Film

Wicked: Part One moves up release date and fans are calling it a Thanksgiving miracle

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will star in Wicked. Mike Marsland/WireImage, Steve Granitz/WireImage)

The hugely-anticipated Wicked: Part One has had its release date moved up by a month in a “Thanksgiving treat” for fans.

The all-singing, all-dancing film adaptation of the hit stage musical will explore how Elphaba became known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

According to a tweet posted by director Jon M Chu, the cast and crew are “deep into production” on the film: “Every day we get more and more excited to share with you the mischief we’ve been up to.”

He went on to reveal a logo and the new release date for the film as a “little Thanksgiving treat”.

“We’ve decided to get it to you all a little earlier than planned. Our new release date is November 27th 2024,” Chu wrote.

The film stars Ariana Grande, as Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The pair will be joined by Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.

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The first instalment of the story was originally meant to be released on Christmas Day next year but, as reported by Variety, the studio “felt it would be better positioned around Thanksgiving”.

While the casting alone has been enough to get Wicked fans excited, the new release date has added more fuel to the fire.

One of the fans struggling to contain her excitement is Rachel Zegler, the star of the recent West Side Story adaptation and upcoming Hunger Games prequel: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

“Cannot wait cannot wait, eeek,” she wrote, accompanied by a heart emoji.

Another fan simply tweeted a number of exclamation marks and, well, we guess points were made.

Wicked was originally planned as one film but the decision to split it into two was made last April. The sequel is scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2025.

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