Box Office: Wicked returns to theaters for one night on June 4 with next installment's first trailer attached

Wicked returns to theaters for one night on June 4 with the debut trailer for its sequel, aiming to boost box office momentum and reignite the magic ahead of Part Two.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on May 15, 2025 | 12:57 PM IST | 30K

Picture Courtesy: Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is bringing Wicked back to the big screen for an exclusive one-night show. On June 4, the hit 2024 musical fantasy film will return to US theaters, and with it comes the highly anticipated first trailer for its sequel, Wicked: For Good. The special screening serves a dual purpose: rekindling box office momentum and offering audiences an early glimpse at the next chapter in Elphaba and Glinda’s story.

The strategic release could help Wicked inch closer to a rare milestone — USD 500 million at the domestic box office. Having already grossed USD 755.7 million worldwide on a USD 150 million budget, Wicked became the highest-grossing Oz-related film and the most successful musical film adaptation of all time. Its return not only celebrates its legacy but also builds anticipation for the sequel, which is slated for release on November 21, 2025.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, Wicked adapts the first act of the beloved 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which itself is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. Set in the Land of Oz before Dorothy’s arrival, the film centers on the unlikely friendship between the two aforementioned characters, portrayed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively, who later go on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

The star-studded cast also included Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. After years of development and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes, filming wrapped in January 2024. The film had its world premiere in Sydney on November 9, 2024, before its global release on November 22.

Wicked became a critical and commercial juggernaut. It earned ten Oscar nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It was named one of the best films of 2024 by the American Film Institute and took home Best Film acknowledgment from the National Board of Review.

Now, with a one-night encore and the debut of the Wicked: For Good trailer, fans are invited back to Oz as the journey continues.

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