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Exclusive: Emmy winners John Lithgow and Jimmy Smits are set to reprise their roles of Arthur Mitchell aka the Trinity Killer and Miguel Prado, respectively, in the Showtime original series Dexter: Resurrection. The show has been in production in New York since January.

For playing the diabolical Trinity Killer, Lithgow received an Emmy Award, Critics’ Choice Award, and a SAG Award as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Smits received an Emmy nomination for his Season 3 portrayal of Miguel, the Ada-turned-lawbreaker hellbent on revenge.

At this point, fans of the ‘Dexter’-verse aren’t surprised when news emerges that dead people are being resurrected. Especially when Lithgow is concerned, as he appeared in flashback scenes in the limited series Dexter: New Blood. The New Blood continuation series is titled Resurrection, so at this point, anything goes. This is Smits’ return to the franchise,...

The LA Film Festival was a serious feeder for talent for both independent cinema and Hollywood. The festival highlighted exciting talent and gave that talent access and audience with the larger LA film world. Coffee dates were made, next projects were pitched, and a community was fostered.

A few notable names that you might have heard of this award season screened their earlier work at the fest, including Sean Baker (Anora), Justin Simien (Hollywood Black), Ali Abbasi (The Apprentice), and Jon M Chu (Wicked).

These four filmmakers took full advantage of everything the festival had to offer and are now able to make those daring projects that have earned them all that hardware. If we look at the films that they brought to the festival, we might learn a little something about what makes these filmmakers tick, and how themes they explored way back when are still relevant to the directors today.

Wicked has soared on its streaming debut, flying straight to the top of the Peacock movie chart and bringing its magical, musical story of the witches of Oz to a new audience. The film has been an incredible success already, breaking cinema records and becoming one of the biggest Broadway musical adaptations of all time in the process. What’s more is that the film is only half the story, meaning that there is a lot more to come next year.

Wicked arrived in cinemas in November 2024, immediately wowing audiences to the tune of $740 million worldwide. Considering the lackluster performance of previous musical adaptations such as Cats and West Side Story, as well as director Jon M. Chu’s own In the Heights which struggled to a $45.2 million haul in 2021 during the Covid pandemic, the box office of Wicked not only made it the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation of all-time, but...

Had anyone told me I’d see Sadie Sink play an androgynous punk rocker who strums her guitar to try and save the world, I’d have said no way. This is not to say that I can’t imagine Sadie playing unique characters, because she’s one of the brightest young stars we have today. However, it just seems bizarre that such a movie would come out at all. O’Dessa tells the story of the titular character, who finds herself orphaned and alone on her barren farm after her mom passes away from sickness. In a land where plasma makes the grass purple and the water is dirt brown, O’Dessa must fulfill a prophecy, one about “the seventh son.” Yes, she is the seventh son, and that’s just the facts; nothing odd about it.

What’s special about O’Dessa is how it takes a truly...

Jon M. Chu, at the halfway point of directing back-to-back Wicked movies, will deliver the keynote address at USC’s 142nd commencement ceremony in May.

Chu, whose credits also include Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2003. He will receive an honorary degree as part of the ceremony May 15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the university said Friday.

“Jon continues to spark the imaginations of millions through the dazzling worlds he creates. He’s a terrific champion of the amazing talent — performers, technicians and craftspeople — who contribute so much to the creative arts and bring important stories to life,” USC president Carol Folt said. “He’s also a wonderful role model to students and storytellers, and we can’t wait to hear his inspirational words.”

Wicked: Part 1 scored 10 Oscar nominations this year including Best Picture and won two, for Best...

The collapse of Technicolor has also seen the closure of The Mill and Mpc, pointing to a growing crisis in the VFX business.

Last weekend, VFX supervisor Paul Lambert accepted a Best Visual Effects Oscar for his work on Dune: Part Two. In his conspicuously brief speech, he paid tribute to the numerous companies that contributed to the sci-fi epic’s spectacular imagery, including the “incredible” Moving Picture Company (Mpc).

The namedrop was a poignant one given that the London-based studio had recently closed after 55 years of business. Mpc was one of a number of studios owned by Technicolor Group – a French company whose legacy stretches back to 1916.

On the 25th February, news broke that Technicolor had gone into receivership, putting 440 employees out of work and in turn terminating a number of companies operating under its banner. Besides Mpc, these included The Mill, a VFX studio founded in 1990, and Mikros,...

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Following Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s showstopping performance at the 97th Academy Awards, the soundtrack to Wicked is soaring up the album charts, with the CD and vinyl each returning to the top 10 of Amazon’s charts.

