“Wicked: For Good” European Premiere – Arrivals

The Real Reason Hollywood Keeps Turning Villains Into Heroes

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With this summer’s blockbuster season ranking as the least attended since 1981 and the October box office notching its lowest monthly total ever, Hollywood is in desperate need of a magic wand to save the industry from its slump. Right now, all eyes are turning to Oz as analysts predict that Wicked: For Good will reverse the trend and become the highest grossing of film of 2025.
That’s going to be a heavy lift, since the film&#8217;s two leads seem determined to do everything they can to alienate half the country. During the press tour for the first Wicked film, Ariana Grande (Glinda the Good Witch) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West) not only appeared startlingly emaciated, but gave bizarre, politically-charged interviews sure to turn off anyone to the right of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Erivo obnoxiously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wicked-actress-flips-over-movie-poster-edited-by-fans-calls-it-most-offensive-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decried innocent fan art</a> that redesigned the movie poster to look more like the Broadway Playbill, complaining that it “degrade[d]” and “erased” her. Then, in response to a reporter’s question about the stage production, she <a href="https://www.out.com/out100/2024/artists/cynthia-erivo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described it</a> as part of “queer canon,” a sentiment Grande <a href="https://x.com/JDunlap1974/status/1988346601891373471?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">echoed</a>.
“Oz has always been a queer place, a safe place for queer people for every different color of the rainbow,&#8221; Grande said. &#8220;The gayer the better.”
And yet, despite their red-carpet politicking, Wicked has always been a conservative fable. Yes, that’s correct: Wicked is thematically right-wing. Whether or not the creative team recognizes it, the narrative is built around skepticism of centralized power, distrust of media manipulation, and a fierce defense of objective truth.
The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is a foreign invader who arrives in Oz and consolidates control over its disparate regions through deceptive displays of strength, embodying the archetype of the globalist technocrat. He leverages a compliant, dishonest press to create false narratives that will reshape public opinion so he can impose top-down authority over communities that once enjoyed self-rule. His regime suppresses dissent, persecutes politically disfavored classes (in this case, the sentient Animals), and relies on the notion that “truth is what we agree upon,” a relativism that Elphaba vigorously rejects. She, by contrast, argues that truth and morality are unchanging, regardless of whether anyone else agrees.
Elphaba’s story arc is not, as we have seen with other villain rehabilitations like 2014’s Maleficent, an attempt to excuse evil by blaming painful formative experiences. Instead, the official Oz account was fake news all along, the cover circulated by a corrupt government — aided and abetted by a complicit media — to deflect attention away from Elphaba’s crusade to restore individual rights. She is targeted precisely because she stands between the establishment and the ordinary citizen. Elphaba is not redeemed — she is vindicated.
Unfortunately, conservative is not the same as entertaining. There, unfortunately, Wicked: For Good (rated PG for action violence and a slightly suggestive romantic scene) fails to live up to its title.
The first film largely followed the path of the stage production. So, even though Erivo and Grande’s performances didn’t come near to matching the energy and wit that Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth brought to Broadway, powerhouse ballads like &#8220;Defying Gravity&#8221; (so good Disney ripped it off for Frozen) and comical ditties like &#8220;Popular&#8221; and &#8220;What Is This Feeling?&#8221; still managed to entertain. And the pageantry of scenes like Elphaba and Glinda’s arrival to the Emerald City was visually arresting enough to hold attention through the long 2-hour-and-40-minute run time.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9yZLmULgLQk?si=O6pmHqD670_gNknX" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Wicked: For Good is 20 minutes shorter but feels about an hour longer. The plot is padded to fill out a sequel that could have been wrapped up in 30 minutes. The new songs from Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz boast none of the sly humor or subtle poetry of the originals, and the few original songs remaining to this second half of the story are performed with little apparent recognition of their meaning.
A prime example is Glinda’s “Thank Goodness.” On stage, Chenoweth turns the song into a miniature nervous breakdown, in which the audience can hear the exact moment she rejects self-awareness and doubles down on delusion. Grande sails through the same lyrics with a pretty smile and zero outward acknowledgment of the subtext in expression or voice. MacGuffins also abound. Something that is initially presented as a dire plot point, like what will become of those bejeweled shoes, is later shrugged off as unimportant.
Just like the ruby slippers, Wicked: For Good is still a candy-colored spectacle and a handful of sequences are impressive, but the substance is as ephemeral and weightless as that bubble Glinda travels around in.
By the time you get to the end, you’re simply ready for it to pop.
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Wicked 2 Is More Conservative Than Its Stars Admit. That Doesn’t Make It Good.

