frozen 2, as we told you last night, while Paramount’s Gladiator II notched $6.6M. Wicked is up 5% over its record November Monday of...

The much-anticipated musical fantasy Wicked starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is finally out in theatres and just as expected, it is being hailed as one of the best movies of 2024. In just a few days, the box office collection has managed to surpass the film’s production budget and Wicked is already creating Oscar buzz online. So, don’t be surprised if the 2025 Academy Awards mention the film in more than a couple of categories.

Wicked (2024) | Credits: Universal Pictures

Keeping the positive reception aside, fans are talking about the film’s promotions. While there is clearly a lot of love between the two co-actors, netizens are questioning their authenticity and calling them out for overdoing it in the name of being woke.

Ariana Grande Comforts Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande | Credits: Pink News

Recently, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo joined Pink News to talk about Wicked. The...

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received equal pay for their work on “Wicked,” with Universal calling the rumors of pay disparity between them “completely false.”

“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on Internet fodder,” a Universal spokesperson told TheWrap on Tuesday. “The women received equal pay for their work on ‘Wicked.’”

Over the weekend, users on TikTok and Reddit spread false claims that Grande received $15 million while Erivo was paid $1 million for their roles in the film. Multiple outlets like the New York Post soon followed.

“Wicked” covers the first act of the 2003 Broadway play, with a second part coming in November 2025. The two films were shot together — albeit with delays caused by last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike — and carried a reported combined production budget of $300 million before a costly, global marketing campaign.

“Wicked” rejuvenated the box office after weeks of declining grosses,...

The previously announced New York memorial for Broadway star Gravin Creel will now be livestreamed for audiences in the U.S. and the U.K.

Creel, a Tony-winning actor known for leading roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hair and the recent revival of Into the Woods, died in September after being diagnosed with metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, in July. He was 48.

Friends and family of the beloved actor announced a memorial scheduled for Dec. 2 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The event will begin at 4 p.m. Et and is open to the public with a capacity of 1,500 attendees.

McC Theater, which is presented Creel’s original musical Walk On Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice at the Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater from November 2023 to January 2024, will host live streaming access on their YouTube channel in the U.

If you were shopping in Target this weekend, you didn’t hear the sound of Christmas carols over the loudspeaker, rather the showstopper “Defying Gravity” from Universal’s Wicked.

But there’s more, for on the main throughfare at the Sunset Boulevard location is a standee of Wicked attire, from slippers to sweatshirts. Meanwhile, over at their Starbucks, you had a choice between Elphaba’s Cold Brew and Glinda’s Pink Potion.

While it should be a marshmallow world in the winter, it’s a Wicked one, and we’re just living in it. For Universal Pictures and its lineup of 450 promotional partners, the studio has defied all gravity in racking up a media value for the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo tentpole of $350 million — the most ever for a Hollywood theatrical release. That number beats the promo partner campaigns of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($220M), 2019’s Avengers: Endgame...

It was the weekend that box office observers had circled on their calendars for months. Universal Pictures released the big Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" in theaters on the same day that Paramount Pictures unleashed Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II" on audiences in North America. 2023 had Barbenheimer. 2024 had Glicked. While pretty much everyone was a winner here, it was director Jon M. Chu's fantastical musical epic that came out on top.

Chu's latest topped the domestic charts with an estimated $114 million. Coupled with the film's solid $50.1 million overseas total, that leaves "Wicked" with a ridiculously strong $164 million global opening. "Gladiator II" still managed to open to $55 million, which was great all things considered, but Universal's return to the land of Oz ended up blowing past already optimistic industry projections with its opening. It now ranks as by far the biggest opening weekend ever for an adaptation of a pre-existing stage musical,...

Universal has been vindicated, thanks to the witches of Oz and the tenacity of studio chief and top NBCUniversal executive Donna Langley.

Over the Nov. 22-24 weekend, director Jon M. Chu‘s Wicked opened to an estimated $114 million domestically, the biggest box office launch of all time for a Broadway adaptation in a landslide victory, considering that the previous record holder, Into the Woods, opened to $31 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Moreover, it’s the fourth-biggest domestic opening among any musical behind three marquee Disney titles.

It couldn’t be a more welcome result for Universal, which was left badly bruised when Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper’s Cats adaptation turned into a box office debacle in 2019. The movie opened to just $6.6 million before topping out at $25.2 million domestically and $75.6 million globally. Langley and her team, however, remained steadfast in sticking with making two Wicked movies (Chu’s sequel debuts a year from now).

“With Wicked,...

Universal’s record-breaking Wicked dominated North American box office over the weekend thanks to a confirmed $112.5m launch, while Paramount’s Gladiator II arrived in second place on a strong $55m as total box office combined for a $200m-plus weekend.

