Jon M. Chu’s Musical ‘Wicked’ Will Deliver Massive Box Office Returns

Who knew pop star Ariana Grande was an adept musical comedienne? That surprise discovery should land her an Oscar nomination for Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the global hit musical “Wicked” (Universal, November 22), which will prove a box-office juggernaut. On that much “Screen Talk” co-hosts Ryan Lattanzio and Anne Thompson agree; but he hates the cheesy visuals and loves Jonathan Bailey’s charismatic supporting turn as the romantic interest of both witches-in-training, while Anne admires the music, well-produced by Marc Platt and delivered with gusto by Cynthia Erivo and Grande.

“Wicked” follows Steven Spielberg’s recent “West Side Story,” which earned seven nominations in 2022 and a win for another supporting discovery, Ariana DeBose. And Rob Marshall’s film version of Bob Fosse’s “Chicago” (2002) was also one of 10 musical Best Picture winners. But we agree they were executed with more visual and technical mastery.

‘Juror #2‘Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Both co-hosts raved about Clint Eastwood’s taut courtroom thriller “Juror #2” (Warner Bros., in limited release) which reunites Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette 24 years after “About a Boy,” filmed when Hoult was 11 years old. He’s now a ripe 35, also starring opposite a fifty-ish Jude Law in “The Order,” Justin Kurzel’s timely FBI vs. Neo-Nazis thriller set in the ’80s Pacific Northwest. And Hoult is also terrific in Robert Eggers’ Christmas movie “Nosferatu” (Focus Features), as a hapless husband whose wife (Lily-Rose Depp) is being chased by an ancient and powerful vampire (Bill Skarsgard).

These well-executed, trim, mid-budget movies are what we want more of.

Among our latest international feature films screenings, we recommend Italy’s exquisite period family drama “Vermiglio,” and the Czech Republic’s rousing 1968 journalism story based on true events, “Waves.”

At this week’s DOC NYC, “The Bibi Files,” from Oscar-winning producer Alex Gibney (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) and director Alexis Bloom (“Divide and Conquer”) looks at Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, using secret police interrogations featuring such close friends of the Israeli Prime Minister as Arnon Milchan, the Hollywood producer, who gave presents like valuable Tiffany jewelry to Sara Netanyahu, along with cases of champagne and cigars.

The influential documentary awards group the Cinema Eye Honors also released nominations including such contenders as “Frida,” “The Black Box Diaries,” “No Other Land,” “Daughters,” “Sugarcane,” and “Union.”

We are also announcing the IndieWire Honors recipients this year: Directors Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”), Steve McQueen (“Blitz”), RaMell Ross (“Nickel Boys”), Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”), plus actresses Jennifer Lopez (“Unstoppable”) and Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), and more.