Wicked wasn’t just one of last year’s biggest hits at the box office (earning $758.7 million worldwide), it also earned widespread critical acclaim. In addition to receiving a Best Picture nomination, the fantasy musical secured Oscar nods for stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Reception to the film was so positive that it only increased anticipation for this fall’s Wicked: For Good, which has been billed as the epic conclusion to the emotional story throughout its marketing campaign. As this year’s awards race heats up, several people have Wicked: For Good in their predictions, anticipating it to perform similarly to its predecessor. Now the first reviews for the film are in, and its Rotten Tomatoes score paints a fascinating picture.
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As of this writing, Wicked: For Good has a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 73% from 83 reviews. On the positive side of the spectrum, this continues an extended streak for director Jon M. Chu; all of his feature films since 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians have been rated Fresh on the aggregator. However, Wicked: For Good‘s current score is significantly below the 88% Certified Fresh mark that the first Wicked posted, so the praise is not quite as universal this time around.
Can Wicked: For Good Be An Oscar Contender This Year?
Though the Wicked: For Good Rotten Tomatoes score is positive, the exact figure might come as a surprise to some. Late last month, early Wicked: For Good reactions started popping up on social media, and people had high praise for the film, feeling it brought Elphaba and Glinda’s tale to a poignant and fulfilling end. Based on those initial responses, Wicked: For Good seemed like it could easily be in the running for multiple notable Oscar nominations, but the full written reviews suggest it might not be as much of a lock as some suspected.
There’s no critics consensus for Wicked: For Good available yet, but a skim of the review snippets outlines the movie’s pros and cons. Most are in agreement that the movie features excellent performances from Erivo and Grande, as well as visually stunning production design and some standout musical numbers. However, the general feeling is that Wicked: For Good struggles to live up to the high bar set by its predecessor — perhaps a byproduct of the original play’s second act arguably being a step down from the first. Some believe it would have been better if Wicked was adapted into a single film, eliminating any padding that exists to stretch the two parts out into full-length features.
It is important to point out that only a fraction of the Wicked: For Good reviews have been published so far. As a comparison, the first Wicked has 403 reviews listed on Rotten Tomatoes, so there are literally hundreds of critics waiting to weigh in on the musical. The Rotten Tomatoes score should fluctuate over the next few days, but right now it looks like the finale won’t be as acclaimed as the first movie. Whether or not that hurts Wicked: For Good‘s chances on the awards circuit remains to be seen. Critics don’t vote for the Oscars, so the Rotten Tomatoes score arguably doesn’t matter as much in the Oscar race. Universal is also going to put together a major campaign for Wicked: For Good, so it still has a good chance of earning nominations.
Regardless of how Wicked: For Good fares with awards voters, the word of mouth shouldn’t have any impact on its box office prospects. The musical has already broken pre-sales records on Fandango, setting the stage for what should be one of the biggest opening weekends of the year. This is a movie that’s largely critic-proof. Anticipation is so high amongst viewers that even if the Rotten Tomatoes score was rotten, it would still be expected to be a massive draw.
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