The album, which was released in October, features 11 tracks from the film. It’s available as a one-disc CD or two-lp vinyl. The album’s closer is “Defying Gravity,” which...

Following his Oscar-winning feature film Oppenheimer (2024) which swept the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Actor, Best Score and more categories at the 96th annual Academy Awards, Christopher Nolan’s next project is taking shape.

Read on for everything we know about the inspiration, story, cast and more

When does Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey come out?

The film is currently set for a release in Imax July 17, 2026.

Has Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey started production?

Yes, filming is underway in Morocco, and Sicily is another destination on the list.

What is Christopher Nolan’s next film about?

Just before Christmas, it was revealed that Nolan’s latest project would be epic in more than one sense of the word as it will adapt Homer’s epic poem composed around the 8th century Bce. Universal revealed the news.

“Christopher Nolan’s next film The Odyssey is a mythic action epic...

Paul Tazewell made history on Sunday night as the first Black man to win to an Oscar for costume design.

After hugging presenter Bowen Yang, who was wearing one of his Wicked costumes on stage, Tazewell took a moment to talk about how significant this award is for him.

“Thank you Academy for this very significant honor. I’m the first Black man to receive a costume design award…” he said before being interrupted by a standing ovation from the audience.

If Hollywood is just now recognizing Tazewell, the costume designer has long been a staple of New York theater, launching his Broadway career in 1996 with Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk and winning a Tony Award for his costume designs for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Caroline, Or Change, The Color Purple, In The Heights, Ain’t Too Proud, and the note-perfect recreations of Michael Jackson’s iconic...

Visionary costume designer Paul Tazewell triumphed on Sunday night, winning his first Academy Award for his nature-inspired “Wicked” wardrobe. He can add his shiny new Oscar to the crowded shelf where he keeps his Tony, his Emmy, his BAFTA, his multiple Costume Designer Guild awards and the many other honors he has won over the years.

Tazewell’s “Wicked” victory makes him the first Black man to win for costume and only the second Black person to do so since Ruth E. Carter‘s 2023 victory for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which followed her history-making 2019 win for “Black Panther.” The only other Black person to be Oscar-nominated for costume design is Sharen Davis, who earned nods in 2005 for “Ray” and in 2007 for “Dreamgirls.”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in “Wicked” (Credit: Universal Pictures)

Over his celebrated career, Tazewell has earned nine Tony Award nominations for “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk,...

What Is Know About The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show So Far? ( Photo Credit – Netflix )

Crazy Rich Asians was one of the most loved rom-coms of 2018. The movie, adapted from a novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, starred Constance Wu and Henry Golding in the lead. Those who want to see these characters back on screen are in for a treat!

Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Is In Development

According to the latest reports by Variety, a Crazy Rich Asians TV show is in the works! The novel will be adapted into a TV show with John M. Chu serving as the executive producer. The movie’s co-writer, Adele Lim, will helm the TV show project as the showrunner and executive producer.

The book’s author, Kevin Kwan, will also join the TV show as an executive producer, just as he did for the film. The cast of...

We're officially returning to the world of Crazy Rich Asians — just maybe not in the way we originally thought. While there is, allegedly, still a sequel film in the works to the 2018 blockbuster romantic comedy (as far as we know!), Max has confirmed that a series, from co-writer Adele Lim and director Jon M. Chu, is well underway at the streamer.

The news was reported by Variety, confirming rumors that began circulating back in 2024, after the 2022 reports of a sequel following Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr.'s characters failed to immediately materialize. This may be due in part to co-writer (alongside Peter Chiarelli) Adele Lim departing Jon M. Chu's intended adaptations of the subsequent Kevin Kwan novels, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, because of a pay dispute that she described as racist and sexist. But now, with Lim back on board to show-run and executive produce this series alongside Chu as EP,...

A series adaptation of “Crazy Rich Asians” is in development at Max. Adele Lim, who co-wrote the 2018 film, has been set as showrunner and executive producer, while director Jon M. Chu will also return to executive produce.

Like the film, the TV project is based on Kevin Kwan’s book series of the same name. “Crazy Rich Asians” was published in 2013, followed by “China Rich Girlfriend” in 2015 and “Rich People Problems” in 2017. Kwan executive produced Lim and Chu’s 2018 film and will also executive produce the Max series, for which Warner Bros TV is the studio.

It is not yet known whether the series will feature returning cast members from the film.

Besides “Crazy Rich Asians,” Lim is best known for 2023’s “Joy Ride,” her directorial debut feature via Lionsgate. She also wrote Disney’s 2021 film “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Currently, she is directing and producing “The Princess Diaries 3” with Anne Hathaway,...

