11 h. ago Sex cardigans: can the Wicked sequel make bulky knits strangely alluring?

It’s not the sexiest of garments. It arguably looks more like a discarded fishing net. And yet it has cast a spell over the internetName: Elphaba’s sex cardigan.Age: Elphaba is a character in Wicked: For Good – Jon M Chu’s fantasy film, the sequel to last year’s mega hit Wicked Part 1, which was adapted from the 2003 stage musical, and has just been released. That was loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which was a reimagining of L Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland. Continue reading...

Politics

30 h. ago Ariana Grande says acting has helped her heal her ‘relationship to music’

The 32-year old portrays Glinda in the two-part film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked and its sequel Wicked: For Good

Politics

37 h. ago Hollywood’s dark era: where did all the colour from movies go?

Blockbuster sequel Wicked: For Good has become the latest film to receive complaints about both the lack of colour and the inconsistent lightingWe all know the late-night slog of finding something to watch, flicking between streaming services until settling on a series someone mentioned at work. And then a few minutes later, you’re squinting, adjusting your lighting or playing around with TV settings – it’s a night-time scene and you’re unable to make out what’s going on. Begging the question: ‘When did everything on screen get so dark?’.This question isn’t new, gaining traction after a few incredibly poorly lit battle scenes in the final season of Game of Thrones, with article and posts popping up begging explanation, with one Reddit user commenting: “If you need an article to defend that not being able to see shit is a stylistic choice, maybe the stylistic choice should be reconsidered.” Continue reading...

Culture

38 h. ago Wicked: For Good beats box office records previously held by Wicked

Jon M Chu’s sequel, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is the second biggest US opening of the year and the biggest international opening for a stage musical adaptationThe extraordinary promotional juggernaut for Wicked: For Good, Jon M Chu’s sequel to the 2024 first instalment of his Broadway adaptation, appears to have paid off, with the film this weekend smashing box office records held by its predecessor.Its global total at the end of the weekend stands at $226m, considerably up on the $164.2m earned by its predecessor. The major change was in the domestic takings: while last year’s film took more than double its initial take in the US – $114m to $50.2m overseas – this concluding instalment has corrected that overindexing, with $76m banked from international territories. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Wicked sequel gets trigger warning because characters 'cast magical spells on one another'

But cinema-goers flocking to see newly released Wicked: For Good are being soberly informed to prepare themselves mentally to see characters who 'cast magical spells on one another'.

Events

3 d. ago Celebrity crib sheet: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are back on the red carpet – here are seven things you need to know

As Wicked: For Good premieres in the UK, find out just how close its costars are, why so many of the cast are vegan and the truth about Grande’s move away from popIt doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen the musical, have no interest in the film or are left cold by red carpets: Wicked season is here again, and you will be made to pay attention. After last year’s chaotic press tour for the first instalment, giving rise to some of 2025’s biggest and most bizarre pop culture moments, all eyes are now on the rollout of the sequel Wicked: For Good and the theatre-kid capers of its stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Here’s what you need to know.1. They are still ‘holding space’ for one another Last year’s Wicked press tour was an infamous love-in for Grande and Erivo. Such was the intensity of their connection and mutual affection, both were frequently moved to tears in interviews. The enduring image was of Erivo stroking Grande’s index finger in response to a journalist’s unintelligib...

Politics

4 d. ago Wicked: For Good viewers have a BIG complaint about blockbuster sequel as it hits cinemas

The long-awaited sequel has finally hit cinemas - but several fans have highlighted a key issue.

Events

7 d. ago Wicked: For Good review – There’s no magic in this aimless slog of a sequel

Cynthia Erivo scores, but Ariana Grande less so – and director John M Chu still hasn’t figured out how to properly light any of this

Politics

7 d. ago Wicked: For Good review — Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have changed cinema for the better

If this sequel to Wicked doesn’t get more Oscars, I’ll eat my witch’s hat

Politics

8 d. ago ‘I was born in a melting pot. Melting isn’t fun’: Jon M Chu on Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande – and living the American dream

As his sequel to Wicked prepares to storm Christmas, the director talks about the dynamism of Grande and Cynthia Erivo – and why his Wizard of Oz riff is quite simply one of the greatest stories of our timeLet’s start with a quick recap on the first Wicked film. Its premise: what would the legend of Oz look like, told from the perspective of someone other than that cute but dozy blow-in, Dorothy? The wicked witch, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), is entirely green, and has therefore been ostracised since childhood. Glinda (Ariana Grande), the good witch, is everybody’s princess but, after a time, the two become best friends. I’ll skirt over how the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow come about, suffice to say that, in the film at least, their backstories make perfect and resonant sense (except for the Lion, but never mind). The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is not a good guy – but is he a bad guy? The morals swirl, in an expertly handled way.The first film left us at the point of discovery that O...

Politics

9 d. ago ‘It’s important that we tell our own stories’: how the Wicked movies are helping disability representation on screen

Marissa Bode is the first disabled actor to play Nessarose, a key character in the stage turned film franchise – but has had to respond to online abuseDisabled actor Marissa Bode, who plays the prominent role of Nessarose Thropp in the hit film musical Wicked and its forthcoming sequel Wicked: For Good, has called for improved representation for disabled performers in the entertainment industry – and specifically an end to what activists call “cripping up” – casting non-disabled actors in disabled character roles.“I really hope my casting sets precedent,” says Bode, adding: “It’s just navigating a world and a system that we have just not been acknowledged in as we should be.” A recent study by the Rudderman Family Foundation found that only 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Man who grabbed Ariana Grande at Wicked sequel premiere charged

Footage shows the man jumping the red carpet barricade of the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good, then rushing towards and embracing the starA court in Singapore has charged a man who grabbed Ariana Grande at a premiere of Wicked: For Good on Thursday night with being a public nuisance.Video footage shows Johnson Wen jumping over a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore and rushing at Grande on the red carpet. Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately jumped in to help protect her and Wen was moved away. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Where you can watch Wicked at home ahead of the Wicked: For Good sequel

Defy gravity at home and watch the blockbuster smash-hit on these streaming platforms

Politics

2 w. ago Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo swap their trademark pink and green looks for sultry gowns after being mocked for 'annoying' red carpet exchange as they attend the London premiere of Wicked: For Good

Stars of the much-anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good graced their very own yellow brick road on Monday as they attended the glitzy UK premiere in London.

Politics

2 w. ago Ariana Grande 'hires six London hotel suites at £5,000 a NIGHT ahead of £100,000 Wicked: For Good afterparty at swanky venue' amid sequel's UK press tour

Ariana Grande has reportedly hired six London hotel suites at a whopping £5,000 a night amid the UK press tour for her new film Wicked: For Good.

Society

4 w. ago Wicked: For Good first reactions say sequel is poised for Oscar glory after first film got snubbed

Select members of the media were able to watch the sequel on Monday

Politics