The First ‘Wicked’ Movie Is Flying Into Theaters Sooner Than You Thought

Good news, Arianators: The first part of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation will be premiering in theaters a month earlier than expected, the director announced on Tuesday (March 14).

Chu excitedly shared the news via Instagram, writing that he and his team were “deep into shooting WICKED here in London” before officially announcing the new release date. “Bring the family, bring your friends…it’s going to be a ride!!! appreciate all your support through this long production process. Shooting two movies at once is no small feat.”

The film version of the hit Broadway musical — which will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba — was initially meant to hit theaters on Christmas Day of next year (Dec. 25, 2024). But in the spirit of giving thanks, Wicked Part 1 is now set to be released next Thanksgiving (Nov. 27, 2024), meaning that fans can catch the film one month sooner.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the original release date was pushed up reportedly in order to help the film “build an audience over the year-end holidays,” while also remaining “beneficial from a consumer products standpoint.”

Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater and others are also set to star in the film. Yeoh, who took home the Academy Award for best actress on Sunday (March 12), said earlier this year that she was “really looking forward” to getting to film alongside Grande and Erivo. “Those two are so adorable, so gorgeous, so talented,” she said.

See Chu’s announcement about ‘s new release date below.

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