"Wicked Part Two" Release Shifts to an Earlier Date

Universal Pictures is moving the release of the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Wicked Part Two" to November 26, 2025.

The highly anticipated movie was initially set to bow on December 25, 2025, with "Wicked Part One" opening worldwide on November 27, 2024.

Jon M. Chu is directing both parts with Cynthia Erivo set to play Elphaba and Ariana Grande on board to play Glinda.

"Wicked" is centered around the witches from the land of Oz and the unlikely friendship that is formed between The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

The musical is based on the 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire, which itself is a retelling of the 1900 L. Frank Baum’s classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, is told from the perspective of the witches.

The adaptation is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” and recounts everything that happened before Dorothy sauntered down that iconic yellow brick road — and tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, known as the Good Witch.

Americana Screenwriter Winnie Holsman and composer Steven Schwartz are adapting the new musical movie.

The cast also features Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Ethan Slater as Boq.

“Wicked” marks Grande and Erivo's comeback to Broadway. The “7 Rings” pop star got her start in the 2008 Broadway musical 13 as a teenager before breaking out on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious”. Erivo won the 2016 Tony Award for best performance by a leading actress in a musical for her portrayal of Celie in “The Color Purple”.

Grande’s love for the production has been well-documented over the years, including her explosive performance of “The Wizard and I” on NBC’s “A Very Wicked Halloween” in 2018.