Jon M. Chu's film — reuniting Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as the Witches of Oz — is on course for a record-breaking opening at the pre-Thanksgiving box office.

It planned to be, per chief marketing officer Michael Moses, “just short of obnoxious.” Sure enough, the studio behind the pink-and-green publicity machine delivered an epic onslaught of all things Oz.

Universal orchestrated an unprecedented marketing blitz, transforming ‘Wicked’ into a global phenomenon that grossed nearly $759 million from its first film. In 2024, Universal held a marketing fair featuring 200 corporate brand partners and helping secure global brand agreements with companies like Lego.

Ahead of the Wicked: For Good premiere, Universal Pictures never disclosed the identity of the actress portraying Dorothy, though Weaver was listed in the credits as the actress behind Dorothy Gale. Additionally, her public résumé on her management's site lists an undisclosed role in Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

The director of Wicked knows he took a big swing with its sequel.

"Wicked for Good" is a disappointing, scattershot follow-up to last year's runaway successful adaptation of the Broadway musical, "Wicked."

The average price of a movie ticket is $11.50, but can be as high as $27 for premium-format films in big cities