Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” has taken the world by storm since its release on Nov. 21. It seems that everywhere you look, every store you enter, there are “Wicked” collaborations with countless corporations. A few examples include Owala, Lego, Squishmallow and even Swiffer. Everybody has had their fair share of “Wicked” celebrations this holiday season, and it seems to just be getting started.
But it isn’t just companies who are working hard in their promotions, but also the cast itself. The “Wicked: For Good” press tour officially kicked off at the beginning of November, with cast members Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and more making their way around the globe to promote the film.
According to Box Office Mojo, “Wicked (2024)” had a domestic opening of over $112 million, and grossed over $474 million domestically, becoming one of the highest-grossing musical film adaptations of all time. With this success, the pressure was on to ensure that the second film had similar results. Corporate collaborations and celebrity promotions are just a few of the ways to get people inside theaters on opening weekend.
“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” are both musical movies adapted from the original Broadway musical “Wicked,” which debuted in 2003, featuring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the iconic roles of Elphaba and Glinda (or Galinda).
Grande and Erivo, having grown up as Broadway fans before making their way onto Broadway stages, constantly express their emotions and gratitude in interviews at having the opportunity to revive these roles.
In an interview with Today, Grande shared excitement at the prospect of future acting projects when asked if she would consider acting on stage, or possibly Broadway, again.
“It’s where I started and of course it would be a dream to find the right thing to come back to be on stage and we’ll see, you know. I’m grateful to be along for the ride,” Grande said.
Grande already has future acting roles lined up with season 13 of American Horror Story and the upcoming comedy Focker-In-Law.
The “Wicked: For Good” press tour kicked off with a rocky start in São Paulo, Brazil, when Grande missed the premiere due to flight complications. She issued a sincere apology via her Instagram story to many disappointed fans.
Despite this setback, the tour continued in Paris, London and Singapore, before ending in New York City on Nov. 17. Throughout the tour, the cast members received praise for their styling and appearances, which paid homage to their “Wicked” characters. Grande — styled by image architect Law Roach — and Erivo — styled by creative director Jason Bolden — showcased jaw-dropping outfits throughout the premiere, reminiscent of their characters Elphaba and Glinda.
One example is the Singapore premiere, in which Grande wore a custom Thom Browne gown, “taking inspiration from all the Glindas” as Roach said in his Instagram post. Erivo fashioned a “Witchy Westwood” look, as described by Bolden in his post.
Despite the bedazzling outfits, there have been many mishaps during the press tour. After Grande’s delayed flight to São Paulo, an incident also occurred in Singapore in which a prankster disrupted the cast member’s fan interactions, running up to Grande and ambushing her in a forced embrace. The man, known as Johnson Wen, is well-known for interrupting important events and was quickly arrested afterwards.
During the New York City premiere, Erivo was forced to skip press interviews after losing her voice and was put on vocal rest to save her energy. Just days after, Grande announced she had tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after press tour conclusions.
Both “Wicked” press tours have been emotional roller coasters for the cast, especially Grande and Erivo. Many people on social media have pointed out the plethora of tears and emotional moments the two actresses have shared. Some users have even made comedic parodies of their emotional interactions in interviews.
Erivo and Grande addressed these moments in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, defending their seemingly over-the-top emotions throughout promotions.
“What you were witnessing was the culmination of a really long friendship that had already existed before anyone’s eyes had laid eyes on us,” Erivo explained. Grande then affirmed Erivo’s statement by stating that after seeing the film, many audience members began “crying with us.”
With beautiful gowns, temporary setbacks and emotional connections, the “Wicked: For Good” press tour provided audiences with mountains of content and exciting moments. The trials of the press tour proved to be worth it after “Wicked: For Good” grossed over $150 million domestically and $226 million globally during its opening weekend according to Box Office Mojo, outperforming the “Wicked” opening last year.
Sydney Easterday is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. She can be reached at seasterd@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Annabelle Aguirre