Ariana Grande announced that while producing her new movie Wicked, the filmmakers decided to split the project into two films.
Grande went to Instagram to share the news, posting an image of a music sheet with the caption “good news,” paired with an update from the director, Jon M. Chu.
The update read:
“As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for years. So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one WICKED movie but TWO!!!!
Cynthia, Ariana, and I – and all of the cast and crew – pledge to create nothing less than an experience that honors its foundation for all the fans who’ve waited for this movie, and to offer a thrilling, fantastical world full of dynamic characters that invites in those who are unfamiliar.”
Jon disclosed the first movie will hit theaters in December of 2024, and the second movie will release the following year around Christmas.
Ariana’s fans went into a frenzy after her announcements. One fan wrote, “WOW WOW WOW! We love a double feature henny! Yessss,” while another wrote, “TWO MOVIES R U KIDDING LETS GOOOOOOOOOO.”
Wicked is set to start production in the UK in the summer of 2022. The musical will follow the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good from The Wizard of Oz.
