Wicked’s Rotten Tomatoes audience score is here, and the adaptation is off to a strong start with viewers. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the upcoming adaptation of the hit stage play of the same name stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. Though the officialWickedrelease dateis still a few days away, a partnership between Amazon and Universal Pictures gave some Prime members access to early screenings on Monday, November 18, meaning viewer reactions to the movie are now emerging.
Following these earlyWickedscreenings,Rotten Tomatoesnow reveals thatthe audience score for the movie sits at an impressive 99%, as of writing. This score is likely to change as more reviews are added, but the 99% comes from over 1,000 verified ratings, meaning the site has verified that those providing ratings are ticket-holders. The critics' score for the movie isn’t yet available, but one should begin to take shape on Rotten Tomatoes on Tuesday evening after the review embargo is lifted.
What Wicked’s Near-Perfect Audience Score Means For The Movie
The Musical Adaptation Could Be 2024’s Biggest Release
TheWickedmusical, which first played in 2003, has been wildly successful. Combined with the lasting love forThe Wizard of Oz,this existing fanbase means that there’s been a great deal of anticipation leading up to the release of Chu’s adaptation, and the enthusiasm from early screenings is a sign that the movie will please this audience.Wickedwas already expected to be one of the biggest box office performers of the year, and the stellar audience score certainly suggests that this will be the case.
Where To Watch Wicked On Streaming
The hit musical based on The Wizard of Oz is now an Oscar-nominated movie, and here are the options for where to watch it on streaming or on digital.
TheWickedbudget is estimated to be about $145 million, meaning it’s likely looking at a break-even point of between $290 million and $362 million. Even if the audience score was more lukewarm, it was likely going to surpass these amounts, meaning it’s now in even better shape to be one of the biggest hits of 2024. The early success of the firstWizard of Ozprequelbodes well forWicked Part Two, which carries a similar budget and will hit theaters in November 2025.
Lorna Luft, the daughter ofThe Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy actor Judy Garland, shared aglowing review forWicked,calling it “astounding,” as well as “brilliant, touching and honest.”
Our Take On Wicked’s Glowing Audience Score
Ariana Grande Is Set To Make A Major Mark On Movies
Early social media reactions toWickedhave been generally positive from critics, meaning the film could emerge right out of the gate with a lot of positive sentiment.The Wizard of Ozremains one of the beloved and iconic movies of all time, andthe early response to the prequel suggests that this new blockbuster take on the franchise won’t sully that original film’s legacy.
In addition to a positive early response, theWickedcast, Grande in particular, is sure to be a major draw for younger audiences. Though Erivo already has some impressive credits under her belt, including the underratedBad Times at the El Royale(2018),Grande has a much more minor presence in the world of film, and it will be interesting to see how well she anchors such a large production. Though it remains to be seen how general audiences – many of whom won’t be superfans – respond to the movie,Wickedis off to a great start.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