Opening in 3,888 theatres, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is the third biggest opening of the year to date behind Deadpool & Wolverine on $211m and Inside Out 2 on $154.2m. It also established the biggest opening weekend by a Broadway adaptation by some distance, eclipsing $31.1m set by Into The Woods in 2014.

Wicked recorded...

Universal’s record-breaking Wicked dominated North American box office over the weekend thanks to a confirmed $112.5m launch, while Paramount’s Gladiator II arrived in second place on a strong $55.5m as total box office combined for a $200m-plus weekend.

Opening in 3,888 theatres, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is the third biggest opening of the year to date behind Deadpool & Wolverine on $211m and Inside Out 2 on $154.2m. It also established the biggest opening weekend by a Broadway adaptation by some distance, eclipsing $31.1m set by Into The Woods in 2014.

Wicked recorded...

Universal’s record-breaking Wicked dominated North American box office over the weekend thanks to an estimated $114m launch, while Paramount’s Gladiator II arrived in second place on a strong $55.5m as total box office combined for a $200m-plus weekend.

Opening in 3,888 theatres, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is the third biggest opening of the year to date behind Deadpool & Wolverine on $211m and Inside Out 2 on $154.2m. It also established the biggest opening weekend by a Broadway adaptation by some distance, eclipsing $31.1m set by Into The Woods in 2014.

Wicked recorded...

Musicals aren’t the most successful genre at the box office. But song-and-dance films may be enjoying — as Glinda sings — a newfound popularity with “Wicked,” Universal’s adaptation of Act One of the beloved Broadway show.

The film collected $114 million in North America and an additional $50.2 million internationally, bringing its global tally to $165 million over the weekend. It’s a huge win for movie theaters (ticket sales have been stubbornly behind 2023 and pre-pandemic times) and Universal. Each installment cost $150 million to produce, not including its inescapable pink-and-green marketing campaign. So “Wicked” needs to resonate at the global box office through Thanksgiving of next year to justify these mega price tags. Then “thank goodness,” as Glinda also sings in the show, that critical reviews and audience sentiment have been euphoric.

Jon M. Chu directed the PG “Wicked,” which stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Bailey. Set before,...

Updated Nov. 30: Broadway musicals adapted to the screen are an erratic genre at the box office, despite Miramax’s multi-Oscar winning Chicago reviving the long-dormant Hollywood genre back in 2002 with $306.8M WW. Yet for every Les Miserables ($442.7M) hit from Universal, there were massive misfires like Dear Evan Hansen and Cats. This weekend, Universal defied the odds with their feature take of the $5 billion-grossing Broadway stage show Wicked, opening to $112.5M domestic, $162.5M worldwide as of Monday morning.

Here’s all the records that Wicked broke in its opening weekend:

The Highest Grossing Movie Ever Based on a Broadway Musical at the Domestic Box Office with $214M and counting as of Nov. 30.

Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for a Movie Based on a Broadway Show, beating the worldwide opening of 2012’s Les Miserables ($103M) and the domestic opening of Disney’s 2014 Into the Woods ($31M).

Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for Ariana Grande ever,...

Wicked‘s opening weekend box office numbers are in, and the film made a whopping $114 million this weekend!

This places the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-led film with the third best opening box office weekend of 2024, and the best musical adaptation opening weekend of all time!

The two best box office openings of 2024 were Deadpool & Wolverine at $211 million and Inside Out 2 at $154 million.

The best musical adaptation at the box office used to be 2014′s Into the Woods at $31 million.

Meanwhile, another huge movie opened this weekend at the box office: Gladiator II. The film also had a huge weekend, though it did not make as much as Wicked. The Paul Mescal-starrer earned $55.5 million this weekend, Variety reports.

Did you catch these four cameos in the Wicked film!?...

Sunday Update: Moviegoers looked to the western sky this weekend in record numbers, as “Wicked” defied expectations by earning a whopping $114 million at the U.S. box office. That’s the best opening weekend ever for a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, beating the previous record-holder, “Into the Woods” (2014), at $31 million. “Wicked” is now the third biggest domestic opener of 2024, following “Deadpool & Wolverine” at $211 million and “Inside Out 2” at $154 million. Elsewhere, “Gladiator II” brought in an impressive $55 million, good enough for second place. Three cheers for “Glicked”!

Friday Update: Heading into Friday, “Wicked” had already made $19.2 million in previews: $2.5 million from Monday showings, $5.7 million from Wednesday advances, and $11 million for Thursday screenings. Comparatively, “Gladiator II” made $6.5 million in Thursday previews. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest box office weekends of the 2024 calendar year.

What will be the winners and the losers this week at the U.

