Bad news for those of you who are overwhelmed by the Wicked press tour. I don’t include myself in this group because I’m an entertainment reporter, it’s never a bad thing when big stars are out here doing big things. But my point is, we’re still about three weeks away from the release date so on this last leg, they’ll be taking the final promotional push to the next level.
Wicked was screened for the first time for media this week. And the initial reactions are very, very strong. I’m not talking about influencer reactions, I’m talking about film critics from Variety, IndieWire, The Wrap, Vanity Fair, and more, hyping both performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. For the studio, this is obviously super encouraging. For the Wicked Oscar campaign? Even more encouraging. Because there will be a push for Wicked across several categories. There is a world in which both Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez this year could be nominated for Oscars. It’s a possibility. Probability? Not quite yet, but the possibility is there.
For me, though, I would love to see Jon M Chu get some recognition. The chances of that are much less likely than the actors as the Academy doesn’t generally favour musicals. But also there’s the second part of the story, which is coming next year, so consideration would likely come, if it comes at all, when the second half is released.
In more Wicked news, PEOPLE Magazine has released a special edition with Cynthia and Ariana on the cover, in character, promising all kinds of exclusive details about the production. They’re making this as mainstream as possible at this point, not taking any chances that anyone out there isn’t aware that Wicked is coming.
Just a few days ago, Box Office Pro put out a projection for Wicked at $100 million on opening weekend on the LOW end. Will be interesting to see if this holds.
