Wicked was released on November 22nd, 2024, and it has been met with critical acclaim. People around the world are enamored with all things Ozian. Both theater and non-theater kids are obsessed with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande‘s interpretations of Elphaba and Glinda.
Along with the film’s success, there have been dozens of brand collaborations. Wicked seems to be everywhere, from themed Stanley cups to luxury green and pink skincare; from Beekman 1802 to the plethora of clothing collabs. Not to mention the dozens of ads and the entire press tour!
Wicked is all anyone can talk about. Yet, people are taking to social media to poke fun at the movie, marketing, and press tour. Why does this movie enamor so many people? Is it the insane marketing, or perhaps the relationship between Cynthia and Ariana?
Wicked’s strange origins
Before Wicked the film, there was Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a novel by Gregory Maguire. The book acts as a precursor to the events of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The novel is very graphic and takes a darker look at the corruption of Oz; yet it acts as the groundwork for another interpretation.
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman took parts of the Maguire novel and adapted it into a musical called Wicked. The musical debuted on Broadway in 2003, starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. The show won several Tony awards, including Best Actress for Idina Menzel’s portrayal of Elphaba.
The show was originally panned by critics, who disliked its “campy” nature. Yet, over the years, Wicked gained a cult following with theater kids. For many, it was the first musical they were exposed to, whether it be on Broadway or on tour.
From the stage to film
Wicked has been in talks to be adapted into a film for over 10 years. In 2012, producer Marc Platt bought the rights to the musical after the immense success of the Les Miserables film adaptation. Lea Michelle and Amy Adams were rumored to be cast as Glinda and Elphaba, and Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman were rumored to write the script and new songs for the film. It was slated for a 2016 release date.
After a long developmental period, Universal announced in 2016 that the film would be released in 2019 with Stephen Daldry as the director. The film was placed on hold once again due to the release of the Cats movie, and the release date was consequently pushed back to 2021. The pandemic changed the release date once again, and Stephen Daldry left the project due to schedule conflicts, so John M. Chu took over as director.
In November 2021, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were cast as Elphaba and Glinda following an extensive casting process. Ariana Grande revealed that she had to audition for the film five times before she was even cast. Many stars were considered for the witches, including Reneé Rapp, Dove Cameron, and Lady Gaga.
Wicked’s insane press tour, high-budget marketing, and collabs
With several powerhouse celebrities attached to the film, Wicked has had a lively press tour, offering a plethora of memorable and comedic moments. One interview in particular has been going viral. A reporter told Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that people were “holding space for the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity,'” a song featured in the film. This causes Erivo and Grande to become emotional and share a sentimental moment during the interview. Yet, many people have pointed out that the way Ariana comforts Cythnia by holding her finger is odd and silly.
The marketing budget for Wicked was 150 million dollars, and from the looks of it, the money was well spent. Whenever you turn on your TV or start scrolling online, you will inevitably run into some sort of Wicked ad, whether it be promoting the movie or a related product. One ad has become particularly viral online for its sheer absurdity.
Target has collaborated with the Wicked film on merch items such as clothing, dolls, and accessories. To promote this collaboration, they created a marketing campaign featuring Cynthia Erivo. In the ad, people are singing the final notes of “Defying Gravity.” Erivo declares, “That’s my line,” before singing it herself.
Wicked TikTok memes
TikTok users have seen these moments from the marketing of the film and absolutely ran with them. Remixes and edits of the “That’s my line” Target ad have gone viral for their sheer absurdity. People have been using the phrase “holding space” for moments they find relatable or joyful. However, the memes barely scratch the Wicked humor.
There are two sung moments in the film that TikTokers are recreating. One is sung by the character Nessarose, Elphaba’s sister, when she’s telling Elphaba that Glinda helped her find love. Now, people are recreating the moment in their own comedic way. The second is when Boq sings to Nessa to get her attention.
Boq has seemingly become a huge meme online. TikToker @tswiftfan420, also known as Molly, is the creator of “BOQTOK,” an online community in which people poke fun at the character Boq (played by Ethan Slater). On December 7th, she hosted a Boq Lookalike Contest in Washington Square Park. The winner was personally berated by Molly herself.
Wicked controversies and drama
Despite the immense success of the film, Wicked is no stranger to drama and controversy. Before the film was released, Ariana Grande was plastered in headlines because she and her co-star, Ethan Slater, began dating. The only issue was Ethan was freshly divorced and his ex-wife was “blind-sighted” by the news. People began to suspect the pair met while Ethan was still married.
When the Wicked poster was finally released, fans grew excited to see the film. Some even began to create fan art of the poster, covering Elphaba’s eyes and giving her a red lip to pay homage to the poster for the musical. Cynthia Erivo took to social media to express that she found the edits dehumanizing since it was her body that they were editing. She also stated that with the movie poster, she is trying to make a human connection with the audience.
As the film was gearing up for release, numerous people discovered Wicked and The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which led them to be enthralled by the musical and horrified by the book. Memes spread about the book’s vulgarity. People speculated about Elphaba’s anatomy based on the book’s description. Cynthia Erivo addressed this speculation as well, deeming it to be cruel and disgusting.
Final takeaways
It’s no secret that Wicked is cemented into our culture. With powerful marketing, ads, press tour coverage, and memes, the film will remain in the cultural context long enough to propel the release of Wicked: For Good next year. People are itching to see what will happen next in Elphaba and Glinda’s stories.
The memes range from hilarious to offensive. While poking fun at “holding space” is fun and harmless, speculating the anatomy of Elphaba is a little weird, even for people with a dark, off-colored sense of humor. People just need to remember that some things are not meant to be shared publicly.
For some, this is their introduction to the franchise. People are finally experiencing the magic of Wicked on a larger scale and watching the cast flourish. Hopefully, this will also be the case when Wicked: For Good comes out.
