First 'Wicked' Movie Changes Release Date, Reason Why Explained

The first Wicked movie has changed release dates.

It’s good news for fans of the Broadway musical as the film will now hit theaters several weeks earlier than planned.

Keep reading to find out more…

Originally, Wicked was scheduled to be released on Christmas Day, 2024. However, the first film in the planned two-part movie will now be released on November 27, 2024.

The reason why the film’s release date was changed? Currently, Thanksgiving weekend 2024 only has one film slated to be released at that time (an unnamed Disney film). Christmas 2024, however, has a lot more competition with the third Avatar movie and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Avatar 2 is currently the third-highest grossing movie in history.

Variety reports that “the studio felt it would be better positioned around Thanksgiving compared to Christmas.”

The film is set to star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba with Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey taking on the leading love interest Fiyero and Broadway actor Ethan Slater playing Boq.

Find out the reason why the movie is being split into two parts, with part two set for release in 2025.