‘Wicked’ Wows Oscar Voters En Route to Box Office Bonanza

Universal is revealing “Wicked” to Academy voters and media as the film adaptation of the global musical juggernaut finally heads for screens November 22. On Sunday afternoon, the Academy screening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre on Wilshire drew some 900 attendees, the best showing since last year’s “Oppenheimer,” and drew a rousing standing ovation as the credits rolled.

On Friday night, when the DGA hosted a screening and Q&A for SAG and Academy members as well as press, attendees were also ebullient. (Sandwiched between the two was the film’s Hollywood premiere.)

With a hit show whetting appetites for the screen version, many fans turned up at these screenings. However, it will not be boosted by critics groups at year’s end. They will want to support other, less commercial prospects. When reviews come in and box office numbers climb, we’ll see where “Wicked” winds up in the Oscar race.

The patience of producer Marc Platt (“La La Land”), a three-time Best Picture nominee, paid off. He waited a decade, letting the musical show play out around the world, before going forward with the movie directed by Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”). It stars Broadway musical vet and Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”), who meets expectations, and pop star Ariana Grande, who exceeds them. Both could land Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively, and the film will be bolstered by the musical category at the Golden Globes. Canny entertainers Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Jeff Goldblum round out the cast.

Does “Wicked” make it to Best Picture? It could land a slot along with some craft nods, but it has mighty competition from “Dune: Part Two,” “The Brutalist,” “Blitz,” “Conclave,” “Gladiator II” and other visual spectacles.

Musicals have a storied Oscar pedigree: the 10 Best Picture winners are “The Broadway Melody,” “The Great Ziegfeld,” “Going My Way,” “West Side Story,” “An American in Paris,” “The Sound of Music,” “Oliver!,” “Chicago,” “Gigi,” and “My Fair Lady.”

That said: It’s been a while. Last year’s “The Color Purple” only mustered a Supporting Actress nomination for Danielle Brooks. That could happen again here with Grande.