#wicked-for-good

#wicked-for-good

It's that time of year again - Christmas is coming and the release schedules are fattening up with every day. So it's time to watch the contenders gather on the starting line for one of the year's biggest chart races. This year, there is a wide variety of contenders - including children's favourites, charity fund raisers, daytime TV icons and Aussie pop queens, among many more. Within three weeks we'll know the winner. Until then... On your marks, get set, go!

Fans are flocking to Wicked: For Good, but more than a few of them are a bit confused by one particular phrase repeated throughout the film: "In a clock tick." The first part of Jon M Chu's movie adaption of the hit Broadway stage musical opened this time last year to rave reviews before smashing box office records. The sequel, which focuses on the musical's darker second act, was released on Friday (21 November) and grossed $226 million (£173 million) worldwide during its opening weekend.

Marissa Bode is feeling sentimental. She's at the tail end of a whirlwind press tour for Wicked: For Good, which has sent her to events across London and New York and signals the end of her time in Oz. "It's just a press tour, but it's still saying goodbye in and of itself," she says as she settles into our table at Midtown's Jams.

"I'm doing a play in a couple of months starting in February called Marcel on the Train, which I co-wrote with Marshall Pailet," Slater tells Inverse. "I love theatre and I love doing theatre. It's something that I always hoped to be doing as much as possible, but I really love film and it's been amazing to get to do more of that."

For those unfamiliar with Wicked, they may be surprised to find out that director Jon M. Chu's adaptation, split into two parts, is only technically a prequel to The Wizard of Oz for the first two-thirds of the story. Midway through Wicked: For Good, events begin to take place that align with the plot of the classic 1939 movie, which includes the sudden arrival of Kansas farmgirl Dorothy Gale via tornado/flying house.

After a movie and a half of build up, Fiyero has just finally left Glinda for Elphaba, and the two lovers have stolen away to Elphaba's tree hole, where she is hiding from the Wizard and Madame Morrible. The intro music for the sultry song comes on ... and Elphaba begins to disrobe. She takes off her coat. She looks longingly at Fiyero.

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Erivo and Grande rang in " Wicked month" with a joint Instagram post, sharing a behind-the-scenes snapshot of them filming one of their final scenes as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively. In the next slide, they posted a photo of their matching tattoos, which read "For Good" in black ink on their palms. "@wickedmovie ♡ 20 days," Grande captioned the post.

My excitement for the Wicked sequel posters has been an emotional rollercoaster of excitement, slowly descending into disappointment. Like the stages of grief, I was initially in denial about the quality of the designs, hoping for redemption. Now, in a state of sad acceptance, I present the latest abomination. While I was never expecting the Wicked: For Good posters to join the ranks of some of the best movie posters of all time, I was hoping for a least a sprinkle of magic. The reality has been a slew of Photoshop bodge jobs and soulless CGI that leaves me feeling anxious for the upcoming release.