The cast and crew of Wicked had a magical night at the 97th annual Academy Awards.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were among the many Wicked stars who celebrated the film’s 10 Oscar nominations at the Sunday, March 2, awards ceremony, which was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Wicked tied with The Brutalist as the second-most nominated film of the year, following behind Emilia Pérez’s 13 total nominations.
The movie musical was up for some of the night’s biggest awards, including Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. In addition to The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, Wicked went up against Anora, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys and The Substance for Best Picture.
Erivo, 38, earned a Best Actress in a Leading Role nod for her portrayal of Elphaba, a.k.a. the future Wicked Witch of the West. Grande’s performance as Glinda, a.k.a. Glinda the Good Witch, scored her a Best Actress in a Supporting Role nomination.
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After Erivo and Grande kicked off the night with a The Wizard of Oz musical tribute, Wicked took home a total of two Oscars. Paul Tazewell made history as the first Black man to win Best Costume Design, while Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales were awarded Best Production Design.
Erivo and Grande lost in their categories to Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña, respectively, while Anora took home the win for Best Picture.
Wicked is based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which was in turn inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It serves as a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked has gone on to become one of Broadway’s longest-running shows since its premiere in 2003.
Wicked, which hit theaters in November 2024, follows the events of the musical’s first act, as Elphaba and Glinda’s rivalry at Shiz University blooms into a friendship. Things take a serious — and gravity-defying — turn after Elphaba discovers that the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) hoped to use her magical abilities for his own nefarious purposes. The film ends with the two women choosing separate paths, as Glinda decides to stay in the Emerald City while Elphaba flees to continue helping the animals of Oz.
The upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good, will follow the events of act two. Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, previously told Us Weekly that fans can expect the story’s second half to be “darker in a lot of ways.”
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“There’s a time jump for sure, and I’m excited to see visually — because I haven’t really seen any of the footage yet — how the characters have changed for good or maybe not for good,” she exclusively shared earlier this year.
Wicked: For Good will also feature a few new songs, including one cowritten by Erivo and original Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz.
“I collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me,” Erivo told Variety in December 2024. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready — it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”
Teasing the musical adaptation’s second half, Erivo added, “We’re diving deeper into the consequences of the characters’ choices. The story is richer, and the stakes are higher. It’s not just a continuation; it’s a transformation.”
Wicked will begin streaming on Peacock Friday, March 21. Wicked: For Good hits theaters Friday, November 21.