Ariana Grande

Film Reviews

“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo has been picked to play Jesus in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” in several performances at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles this summer.
The 38-year-old actress, who recently played the role of Elephaba alongside Ariana Grande in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked,” has landed the title role in the rock opera that will take place in August 2025, <a href="http://world.com">Broadway World.com</a> reported. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced.
Erivo captioned a post on her Instagram Stories about the announcement, “Just a little busy this summer. Can’t wait.” She previously took on the role of Mary Magdalene in the all-female 2020 concept album “Jesus Christ Superstar: She Is Risen,” <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/02/cynthia-erivo-jesus-christ-superstar-hollywood-bowl-1236293513/">Deadline</a> noted.
The “Jesus Christ Superstar” was initially released as a concept album in 1970 before it debuted on Broadway in 1971. It tells the story of “Jesus Christ’s final days, focusing on the complex relationship between Jesus and his disciple-turned-betrayer, Judas Iscariot,” the outlet noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cynthia Erivo is set to play Jesus Christ this summer in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl.<a href="https://t.co/Sa6cSIiHdI">https://t.co/Sa6cSIiHdI</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1891878088360984591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
The “Superstar” musical marks the return of musicals at the Hollywood Bowl since the pandemic shut down the world, the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-02-18/hollywood-bowl-2025-schedule-cynthia-erivo-jesus-christ-superstar-gustavo-dudamel">Los Angeles Times</a> noted.
“We missed the musicals for a few years, and I think that one is a good one to return with,” L.A. Phil President and Chief Executive <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-01/l-a-phil-new-ceo-kim-noltemy">Kim Noltemy</a> told the Times. “Whether it be staffing or psychological transition, we needed time to get back up to running like the machine we can be when everything’s going well.”
Erivo made headlines in 2024 when an interview between her and Grande about their movie “Wicked” with “Out” magazine went viral, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ariana-grande-admits-she-didnt-know-what-holding-space-meant-during-viral-wicked-interview">reported</a>.
In the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/queer-media-journalist-adds-weirdness-to-wicked-press-tour-in-viral-video">original video</a>, self-described “queer journalist” Tracy Gilchrist told Grande and Erivo that “people have been taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that,” prompting Erivo to become emotional and say, “I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful,” as Grande gripped her hand and nodded along.
In the weeks after, the clip circulated online and was mocked, as many viewers have questioned what Gilchrist was talking about when she used the words “holding space.”
Following news of Erivo&#8217;s casting, some took to social media and slammed the move.
Actor Nick Searcy wrote on <a href="https://x.com/yesnicksearcy/status/1891930576468283870" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>, &#8220;Hollywood is just trolling us now&#8230;&#8221;
Newsmax host Todd Starnes <a href="https://x.com/toddstarnes/status/1891930062074548494" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>, &#8220;The Hollywood Bowl just hired a bald, black woman who identifies as queer to portray our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Cynthia Erivo will star in a revival of &#8216;Jesus Christ Superstar.&#8217; Dude. WTH?!?&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ariana-grande-admits-she-didnt-know-what-holding-space-meant-during-viral-wicked-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ariana Grande Admits She Didn’t Know What ‘Holding Space’ Meant During Viral Wicked Interview</a>

Cynthia Erivo

‘Wicked’ Star To Play Jesus In Hollywood Show

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wicked" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wicked</a> star Ethan Slater’s ex-wife, Lilly Jay, recently published an essay addressing their divorce.
Slater has been criticized for leaving Jay, his high school sweetheart, and immediately starting a relationship with his “Wicked” co-star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ariana-grande">Ariana Grande</a>. Before now, his ex-wife has not commented on the situation, but her essay does reference the split and how it affected her personally and professionally.
“In the countless hours I spend rocking my son to sleep, pushing his stroller, marveling at his sweaty little hands grasping a crayon, I work diligently on my private project of accepting the sudden public downfall of my marriage,” Jay <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/lilly-jay-divorce-essay-therapy.html">wrote</a> in an essay headlined, “How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?,” which was published on Thursday. 
“This, I tell myself, is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide. Slowly but surely, I have come to believe that in the absence of the life I planned with my high-school sweetheart, a lifetime of sweetness is waiting for me and my child.&#8221;
Jay, who works as a clinical psychologist, said that no couple “gets married thinking they’ll get divorced, in the same way we don’t board a plane expecting to crash. But I really never thought I would get divorced. Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband’s new relationship with a celebrity.&#8221;
“Days with my son are sunny. Days when I can’t escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker,” she wrote about the huge marketing campaign associated with the film “Wicked.”
Jay also mentioned that she and Slater experienced “growing distance” while he was working on the movie.
“As a perinatal psychologist, I knew all the statistics — how vulnerable a marriage is in the postpartum period, how vital community connection is in preventing depression and anxiety, how new parenthood impacts a whole family — but I confidently moved to another country with my 2-month-old baby and my husband to support his career,” she wrote. “Consumed by the magic and mundanity of new motherhood, I didn’t understand the growing distance between us.”
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Ultimately, Jay said she hopes sharing her story will help others.
“Maybe we can think about my messy not-so-personal life in that way: a dose of my own loss, rage, powerlessness, sadness that helps me hold yours,” she wrote. “Knowing what you now know, I can say with both personal and professional authority, you are so much stronger than you assume. Some of what you loved most about your partner was actually your own goodness reflected back to you; it’s yours to keep and carry forward.”
Grande separated from then-husband Dalton Gomez in July 2023 after two years of marriage. Slater and Jay broke up that same month. 
The singer seemingly addressed the backlash with the release of her single “Yes, And?” in January, which included the line, “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose — I ride?”

