In a year filled with huge film successes, one film with the potential to rival the biggest is the upcomingWicked, a film adaptation of a musical based on the classic book and film,The Wizard of Oz. The film tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, namedElphaba, and Glindathe Good Witchbefore the events ofThe Wizard of Oz, explaining how they ended up in the positions they are in the original.
Wickedis on track to be a massive box office hit, and it’s easy to see why. The Broadway musical has been hugely popular since its debut in 2003, and the trailers so far have been quite promising, not to mention thatWickedhas a star-studded cast. If the film manages to hit as hard as it seems it will, thena huge resurgence ofThe Wizard of Ozprojects is certain to follow, trying to bank off the success of this newest film.
Wicked Is Projected To Be A Major Box Office Hit & A Sequel Is Already Done
The Film Is Ready To Hit Big At The Box Office
While the film isn’t out yet, ticket pre-sales and the general interest level indicate thatWickedcould very well cross the $1 billion threshold, joiningDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2as 2024’s biggest hitters. The film is already gaining traction as it comes closer to release, with plenty of previews and pre-release screenings receiving huge amounts of praise,the film is absolutely on track to become a massive hit.
With the first film on track to do extremely well, the second seems likely to follow suit, giving Universal two back-to-back hits.
The film’s success would likely be a great relief for Universal, as they have already fully committed to the second film. Originally, it was just going to be one, but during preproduction,Wickedwas split into two parts,similar to the two-act structure of the original Broadway musical. Both parts were filmed at the same time, with the second film releasing a year after this one, and now, with the first film on track to do extremely well, the second seems likely to follow suit, giving Universal two back-to-back hits.
Multiple Other New Wizard Of Oz Projects Are In The Works After Wicked
The Franchise’s Resurgence Is Already Getting Started
Even outsideWickedand its sequel, there are already talks about new films inThe Wizard of Ozfranchise. One project apparently already has a finished script, aremake of the originalThe Wizard of Ozby Kenya Barris, creator of the TV showblack-ish.This remake is meant to update the classic film for the modern era, taking the depression-era stylings from the 1939 film and replacing it with a more 21st-century feel. Whether the film is a success is another question entirely, as remakes of classic films are very hit or miss.
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There is anotherThe Wizard of Ozremake on the way from New Line Cinema, directed by Nicole Kassel of HBO’s 2019Watchmenseries. This film hasn’t had much of an update in recent years, so its status is still a bit more up in the air, but it is something that has been officially announced. These two projects were both announced even before thebuzz aroundWickedbeganin full, and it seems thatthey are only the first wave of projectsto see who can find the most success withThe Wizard of Oz.
Wicked’s Likely Success Will Mean Even More Wizard Of Oz-Related Movies Happen
The Movies That Have Been Announced Are Just The Start
IfWickeddoes end up succeeding, then the influx ofWizard of Ozprojects will likely be even more pronounced than most modern franchises. This is because the original 1900The Wonderful Wizard of Ozbook is in the public domain, meaninganyone can make a movie using that original story. There are some caveats to that, however, as the 1939 film is copyrighted by Warner Bros., andThe Wizard of Oztook a lot of creative libertieswhen compared to the book, so how the characters are presented in that film is still protected.
The Wicked Witch of the West was never named in the original source material, and so, while the Wicked Witch as a character is public domain, each incarnation in the sequels and reboots is a separately copyrighted character, which is why she has a different name in most projects.
In today’s media landscape, a company like Disney will likely see ifWickedis a big success, and if it is, then they will probably also try their hand at adapting a story, despite the fact that they had already tried this with2013’sOz the Great and Powerful, a film that saw decent but limited success. IfWickedmanages to come out and hit how it needs to, other studios will likely try to get a piece of that pie, so thankfully the series still has plenty of stories to tell.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
