It’s a fantastic opening for ZOOTOPIA 2, debuting atop the Box Office with $93 million from 4,000 theatres this U.S. Thanksgiving weekend for Disney. This bests its predecessor which opened in 2016 to the tune of $75 million. Justin Waldman‘s review here.
WICKED: FOR GOOD is de-throned but going strong still with a second weekend of $61 million for Universal Pictures, a stellar two-week run of $268.4 million!
In third is NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T with $7.7 million for Lionsgate/Cineplex Pictures, a total $50.6 million grossed to date.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is in fourth with $5 million, a total $85.4 million for 20th Century Studios.
Rounding things off is THE RUNNING MAN with $4.7 million, a three-week run of $35.2 million for Paramount Pictures.
It’s a record-breaking opening for WICKED: FOR GOOD, which proves too good for its opposition, with a smashing $151.5 million opening from 4,115 theatres for Universal Pictures. This installment now holds the title of biggest opening ever for a feature Broadway adaptation – besting its predecessor which previously held the same distinction. This bests the previous film in the Franchise which opened last year with $112.5 million. It gets a 70% on the Tomatometer.
Second up is last week’s champ, NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T, taking $9.4 million for Cineplex Pictures/Lionsgate. It grosses $37.1 million over two weekends domestically.
Third is PREDATOR: BADLANDS with $6.2 million, a total $76.2 million for 20th Century Studios, over three weekends.
THE RUNNING MAN takes $6 million, a two-week run of $27.2 million for Paramount Pictures.
RENTAL FAMILY debuts in fifth with $3.2 million for Searchlight Pictures. Starring Brendan Fraser, this gets 87% on the Tomatometer.
Today we get a new Featurette for WICKED: FOR GOOD! We can’t believe its release is less than a month away!
And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend …
Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.
Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).
Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.
As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.
Wicked: For Good also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear.
The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.
Wicked: For Good is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Genre: Musical Event
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, with Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum
Director: Jon M. Chu
Screenplay by: Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox
Based on: the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the novel by Gregory Maguire
Producers: Marc Platt p.g.a., David Stone
Executive Producers: Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox
And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend …
Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.
Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).
Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.
As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.
As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.
Wicked: For Good also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear.
The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.
Wicked: For Good is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
From heavy hitters like five-time Oscar winner Anora for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress in a Leading Role to fan favourites The Brutalist, Wicked, and Conclave, and more, Prime Video has you covered.
Anora
A young escort from Brooklyn meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
The Brutalist
After surviving the Holocaust, Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth emigrated to the United States after being forcibly separated from his wife, Erzsébet, and niece, Zsófia, in Budapest during World War II. He goes to Philadelphia, where he is given permission to stay with his immigrant cousin, Attila and his American wife, Audrey while he searches for work.
Wicked
In the Land of Oz, the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good tells the Witch’s story: born from an affair between the wife of then-Governor Thropp and a traveling salesman, she was rejected from birth due to her green skin, which caused her to suffer a troubled childhood. When asked if she and the Witch were friends, Glinda replies that they knew each other and reflects on their past.
Conclave
When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.
A Real Pain
Mismatched cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
The Substance
A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Full list of nominations now available on Prime Video…
A Complete Unknown was nominated in 8 categories, including:
Best Picture
Actor in a Leading Role
Actress in a Supporting Role
Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Director
Best Sound
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Best Costume Design
A Real Pain was nominated for 2 categories, including:
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Actor in a Supporting Role (Winner)
Anora was nominated in 6 categories, including:
Actress in a Leading Role (Winner)
Actor in a Supporting Role
Directing (Winner)
Film Editing (Winner)
Best Picture (Winner)
Writing (Original Screenplay) (Winner)
Conclave was nominated in 8 categories, including
Actors in a Leading Role
Actress in a Supporting Role
Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Picture
Production Design
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Winner)
Costume Design
Nickel Boys was nominated for 2 categories, including:
Best Picture
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Sing Sing was nominated for 3 categories, including:
Actor in a Leading Role
Best Original Song
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Substance was nominated for 5 categories, including:
Best Picture
Actress in a Leading Role
Best Director
Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Winner)
Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Wild Robot was nominated in 3 categories, including
Animated Feature Film
Best Original Score
Best Sound
Wicked was nominated in 10 categories, including:
Actress in a Leading Role
Actress in a Supporting Role
Costume Design (Winner)
Film Editing
Makeup and Hair Styling
Music
Best Picture
Production Design (Winner)
Sound
Visual Effects
It was a huge night for ANORA, which after some early buzz that seemed to have faded, only to gain momentum over the past few weeks to take the throne at the 97th Academy Awards tonight in Los Angeles!
The Sean Baker Dramedy centering on a sex worker who is swept off her feet by the son of a Russian oligarch, took five of the six awards which it was up for including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Baker, winning for the first time tonight, took to the podium to make a battle cry for brick and mortar cinemas, after more than 1,000 theatres had closed since the Pandemic. He made his case to Filmmakers to continue releasing films theatrically, before wishing his mother a Happy Birthday. His mother took him to the theatre for the first time when he was five-years-old.
Brady Corbet‘s THE BRUTALIST also did quite well, taking three Oscars including Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Meanwhile, WICKED, DUNE: PART TWO and EMILIA PEREZ each took home two Oscars each.
