‘Wicked’ Moves Up Release Date, Will No Longer Open Against ‘Moana 2’
variety.comRebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter “Wicked,” Universal’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway show, is landing in theaters on Nov.
22 — five days ahead of schedule. It was originally supposed to open on Nov. 27, the same day as Disney’s “Moana 2.” On its new release date, “Wicked” is smartly avoiding a box office battle royale against another movie musical that appeals to a similarly female demographic.
Now, “Wicked” will get a jump on the Thanksgiving holiday but it won’t be completely devoid of competition. The film is set to debut on the same day as Paramount and Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Gladiator II,” though there’s presumably much less overlap in the audience and thus, a threat of cannibalization.
This is the second major date shift for “Wicked: Part One,” which was initially on the calendar for Dec. 25. But Universal moved the film to Thanksgiving to dodge Christmas releases like Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” Jon M.
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