‘Wicked’ movie theater release date changes

null - "Wicked," the movie based on the beloved musical and book that bears the same name, will be in theaters sooner than expected. 

Part one of the film adaptation was set to hit theaters Thanksgiving weekend on Nov. 27, 2024. 

But on July 1, the film’s official Instagram announced the movie is now coming to theaters five days earlier, on Nov. 22. 

This is the second time the film’s release date has been moved, Variety reported. 

It was initially slated to release over the Christmas holiday, but was moved up to Thanksgiving. Variety reported this other shift in release dates avoids opening on the same day as Disney’s "Moana 2."

Part two is still scheduled to come over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2025. 

‘Wicked’ movie cast

The "Wicked" movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West); Ariana Grande as Glinda (the good witch); Michelle Yeoh as the headmistress at their school, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero; Ethan Slater as Boq; Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. 

"This whole experience is absolutely impossible to put into words," Grande said at an April event hosted by Universal Pictures. 

"I’ve been chased by dinosaurs, I flew into the belly of a humongous spaceship … I tuned into a fly," Goldblum said. "But I have never been part of the particular flavor or magic that is this movie. … The whole experience has been dreamy."

It’s directed by filmmaker Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians," "In the Heights") and produced by Marc Platt ("La La Land," "The Little Mermaid").

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‘Wicked’ the musical

"Wicked" the musical opened on Broadway in 2003, led by Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda and Joel Grey as the Wizard. In 2023, it became the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history, according to the New York Theatre Guide.

 This story was reported from Detroit.