When millions around the world sit down in theaters to see Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked” later this month, they’ll see something on the title card that can’t be found anywhere in Universal’s no-expense-spared marketing campaign: “Part I.”
The adaptation was split into two films that were shot simultaneously, but “Wicked” is the latest two-parter to downplay its open-ended nature in the marketing build-up to the film’s release. Films like “Dune,” “Fast X” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” tucked their cliffhanger endings away from trailers and promotional material. And while some audience members may have been surprised when the credits rolled, each film was a box office hit.