Update: 2024/11/24 08:06 Est By Brennan Klein

Wicked And Gladiator II Fall Slightly Short Of Projections, But The Musical Is Still A Record-Breaker

This article was originally written Saturday Am and has been updated Sunday Am with up-to-date box office projections (in bold), a full chart, and further analysis.

The box office competition between Gladiator II and Wicked has seen the latter title take an early lead in their mutual opening weekend. Gladiator II, which stars Paul Mescal, is the 24-years-later sequel to the Ridley Scott Best Picture winner which sees the director returning to the helm for another Ancient Rome epic. It has debuted at the box office during the same weekend as the Wicked release. The competition between the swords-and-sandals movie and the adaptation of the first act of the popular musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz was dubbed "Glicked" in a nod to 2023's "Barbenheimer."

Per Deadline,...

Universal’s “Wicked” has rejuvenated the box office after weeks of declining grosses, earning the third-highest opening weekend of 2024 with $114 million from 3,888 theaters.

That sits behind only “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211.4 million) and “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million) on this year’s opening weekend list, and shatters the $31 million record set in 2014 by “Into the Woods” for the highest opening by a Broadway adaptation.

As expected, the opening weekend audience is being driven by millennial women who grew up enjoying the 2003 Broadway musical, with support from younger women who are fans of Ariana Grande. Universal reports a female audience share of 72%, a higher share than the opening weekend of “Barbie” at 68%, and the same percentage for the opening weekend of the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” remake.

The 25-34 demographic had the largest share at 29%, with the 18-24 demo at 20% and the 35-44 demographic at 16%.

The next step for “Wicked” will be to turn its stellar word-of-mouth,...

If you care to find “Wicked,” look to the top of box office charts. Universal’s adaptation of Act One (with some padding) of the popular Broadway musical was No. 1 in North America with $114 million from 3,888 theaters over the weekend.

Those dazzling ticket sales rank as the third biggest domestic debut of the year behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211 million) and “Inside Out 2” ($154 million). Among other benchmarks, “Wicked” landed the fourth-biggest start in history for a musical, ahead of Disney’s recent “The Little Mermaid” remake ($95.5 million) and behind “Frozen II” ($130 million), as well as the best opening (by far) for a Broadway adaptation, overtaking the record held by 2014’s “Into the Woods” ($31 million).

“Wicked” collected an additional $50.2 million at the international box office, bringing its global tally to $164.2 million. It marks the biggest worldwide opening for a film based on a Broadway show, supplanting another Universal musical, “Les Miserables,...

Universal’s “Wicked” is kicking off what is expected to be a lucrative holiday season for theaters with $27.7 million grossed on Friday from 3,888 theaters, putting it on course for an estimated $117 million opening weekend. The total is nearly quadrupling the $31 million opening earned 10 years ago by “Into the Woods” to set a new record for a Broadway adaptation.

With $19 million already in the bag from three days of previews, “Wicked” is expected to have massive matinee play from family and female audiences, not just this weekend, but in the weeks to come. That’s even with Disney’s “Moana 2” expected to shatter the Thanksgiving weekend opening record.

Jon M. Chu’s musical has earned stellar reception across the board, including Rotten Tomatoes scores of 89% critics and 98% audience, an A on CinemaScore and a 5/5 on PostTrak, with a stunning 80% surveyed giving the film a “definite recommend,” the highest rating on the audience exit poll.

Updated, Saturday AM: Universal’s Wicked is coming in with a $46.7M Friday plus previews which has the studio predicting a $117M opening at this point. Paramount’s Gladiator II stands at $60M after a $22M Friday.

Wicked gets an A CinemaScore, a grade that’s up there with other Broadway feature adaptations such as Les Miserables (A), Chicago (A-), Annie (A-), Mamma Mia (A-) and higher than Into the Woods (B). Gladiator II gets a B versus the original 2000 movie’s A.

Let’s remember a few things in case the marketplace hits a bump:

–It’s a holiday week, so there’s plenty of time to head to the cinemas this week. While there was only 1% K-12 schools off yesterday, that grows to 47% K-12 and 18% colleges on Monday per Comscore, eventually rising to near 100% levels on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, the latter being one of the highest grossing days of the year.

It’s a death-defying act to split one property into two movies.

Warner Bros did it with the greatest of ease on the final film adaptation of Harry Potter, 2010 and 2011’s Deathly Hallows, which combined grossed $2.3 billion worldwide. However, Lionsgate ran into a buzz saw and tried it with the final Divergent book, Allegiant, by Veronica Roth, which flopped so badly ($179.2 million), it never saw its final conclusion on the big screen.

Musicals have always proved a rags-or-riches genre at the box office, and when it came to the ambitious task of dividing up Wicked into two parts, director Jon M. Chu, says “it was also the most obvious thing to do because every time we tried to make it one movie, you had to rip out songs.”

