Wicked (2024 film)

Wicked is part one of a two part movie series released by Universal Pictures in November 2024 and based on the novel and musical of the same name. The movie reimagines The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the perspective of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.

The story begins at the end, with the good witch Galinda recounting the story of the witch to Munchkins. After an affair leads Elphaba to be born with green skin and magic power, she is rejected by her family, growing up an outcast. She later enrolls at Shiz along with her sister after a magical outburst catches the attention of an instructor, leading her to room with Galinda. From there the two on a journey of social growth while getting caught in the schemes of larger powers.

Based mostly on the theatrical version of the story, the films are an Adaptation Expansion including some plot elements of the original novel.

As of December 17th, it has grossed $330 million domestically, making it the fourth-highest musical blockbuster of all time.

The second part, Wicked: For Good, is slated for a November 2025 release.

Be warned, Wicked has always been a Spoilered Rotten story, so spoilers may be unmarked,

• Abusive Parents: The man who believes himself to be the father of Elphaba does not treat her kindly.
• Achievements in Ignorance: Much of Elphaba's powers are discovered due to her lack of control over them, each case creating part of her iconic status as the Witch:
  • After poor Professor Dillamond is arrested during a class and the substitute brings a caged lion cub in to use as a visual aid her anger is such that she puts a hex on the poppy flowers in a vase, putting everyone in the room except herself and Fiero to sleep - naturally, this enables them to save the unfortunate cub.
  • Much later, when she and Glinda are attempting to flee the Wizard's soldiers, Elphaba tries to repeat the spell she used on the monkeys, this time trying to give herself wings. Instead, it enchants the broom she used to barricade the door, turning it into her now-familiar flying broomstick.
• Action Girl: Elphaba is able to evade and resist guards by the end of the film, with both magic and physical feats.
• Affably Evil: The Wizard seems a grandfatherly compassionate type, at least while talking to Glinda and Elphaba, a convincing front for his true nature.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Madam Morrible, on the other hand, is far less convincing.
• Bad Samaritan:
  • After Elphaba accidentally wrecks the school's pavilion on opening day with her magic, Madam Morrible intervenes, telling the assembled students it was her magic that caused it. She then insists Elphaba register for the curriculum, offering to privately tutor her. However, her intentions are not as philanthropic as they seem - she intends to use Elphaba as an Unwitting Pawn believing (rightfully) she can read the Grimmerie and harness its power.
  • To a lesser degree, Galinda, at least at first. Much of the decent things she does (such as change her name to show her support for Professor Dillamond and his kin) are done out of a selfish desire to be popular among the students.
• Big Sister Instinct: Elphaba has a lot of guilt over what happened to her mother and sister, and has tried to be Nessa's protector all her life.
• Breakout Character: Galinda, seriously. Ariana Grande steals the show in many scenes.
• The Cameo:
  • Much like the musical, Dorothy is mostly absent, but she makes a very brief scene at the beginning, she and her three companions returning to the Emerald City with the broomstick in hand. Interestingly, this is even more brief than her involvement in the original, where the story started with the sound of her sobbing offstage (while held prisoner by Elphaba) and then a scene with her (obscured by shadow) dousing Elphaba with water. Possibly, such an effort to conceal here would seem forced in a movie, so these scenes were omitted. Word of God claims she will have at least one more cameo in part two.
  • Also, the Cowardly Lion (who was not in the musical at all) makes a brief appearance as a cub, whom Elphaba and Fiero rescue.
• Civilized Animal: The decline and oppression of these is a major plot point.
• Cool Train: The one that drives Elphaba and Galinda to the Emerald City is a shiny green Steampunk-style locomotive.
• Cult of Personality: Almost every character at Shiz seems to like the Wizard of Oz.
• Death by Childbirth: Because she gave birth to Elphaba, a green skinned baby, the father endeavors to prevent it from happening again. He forces the mother to consume large amounts of a remedy for their next child, which leads to the death of the mother.
• Die or Fly: Elphaba at the climax of the part one; suffice to say she has to get the hang of flying with a broomstick pretty damn fast.
• Evil Laugh: Elphaba has the iconic cackle even before she is assumed by everyone to be "wicked", using it to troll Galinda during "What is this Feeling".
• Evil Mentor: Madam Morrible is this towards Elphaba at first, overlapping with Evil Teacher. It turns out to be one-sided.
