After moving “Wicked — Part 1” from Thanksgiving weekend to the weekend prior this November, Universal is doing the same for “Wicked — Part 2,” moving the release five days up to Nov. 21, 2025.
In doing so, Universal is giving Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the “Wizard of Oz” Broadway musical some small but much needed distance from two Disney sequels set for Thanksgiving releases: “Moana 2” in 2024 and “Zootopia 2” in 2025.
This November, “Wicked — Part One” will be released against Paramount’s “Gladiator II,” a film that will be primarily driven by male audiences, especially older ones. “Wicked,” led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, will look to win widespread word of mouth from female audiences and families, two demographics that will be heavily courted by “Moana 2.”
Should critical and audience reception be strong, “Wicked” could use the pre-Thanksgiving weekend to build up strong momentum into the holiday corridor, giving theaters multiple high-demand films to boost turnout in a way that hasn’t been seen over the last two Thanksgivings.
For now, there are no major studio releases set to hit theaters on the weekend before Thanksgiving 2025. Angel Studios has set its animated musical “David” for release that weekend, serving as faith-based counterprogramming to “Zootopia 2.” Other November 2025 releases include Marvel Studios’ “Blade” on Nov. 7 and Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me 3” on Nov. 14.
“Wicked — Part 1” hits theaters Nov. 22, followed by “Wicked — Part 2” a year later on Nov. 21, 2025.
