Wicked transcends the big screen into popular culture.
The impact of Wicked goes far beyond musical lovers and Wizard of Oz fans, it’s an immersive experience.
By Rachel Meatte
It’s official, Wicked is more popular than Glinda now. So popular that even the Grinch who stole Christmas is singing “Defying Gravity” at Universal Studios on TikTok.
Wicked has fully become a cultural phenomenon since its release back in November 2024. The widely anticipated feature film has become a hit success at the box office. From winning a Golden Globe and earning more than $600 million to selling out merchandise and adding sing-along versions to select theatres, Wicked has left a massive impact in just two months since its release.
Fans around the world are reveling in its success and fully immersing themselves into their green side.
The film studio’s marketing plan placed heavy emphasis on brand partnership and sponsors to promote the film. Since its release, Wicked has collaborated with nearly 150 different brands for its marketing campaign. Brands such as H&M, Aerie, OPI, crocs and Ariana Grandes’ makeup company R.E.M. beauty.
The campaign has collaborated with food companies such as Betty Crocker which released a limited time Wicked themed cupcake mix. Walmart, the highest grossing U.S. store, joined in on the action and sold Wicked merchandise and even a Wicked themed macaroni & cheese that changes color.
Theatre kids dressed up singing “Defying Gravity” during a sing along viewing of Wicked in a theatre. Source: Instagram- @popfaction.
One YouTube creator known as Amy Astrid compared the book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” to the Wicked film asked fans, “Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? If someone’s called wicked, they’re ridiculed their whole life, is that enough to turn them wicked?”
Amy’s two hour long video covers the film’s origins and the connection to the book that lays the groundwork for the Wicked film. At the end, she points to different theories as to why the story has become so successful and how it made a lasting impact on culture. Astrid’s video is just one of hundreds that do deep dives into the Wicked universe and the history of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Another YouTube personality, “The Theorizer” explained that Glinda has always been the real villain ever since the original 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz.” Glinda let Dorothy go but only after Dorothy systematically took out Oz’s other three rulers, the Wizard, the western witch, and the eastern witch, leaving Glinda as the only one left.”
Wicked fans have analyzed the story of Oz and why it remains such a compelling story to everyone. This also includes the film’s director Jon M. Chu, who has signaled underlying themes and messages in the film as part of its major success, according to an interview with AwardsWatch.
“I think?Wizard of Oz?and?Wicked?were all written in reaction to turbulent times, to transition times, to moments that challenge a generation to stand up, or to act, and to define who we are, and who we will become. And so, I think that subversive nature of this story has always been there. And when we took it on, it was right after COVID and we felt it, even then, that, ’Who are we becoming?” Chu said during the interview.
Several die-hard fans have gone to theatres to watch the film several times over and view the sing-along version. When the film was first released, people were complaining about fans singing in movie theatres during song-sequences, disturbing peaceful movie-goers. The high demand pushed the studio to release a sing-along version that allows fans to join in.
This version features the same orchestra and vocal backgrounds but without the lead vocals so fans can sing their hearts out with the lyrics on screen. There’s even a short brief message from the lead actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Ervio telling fans to do some light vocal warmups before the film starts.
The videos of fans in theatres have become a meme of its own creation. Several of them showed up in full Wicked costumes with matching props belting out lyrics on top of their chairs to a room full of fans.
One Instagram video shows a fan sitting on top of the shoulders of a person in front of a theatre screen in full Wicked Witch of the West attire, holding up a broom next to people with green glow sticks. In the video, they’re singing the lyrics to the popular song “Defying Gravity” which marks the moment the main character Elphaba fully embraces her supposed Wickedness in a powerful anthem.
Some people have suspected that Wicked will become the new Rocky Horror Picture Show where theatres allow real life actors to perform songs from the film during showings. Fans could join in to sing along and dress up as their favorite characters, making it a more immersive experience.
Fans of the musical and original film have fully joined the Wicked-verse and have found creative ways of celebrating the new film. Both Grande and Ervio have embraced the fans’ reaction and spoken about how it has impacted their lives.
The film has attracted 10 nominations to the Oscars in March, showing that the hype train isn’t stopping any time soon.
While the film’s sequel won’t come out till later this year, there is plenty of fun for fans to explore in the meantime. Wicked is still playing in select movie theatres but is also now available on Amazon Prime for purchase.