Ethan Slater Lilly Jay

‘Wicked’ Star Ethan Slater’s Ex-Wife Breaks Silence On Divorce

'Wicked' Star Ethan Slater's Ex-Wife Breaks Silence On Divorce

Marriage

“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Wicked</a>” star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ariana-grande">Ariana Grande</a> admitted that she had no idea what the self-described “queer journalist” was talking about in the interview that went viral and caused a lot of confusion.
In the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/queer-media-journalist-adds-weirdness-to-wicked-press-tour-in-viral-video">original video</a>, “Out” reporter Tracy Gilchrist told Grande and co-star Cynthia Erivo that &#8220;people have been taking the lyrics of &#8216;Defying Gravity&#8217; and really holding space with that and feeling power in that,&#8221; prompting Erivo to become emotional and say, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know that was happening. That’s really powerful,&#8221; as Grande gripped her hand and nodded along.
In the weeks since, the clip has circulated online and been mocked, as many viewers have questioned what Gilchrist was talking about when she used the words &#8220;holding space.&#8221; 
Grande said she didn’t understand the statement at all but just reacted strongly because the other two women were, according to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-explain-holding-space-interview-1236241743/">Variety</a>. 
“I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the singer, who plays Glinda in the movie, said. “I didn’t understand the first sentence, and then I definitely didn’t understand how you responded. And I just wanted to be there. Because I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there.”
“After a while, I didn’t know how to be there,” Erivo replied. 
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Grande said of the interviewer, “She’s also an amazing interviewer and a lovely person. That goes without saying.” 
She added, “I feel really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did, because I felt like, ‘Oh, I’m not broken.’” 
Grande also discussed grabbing Erivo’s hand, saying, “I’m going to grab this, because she looks like you might need something. I don’t know what the tapping was about.” 
“Release of tension!” Erivo said.
Gilchrist also discussed the viral interview with Variety previously, saying, “‘‘Holding space’ is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something.” 
She <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/holding-space-defying-gravity-wicked-interview-meaning-1236223273/">added</a>, “For me, it means being in the moment, not being distracted and feeling something on a cellular level. I think you can hold space with lyrics of a song – one you’ve heard hundreds of times – and it can suddenly take on new meaning when you’re a queer person. The Trump administration is targeting LGBTQ+ people via Project 2025.”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande Admits She Didn’t Know What ‘Holding Space’ Meant During Viral Wicked Interview

Ariana Grande Admits She Didn't Know What 'Holding Space' Meant During Viral Wicked Interview

