Wicked release bumped up; will now open the same day as Gladiator II

Universal has pushed up the release of Wicked, the highly anticipated adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway show. The film was originally slated to hit theaters on November 27th, but it will now be released on November 22nd… the same day as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. This could get interesting.

As both Wicked and Gladiator II are courting very different demographics, the new release date is a smart move. It’s also possible that this match could be the Barbenheimer of 2024. Wickiator? On its original date, Wicked would have opened alongside Moana 2. With this move, the animated Disney sequel currently sits alone as the only new major movie set to be released before the Thanksgiving weekend.

Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, “a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power,” and Ariana Grande as Glinda, “a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.” The official synopsis reads: “The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.“

The film also stars Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

As for Gladiator II, we finally got our first official look at the sequel earlier today with a dozen new images. Set decades after the events of the first movie, the sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius, who now lives with his wife and child in Numidia, but when Roman soldiers invade and force him into slavery, Lucius takes inspiration from Maximus and fights as a gladiator to oppose the rule of Rome’s new emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).