Funnyman Conan O’Brien hosted the Awards for the first time ever at the ceremony which saw much humour, yet also took moments to remember the likes of the late Quincy Jones, and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman who had passed recently.
Complete list of winners below:
BEST PICTURE
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
BEST ACTRESS
WINNER: Mikey Madison, Anora
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla SofĂa GascĂłn, Emilia PĂ©rez
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
BEST DIRECTOR
WINNER: Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
BEST ACTOR
WINNER: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
WINNER: Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Clément Ducol and Camille, Emilia Pérez
Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
WINNER: I’m Still Here, Brazil
The Girl With the Needle, Denmark
Emilia Pérez, France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Germany
Flow, Latvia
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
WINNER: Lol Crawley, The Brutalist
Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two
Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez
Edward Lachman, Maria
Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
WINNER: I’m Not a Robot
A Lien
Anuja
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
WINNER: Dune: Part Two
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
BEST SOUND
WINNER: Dune: Part Two
A Complete Unknown
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
WINNER: No Other Land
Black Box Diaries
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
WINNER: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
WINNER: “El Mal,” Emilia Pérez
“The Journey,” The Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird,” Sing Sing
“Mi Camino,” Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
WINNER: Wicked
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
WINNER: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
BEST EDITING
WINNER: Sean Baker, Anora
Dávid Jancsó, The Brutalist
Nick Emerson, Conclave
Juliette Welfling, Emilia Pérez
Myron Kerstein, Wicked
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
WINNER: The Substance
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
Wicked
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
WINNER: Peter Straughan, Conclave
Jay Cocks and James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
WINNER: Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David, September 5
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
WINNER: Wicked
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
WINNER: In the Shadow of the Cypress
Beautiful Men
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WINNER: Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Yura Borisov, Anora
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
After a slight delay due to the Califormia wildfires, nominees were announced by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott this mroming for the 97th Academy Awards. Following its Golden Globes success, taking Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, Jacques Audiard‘s EMILIA PÉREZ leads the way with 13 nominations. Following behind closely with 10 nominations each are THE BRUTALIST and WICKED. Both films also recently saw success at the Golden Globes, the former winning Best Motion Picture Drama and the latter awarded for Cinematic & Box Office Achivement.
The Oscars are scheduled on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, to be aired on ABC at 7 PM ET.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win a copy of WICKED on 4k Ultra HD! Available on-demand right now, the highest-grossing Broadway Musical adaptation of all time continues to be a huge hit!
Synopsis:
WICKED, one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, arrives on your screen as a generation-defining cinematic sensation. The untold story of the witches of Oz, WICKED stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman who has yet to discover her true power, and Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet at Shiz University and forge an unlikely friendship – before their lives take different paths following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Their extraordinary adventures will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Wicked is an immersive, cultural celebration you’ll want to experience over and over again!

To enter for a chance to win a copy, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, IG or X. Tag 1 friend in the comments to complete your entry. Enter as many times as you wish!
Rules and regulations here.
WICKED IS AVAILABLE ON 4K UHD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on FEBRUARY 4, 2025.
(Photo/video credit: Univeral Pictures)
Honouring the best in Television and Cinema, the 82nd Golden Globe Awards were held tonight in Los Angeles. Leading the way in the Cinema categories was THE BRUTALIST taking Best Director (Brady Corbet), Actor (Adrien Brody) and Best Motion Picture Drama, strengthening its case for Best Picture at the impending Academy Awards in March.
But if anything, the race for Best Picture is as competitive as ever with Jacques Audiard‘s EMILIA PÉREZ also taking Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Motion Picture Non-English Language, Best Original Song (“El Mal”), and Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldana).
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement would go to Jon M. Chu‘s WICKED, which also is in the running for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The Film, released late November, already has grossed over $680 million globally.
FX‘s SHĹŚGUN dominated the Television categories, winning Best Television Series Drama, Best Actor in a Television Series Drama (Hiroyuki Sanada), Best Actress in a TV Series (Anna Sawai), and Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (Tadanobu Asano).
In the Television Series Comedy categories, HBO‘s HACKS would dominate, taking Best Television Series Comedy and Best Actress in a Television Series Comedy (Jean Smart).
Some of the biggest surprises of the night include wins from THE SUBSTANCE star Demi Moore upsetting the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy category, a category in which ANORA‘s Mikey Madison is seen as the frontrunner. Brazilian screen legend Fernanda Torres also would upset Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her work in I’M STILL HERE, denying the likes of Nicole Kidman who has been lauded for her work in BABYGIRL.
Complete list of winners:
Our highlights on CBC News:
(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures)
It’s truly a Battle Royale at the Box Office, but MUFASA: THE LION KING prevails over stubborn competition in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3. The two films have been first and second in either order these past three weekends. MUFASA takes $24 million from 3,925 theatres, taking its North American run thus far to $168 million for Disney. SONIC gets $20 million from 3,746 theatres, a total $186 million for Paramount Pictures.
NOSFERATU continues to perform well in third spot with $12.3 million from 3,132 theatres for Universal Pictures/Focus Features, a two week total of $68 million.
Fourth is MOANA 2 with $12 million, bringing its run to $424.7 million domestically for Disney.
Fifth goes to WICKED – now on demand – with $9.5 million, a total $450 million grossed to date for Universal Pictures.
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