With the countdown to the release of Wicked: Part One rapidly approaching, director Jon M. Chu's cinematic adaptation of Stephen Schwartz's Broadway musical is set to captivate fans of the franchise and reignite the magic of the beloved story.

As the anticipation continues to build, it's safe to say that the film is poised to be a box office blockbuster. As per Deadline, it is estimated that the musical is set to cast in $61 million (£47 million) during its domestic home opening weekend, while Gladiator II is expected to bring in $50 million (£38.5 million), proving a potential round two of 'Barbenheimer'.

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Adding to the buzz, it's thought that the film's leading actors, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, have been positioned as more than worthy contenders for a strong awards season, namely at the Oscars.

Backing these claims, a number of reviews have already come in from members of the film press, who have lauded the film as a hit, ahead of the movie's premiere.

Those that have already seen the film took to X to share how impressed they were with it, with one user stating that it was 'well worth the 20-year-wait'.

The caption read: 'I was "pessimistical" going in, but... WICKED is a masterpiece. Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humour and hair flips. Jon M. Chu added so much new life to the story that I can see why it needed to be 2 parts!'

Another stated that the film 'pops' and 'enchants' on the big screen, and that 'leads Eviro and Grande knock it out of the park. While this perhaps won't convert many anti-musical folks, genre fans and die-hard Ozians (Wickhards?) will feast on this.'

Continuing the praise, another use took to X to share that while she was initially skeptical of the musical being broken down into two parts and being quite lengthy, she was quickly proven wrong after watching the film, and also commented: 'The crafts and acting are the absolute SHIZ.'

While the positivity has been overflowing on social media, one user detailed they felt as though the film was too 'overlong, noisy [and] over-designed.'

As the reviews roll in, what does seem to be almost guaranteed is this new era of Wicked will redefine musical adaptations for the big screen, from storytelling to music and star-studded casts.

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