Riri Williams soared to life on the big screen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and now, the hero known as Ironheart is set to have her own series on Disney+. The young inventor from Chicago will be returning to her hometown to engage in her own adventures outside the troubles of Wakanda. This means Riri will be operating on her own for the first time, but like any new series in the MCU set to be released, details are scant until the initial trailer drops. Fortunately, what details have been released do paint a picture about what fans can expect.

For starters, Riri being the main character means a deeper dive into understanding who she is and what motivates her. The conflicts she becomes drawn into will further expand upon how she views being Ironheart and what she wants that to mean for the world at large. The cast of...

Somehow, it took Rocky and Rambo star Sylvester Stallone a long time to play a full-on superhero (his roles in Judge Dredd and Guardians of the Galaxy don’t count). But, when he finally did don a costume and possess superpowers, it resulted in the deeply divisive Samaritan, which is now all set to stream free.

Released back in 2022, Samaritan begins when thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith is actually a superhero legend hiding in plain sight. Directed by Julius Avery, Samaritan stars Sylvester Stallone alongside The Umbrella Academy star Javon Walton as Sam Cleary, as well as Martin Starr (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), Dascha Polanco (In the Heights), Natacha Karam (The Old Guard), and Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones). Samaritan is due to land on Tubi on March 1, and you can check out the official synopsis below.

No woman has even won an Oscar for best cinematography, and that’s not likely to change in 2025. Why? Because no women made the final five. But this year, the American Society of Cinematographers could be righting Oscar’s wrong.

ASC has only handed out the top prize once to a woman — Mandy Walker, who won in the feature competition in 2023 for “Elvis.” Now, for the first time since 2014, the feature competition field has expanded its nominees to seven, with Alice Brooks landing a nomination for her work on “Wicked.”

Brooks had one goal for the big screen adaptation of the hit musical, that “it would be the most beautiful love story between these two women,” she says, referring to Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who star as the famous witches of Oz.

Brooks is Jon M. Chu’s go-to Dp since their filmmaking days at the University of Southern California.

Songwriter and Tony Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda really, really wanted to appear in Jon M. Chu's recent "Wicked" adaptation — but I bet you'll never guess which role he was gunning for.

During an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in February 2025, Miranda, the man behind Broadway hits like "Hamilton" and huge cinematic songs like "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from "Encanto" revealed that he basically begged Chu for a specific and incredibly small role in the adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's acclaimed Broadway musical. "In the opening number of the show, this one munchkin runs out and goes, 'Is it true you were her friend?'" Miranda told Colbert. "Because, man, I don't know if you've seen a live production of 'Wicked,' but sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line. It's where the story starts. So I was like,...

Exclusive: Corey Hawkins (The Piano Lesson) has been tapped for a role in The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the epic poem from Homer for Universal Pictures, sources tell Deadline.

Details as to the part he’s playing are under wraps, as they were for Mia Goth, who was announced as joining the cast earlier this afternoon. As previously announced, the stacked cast also includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia and Will Yun Lee.

The Odyssey is the story Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The literary classic explores themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will, featuring stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.

The Broadway musical, written by Bareilles and Jessie Nelson, was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Love, dreams, chosen family, and strength— all mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie. Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s musical adaptation of “Waitress” may have closed up shop on Broadway in 2021, but Joe’s Pie Diner is back open for business. The filmed production, which stars Bareilles in the lead role, premieres this Friday, Feb. 14, bringing the Tony Award-nominated musical to streaming for the first time.

See what baking can do: watch “Waitress: The Musical” this Friday with a subscription to Max!

How to Watch ‘Waitress: The Musical’ When: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. Et Where: Max Stream: Watch with a subscription to Max. From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a Vpn. Everything you need to know to watch ‘Waitress: The Musical’

How to Watch ‘Waitress: The Musical...

Providing the perfect date night option for those who love romantic comedies and festive slashers, Josh Ruben's Heart Eyes is now slicing into theaters, and Lakeshore Records will release Jay Wadley's score for the festively frightful film digitally beginning February 14th, giving horror-loving couples the chance to add the movie's music to their Valentine's Day playlists. As an early treat for Daily Dead readers to enjoy ahead of the soundtrack's holiday digital release, we have the chilling Heart Eyes track "Forgive Me" that you can listen to right now!

You can listen to Jay Wadley's "Forgive Me" below, and we also have the full track listing with additional details! To learn more about the digital release of Heart Eyes—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, visit:

https://lnk.to/heart-eyes

From the Press Release: Lakeshore Records is set to release Heart Eyes--Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally [on] February 14, featuring music...

Film Editing is often the below-the-line Oscar category most frequently linked to Best Picture, even more since the Academy committed to 10 Best Picture nominations.