viral video

Mattel now faces a class action lawsuit after it misprinted a website on the side of its “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kids-doll-promoting-movie-inadvertently-directs-buyers-to-porn-site">Wicked</a>” kids doll merchandise packaging that was actually for a pornographic site.
A South Carolina mom filed the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles, suing the company after she said her daughter was exposed to &#8220;hardcore, full on nude pornographic images depicting actual intercourse” when the minor went to the website provided on the doll packaging, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/12/03/mattel-sued-over-wicked-dolls-porn-link-printing-error/">TMZ</a> reported.
The mother said the daughter showed her pictures she got from the website “wicked.com,” which was printed on the side of her toy box instead of the correct address, which is wickedmovie.com. The mom said both she and her daughter were left &#8220;horrified&#8221; by the &#8220;inexcusable error&#8221; by the company, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/03/mattel-sued-over-wicked-dolls-with-porn-website-link.html">CNBC</a> noted. The suit seeks at least $5 million in damages for anyone who bought the “Wicked” dolls with the misprinted website address.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mom sues Mattel over ‘Wicked’ dolls with porn website link after daughter visited site <a href="https://t.co/vzL80Z4cKz">https://t.co/vzL80Z4cKz</a> <a href="https://t.co/FYkhmJ0Ade">pic.twitter.com/FYkhmJ0Ade</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1864041243174412358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
Mattel initially issued an apology after learning about the misprint with the website information. And the company immediately removed the doll collection, including fashion dolls, singing figurines, and deluxe collectible models, from the shelves from the various retailers that were selling the kids items, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-dolls-mattel-mistakenly-link-to-adult-porn-site-1236058013/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
“Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page,” a statement from Mattel previously read.
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“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” it added. “Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.”
The “Wicked” movie is a musical based on the popular Broadway show that explores the events before Dorothy arrives in Oz. The film features a high-profile cast, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande playing the leading roles of Elphaba and Glinda.
“Wicked” is being released in two parts, with the first installment released on November 22. The Broadway musical is based on the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kids-doll-promoting-movie-inadvertently-directs-buyers-to-porn-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kids Doll Promoting Movie Inadvertently Directs Buyers To Porn Site</a>

Mattel

Mattel Facing Lawsuit After Misprinting Porn Site On ‘Wicked’ Kids Merchandise

Mattel Facing Lawsuit After Misprinting Porn Site On 'Wicked' Kids Merchandise

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/piers-morgan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piers Morgan</a> reacted to the laughable trigger warning in the United Kingdom for “Wicked” — which claims that people with green skin could get upset about the movie — and he asked, “Why do we have to endure this crap?”
In a clip shared on <a href="https://x.com/PiersUncensored/status/1862579532836085901">X</a> from the “Piers Morgan Uncensored” show, the host discussed the British Board of Film Classification issuing a trigger warning for the “potential discrimination against green-skinned women,” referencing the “Wicked” character Elphaba, and “persecution of talking animals.”
The host pointed to the “warning issued on their website” that read, “A green-skinned woman is mocked, bullied and humiliated because of her skin color.”
“A disabled woman in a wheelchair is treated in a condescending manner by able-bodied people,” it added. “Talking animals are persecuted in a fantastical society.”
The post on <a href="https://x.com/piersuncensored/status/1862579532836085901?s=46&amp;t=yVg_AIbZC0FnyCtU4qPVYw">X</a> with the clip from the show read,  “Why do we have to endure this crap?!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Why do we have to endure this cr*p?!&#8221;
Piers Morgan reacts to the British Board of Film Classification issuing a trigger warning on Wicked for &#8216;potential discrimination towards green-skinned women&#8217;.
📺 <a href="https://t.co/XNfzrtJRMX">https://t.co/XNfzrtJRMX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@piersmorgan</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/estherckrakue?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@estherckrakue</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MrErnestOwens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrErnestOwens</a> <a href="https://t.co/yJBs5zqcUh">pic.twitter.com/yJBs5zqcUh</a>
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiersUncensored/status/1862579532836085901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Morgan then turned to his guests, who all agreed that was too much for them as well.
“A green-skinned woman,” the host shouted. “There is no such thing as a green-skinned woman in the real world. Even Ernest [Owens] knows there are no green-skinned women.”
Owens, who’s <a href="https://www.phillymag.com/news/2023/07/14/ernest-owens-political-writer-at-large/">described</a> as a black, gay journalist and LGBTQ supporter, said, “No, I agree. There’s no green-skinned women.”
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Columnist Esther Krakue said the cynic in her thought it had just been done to generate headlines, which would then help ultimately to promote the film.
“Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz,” a description about the movie on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262426/">IMDb</a> read. “After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.”
It is only the latest bizarre news to surface about the film adaptation of the popular Broadway show. The most recent clip that went viral called into question the sexuality of the main characters of Elphaba [played by Cynthia Erivo] and Glinda [played by Ariana Grande], after Grande suggested her character might be secretly gay, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ariana-grande-says-glinda-from-wicked-might-be-a-little-in-the-closet">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
“Whether it’s romantic or platonic, or you know … maybe Glinda might be a little in the closet. But if there were a time? Y’know, you never know! Give it a little more time! I mean, it is just a true love,” Grande said. “And I think that transcends sexuality, it’s just kind of a deep safety within each other. And that’s why they probably ship it.”
“Wicked” is being released in two parts, with the first installment released on November 22. The Broadway musical is based on the book “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wicked-actress-flips-over-movie-poster-edited-by-fans-calls-it-most-offensive-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Wicked’ Actress Flips Over Movie Poster Edited By Fans, Calls It ‘Most Offensive Thing’</a>

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