• Fantastic Racism: During the film animals that can talk are shown to be oppressed in Oz, being used as a scapegoat for a famine that occured in the past. It is not a coincidence that Professor Dillamond - an actual goat - is the most prevailent victim of this.
• Heroic Bastard: Elphaba is one; neither she nor her family know (yet) that she was born via an adulterous affair between her mother and a traveling salesman.
• Homemade Sweater From Hell: Elphaba's hat (the iconic, wide-brimmed conical witch's hat) originally belonged to Galinda, a gift from her grandmother. Galinda claims it is "horrific" and that she would give it away but doesn't hate anyone that much. But then she decides to give in to Elphaba. It quickly becomes one of the trademark items of Elphaba's role as the Wicked Witch of the West.
• Huge Holographic Head: During the theatrical performance in the Emerald City a head in the sky is shown saying "Omaha". The head used directly by the Wizard himself is mechanical.
• Light Is Not Good/Dark Is Not Evil: Obviously, both Tropes are a major theme of the plot. Galinda (Light) is arrogant, selfish, conceited, and entitled, the sort who seems to think she’s a good person, but cannot quite pull it off. Elphaba, on the other hand (Dark) is genuinely kindhearted and caring. The Aesop is, of course, that nothing is truly black and white.
• Literal Metaphor: Professor Dillamond is a talking goat, used by the villains as a scapegoat.
• Lovable Alpha Bitch: Galinda is clearly opportunistic and makes life hard for Elphaba at first, but she does also seem to want to do good even if for selfish reasons.
• Meaningful Rename: Being a goat, Professor Dillamond talks with a lisp that causes him to mispronounce Galinda's name, calling her "Glinda". After he is arrested by the Wizard's men, Galinda decides to vocally express support for the opposition by calling herself "Glinda" from then on.
• Meganekko: Elphaba, a Hollywood Nerd type, though she loses the glasses around the part where she and Galinda start to bond.
• Painful Transformation: Near the end of the movie, the Wizard tricks Elphaba into using the Grimmerie to turn his royal guard (who are regular monkeys) into the Flying Monkeys. Clearly, the poor beasts are in agony as the spell takes effect.
• Perspective Flip: Obviously. If you've seen The Wizard of Oz, it doesn't take long to see how this turns the whole story on its head and lets you see it from a different side.
• Playing Against Type:
  • A big concern by critics before the movie premiered was whether Grande (known mostly as a pop idol singer) could convincingly sing Broadway-style. Most were pleasantly surprised that she could.
  • Same with Goldblum; best known for epics like Independence Day and Jurassic Park, most were surprised he could sing at all.
• Propaganda Machine: After Elphaba rejects working with the Wizard, society is turned on her quickly via broadcast.
• Remake Cameo: Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (who portrayed Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the musical's original production) appear as the Wiz-O-Mania Super Stars in the "One Short Day" scene, a Mythology Gag to hardcore fans of the play.
• Shining City: The Emerald City is depicted as this at first.
• Single-Palette Town: The Emerald City is colored with a brilliant collection of greens.
• Superpower Lottery: Elphaba is clearly the most capable magic user in the film, having aptitude from childhood and being able to cast from the book when nobody else can. The other magic seen is comparatively less impressive weather alteration magic, or practical illusions such as sleight of hand tricks.
• The Reason You Suck Speech: "What is this Feeling" is a duet between Elphaba and Galinda giving the speech to each other! Which of course, seems like it could turn into a Slap Slap Kiss at any moment. It doesn't, but they do become besties later...
• Tome of Eldritch Lore: The Grimmerie, an ancient book that, it seems, only Elphaba can read. Much of its potential in this version has yet to be seen, but given what is seen, it is doubtful any good can come from its contents.
• We Can Rule Together: The Wizard's offer to Elphaba; much like the theater version, she refuses.
  • Unlike in the theater version, Glinda accepts Elphaba's offer at the end of the first movie (where Act 1 would end in the play) and agrees to go with her, but the Wizard's soldiers grab her before they can leave. Elphaba is forced to leave her behind as she flees.
• Wicked Witch: Not Elphaba from what is directly seen in the 2024 film, though the munchkins clearly consider her to be this during the intro set after the events of the film.
• Wizarding School: Shiz plays with this. While fantastical in design and technically offering sorcery as a discipline, most students don’t study magic. Only Elphaba and Galinda are shown engaging or pursuing such studies as students, working directly under a teacher rather than in typical lectures.
• Yellow Brick Road: Discussed when the Wizard of Oz talks about his model of a road that leads people to him.