“If we’re ending up on (the song) ‘Defying Gravity’, then we need to movie backwards from ‘Defying Gravity’,” the director says...

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for Doctor Odyssey season 1, episodes 1-7.While Doctor Odyssey has taken a quirky approach to medical drama, it's ignoring the female lead's potential for a musical-centered episode. Ryan Murphy's latest ABC title has already given viewers incredibly memorable moments, from a woman getting frostbite on her breast implants to a couple overdosing on sweet potato. The ship (the eponymous "Odyssey") hosts themed weeks that add an extra layer of amusement: Wellness Week, Plastic Surgery Week, and even Gay Week, all complete with esoteric guest stars and outlandish medical emergencies undercut by surprisingly tender moments of vulnerability.

However, though the show has made a name for itself among contemporaries like Grey's Anatomy and 9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey refuses to fully commit to its camp factor. Doctor Odyssey's premiere was criticized as unrealistic, but that's exactly what it should be. Instead of trying to approach...

Universal’s Broadway adaptation Wicked has earned an estimated $19.2m from advance screenings and previews at the North American box office.

The first part in John M.Chu’s adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande earned $2.5m from Amazon Prime screenings in 750 US theatres on Monday, $5.7m from 2,000 theatres in the US and Canada on Wednesday, and $11m from standard previews in 3,300 sites on Thursday.

Wicked has earned rave reviews and is forecast to gross in the region of $120m in North America this weekend, when it goes up against Paramount’s big opener, Gladiator II.

Sections of the...

Just like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined last year for the box office juggernaut of “Barbenheimer,” Universal’s musical “Wicked” and Paramount’s action epic “Gladiator II” will try to create “Glicked” this weekend.

So far, “Wicked” has made $19.2 million in previews at the box office. It also benefited from some early fan screenings — that includes $2.5 million from Monday showings, $5.7 million from Wednesday advances and $11 million on Thursday. “Gladiator II” made $6.5 million in Thursday previews. To compare to “Barbenheimer” last summer, “Barbie” made $22.3 million in Thursday previews, while “Oppenheimer” brought in $10.5 million.

Director Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, is expected to be one of the biggest opening weekends of the year. “Wicked” is on track for $100 million to $110 million, with some estimates as high as $130 million. After months of TV spots, pink-and-green promotional items and Grande hosting “Saturday Night Live,...

As of recent years, there has been a correlation with musical performances being recognized in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Oscars, with eight nominated since 2002, and half emerging victorious. This year, we have potentially three actresses from two movie musicals competing for the five slots: Ariana Grande for Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” and Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez for Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez.” Let’s take a look back at the many scenarios where song-and-dance performers were cited for Best Supporting Actress and what that could mean for this year’s contenders.

There have been a myriad of supporting actresses recognized for film musicals at the Oscars predominantly during the inception of the genre, which include Jean Hagen for “Singin’ In The Rain” (1952), Peggy Wood for “The Sound of Music” (1965), and Kay Medford for “Funny Girl” (1968). But the first victory came for Rita Moreno for “West Side Story” (1961), who...

Is “Glicked” the new “Barbenheimer”?

Whether “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” inspires an unorthodox double feature à la last summer’s simultaneous blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” remains a question. Either way, there’s a box office battle brewing between Universal’s pink-and-green musical and Paramount’s bloody sword-and-sandal epic, both of which open on Friday.

“Wicked,” director Jon M. Chu’s big-screen take on the beloved Broadway show, is expected to lead with a huge $100 million to $110 million from 3,880 North American theaters over the weekend. The PG-rated film landed on tracking with projections of $80 million to $85 million, but estimates have increased in subsequent weeks. Given the ubiquity of the stage show, the omnipresence of the Oz-themed marketing campaign and enough brand partnerships (more than 400 in total) to fill Emerald City, rival studio executives and independent tracking services believe that ticket sales could fly to $130 million in its first weekend of release.

Chris Pine's directorial debut, which he also stars in, has become a streaming success despite its dismal 22% Rotten Tomatoes score. Pine is perhaps best known for his franchise roles, starting with Captain Kirk in the Star Trek reboot movies, which include 2009's Star Trek, 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, and 2016's Star Trek Beyond. From there, he also starred as Steve Trevor in the Dceu movies, 2017's Wonder Woman and its 2020 sequel, Wonder Woman 1984.

Outside of franchise fare, Pine first rose to prominence for his roles in romantic comedies, including The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement in 2004 and Just My Luck in 2006. From there, he was cast in Star Trek, but continued to appear in other possible franchise-starters, playing Cinderella's Prince in Disney's Into the Woods and Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. In recent years, with Star Trek 4 taking forever and the Dceu being rebooted,...