THR’s Seth Abramovitch believes that “Wicked” could defy expectations and win the best picture Oscar come next year. He’s calling it the “resurgence of commercial juggernaut cinema” at the Oscars.
Hey, anything’s possible, especially in a race that, unlike last year with “Oppenheimer,” doesn’t really have a frontrunner, unless you believe Sean Baker’s “Anora” to be the resounding favorite (which it isn’t). Then again, I just can’t see the Academy giving best picture to half a movie. No matter how good or popular it is.
With that said, Abramovitch has spoken to plenty of Oscar voters and he’s saying “they don’t just like Wicked — they love Wicked.” A week into its release, he claims, “Wicked” is “starting to shape up as a serious contender.”
At the Directors Guild, PGA and SAG screenings in both Los Angeles and New York, as well as at the Academy screening, capacity crowds burst into applause after many songs and gave the film a rapturous standing ovation after the cliffhanger finale.
The reception “Wicked” garnered at these screenings is described as on “another level,” even when compared to last year’s rapturously received showings of Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
Abramovitch goes on to claim that voters are also now seeing parallels between “Wicked” and the results of this year’s U.S. election; after all, the story tackles a “dystopian Oz where the Wizard is a fascist despot.” Oh, boy, here we go.
In 2024, there can be no mistaking who the Wizard is meant to evoke […] If there’s one thing that could unite many members of the disparate and far-flung Academy electorate right now, it’s post-election depression — and a desire for action. That could lead them to the Emerald City. As at least one voter said, “If your vote for president didn’t count, you’re going to make it count for Wicked.”
A “Wicked” win isn’t out of the realm of possibilities, and if you remember, Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” won best picture right after Trump’s 2016 win. However, unlike Jenkins’ film, I just don’t see how anyone can envision voting for “Wicked” as their own form of anti-Trump protest — it’s quite amusing just to think about it.
As for what will be nominated this year, I believe we have eight films already locked in the Best Picture category: “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Perez,” “Dune: Part II,” “Sing Sing,” “A Real Pain,” and, yes, “Wicked.”
It should be noted that “Wicked” is currently #6 on the Gold Derby charts for Best Picture. It could definitely climb up in the weeks to come as it’s only entering its second week of release, and the buzz definitely hasn’t hindered in any way shape or form.