Gosh, the influencers are back, but it’s not just them, it’s also actual journalists (many of them non-critics) who are chiming in with early raves for “Wicked.” All I can say is, move over “September 5,” you have some competition!
Variety’s Katcy Stephen is calling “Wicked” a “masterpiece,” adding: “Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humor and hair flips. Jon M. Chu added so much new life to the story that I can see why it needed to be 2 parts! Well worth the 20-year wait.”
I’m absolutely not saying that “Wicked” will not turn out to be a good film, but “Masterpiece” has really become a meaningless word in the social media era. It’s become watered down, and its meaning completely truncated.
Journalist Simon Thompson is calling the film an “absolutely stunning vision”, saying that “leads Erivo and Grande knock it out of the park. While this perhaps won’t convert many anti-musical folks, genre fans and die-hard Ozians (Wickhards?) will feast on this.”
“Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande have gifted us a musical masterpiece that is much more than we could have ever expected,” Variety’s Jazz Tangcay wrote. “Ariana & Cynthia will blow you away. The production design and costumes are a visual spectacle.”
Meanwhile, Variety’s Clayton Davis is convinced that Ariana Grande will be competing for the Oscar. He’s a little more hesitant in regards to its Best Picture chances, but doesn’t completely disregard its chances in that category either.
The Playlist’s Gregory Ellwood, who is a little harder to please, is raving about Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s performances, and, quite curiously, adds that if “Wicked” is a big enough hit, it could crack the Best Picture 10. Especially if some of the expected contenders falter: “Do not discount this.”
“Wicked” is directed by Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights,” “Crazy Rich Asians”) and set for release on November 22. The budget for this one, according to IMDb Pro, is around $150 million. The film recently nabbed the second best first-day ticket presales of 2024 on Fandango.