All five of this year’s editing nominees also received Best Picture nominations, but only three have corresponding nominations for the film’s director. Four of this year’s five nominees received nominations from the American Cinema Editors (Ace) for the Ace Eddies, which have been delayed until March 14 due to the fires in Los Angeles. Noticeably missing from those nominations was The Brutalist, despite being nominated by the Academy editing branch.

According to the Gold Derby odds, Conclave would win this category, with The Brutalist close behind. However, this might be a more difficult category to pick. In the past, there have been unexpected winners, like Bohemian Rhapsody and The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. In 2022, Coda was a rare Best Picture winner that wasn’t nominated for its editing.

Lin-Manuel Miranda hoped to play a minor role in the film adaptation of Wicked but his casting request was denied, he said during a Monday appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

“In the opening number of the show, this one munchkin runs out and goes, ‘Is it true you were her friend?’ Because, man, I don’t know if you’ve seen a live production of Wicked, but sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line,” Miranda told Colbert.

The Wicked director...

After Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborated with director Jon M. Chu on the 2021 movie musical “In The Heights,” the pair almost worked together on 2024’s biggest Broadway adaptation: “Wicked.”

During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Miranda explained that he had his eye on the role of a munchkin who delivers a critical line in the opening scene of “Wicked.”

“In the opening number of the show, this one munchkin runs out and goes, ‘Is it true you were her friend?’ Because, man, I don’t know if you’ve seen a live production of ‘Wicked,’ but sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line,” Miranda said.

He continued, “It’s where the story starts. So I was like, ‘I really wanted to do that line, Jon.’ And I was not cast.”

Miranda admitted that “it would’ve been distracting” to see...

Lin-Manuel Miranda is opening up about why he was ultimately not cast in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked.

Jon M. Chu directed the movie musical, the filmmaker Miranda had worked with on the film version of In The Heights in 2021.

“This has gotten blown away out of proportion,” Miranda told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show.

The CBS late-night talk show host joked, “And we’re going to continue to do that right now.”

Miranda explained, “In the opening number of the show, this one munchkin runs out and goes, ‘Is it true you were her friend?’ Because, man, I don’t know if you’ve seen a live production of Wicked, but sometimes they really put some sauce on the ball when they deliver that line.”

“It’s where the story starts,” Miranda continued. “So I was like, ‘I really wanted to do that line, Jon.

Jon M. Chu's musical "Wizard of Oz" riff "Wicked," based on the pop-u-lar Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, wasn't terribly well-reviewed in the pages of /Film, cited by this author as being a mushy mess, led by two weirdly dispassionate lead performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The review pondered why Chu, who ordinarily can make exciting, energetic musicals like "Step Up 3D" and "In the Heights," decided to let himself be upstaged by busy production design and dull, eternally retreaded fantasy mythology.

My review, however, is certainly the outlier on "Wicked." On January 23, Chu's film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (for Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (for Grande), and Best Production Design. The film was also generally well-reviewed, earning an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 380 reviews). Most importantly, the massive cult of Broadway devotees flocked to see Chu's film version,...

After coming to know and love Melissa Barrera through her roles in 2022’s Scream and its 2023 follow-up, Scream VI, letting go of her was tough. Spyglass Media unceremoniously let the In the Heights star go ahead of production on the upcoming seventh installment of the slasher film series following a set of pro-Palestinian social media posts she made back in the fall of 2023. Since then, audiences have needed to get their Barrera fix elsewhere through titles like Universal Pictures’ Abigail, which saw her reunite with Scream and Scream VI helmers, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The vampire creature-feature took a bite out of the box office last spring and was followed by the arrival of yet another horror project for Barrera when Your Monster jump-scared its way into U.S. cinemas in late October. Now, audiences can welcome the coming-of-rage story out of their closets and into their hearts, asYour...

Going into this year’s Grammys, each of the six nominees for Best Musical Theater Album has its own distinct advantages, from involvement of previous nominees/winners to encouraging statistics. So let’s consider the possibilities.

The frontrunner to win based on the official Gold Derby odds is Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a jukebox musical mining the song catalog of Alicia Keys, who also wrote a few original tunes for the show. Jukebox musicals in general tend to be catnip for voters in this category as they contain material voters are familiar with. Previous champs include Jersey Boys, which used the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; American Idiot, an adaptation of Green Day‘s eponymous 2004 concept album; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which featured Carole King‘s song catalog; and Jagged Little Pill, an adaptation of Alanis Morissette‘s 1995 album.

Keys has plenty of bona fides.

There is fun to be done! Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” will release on March 17, 2028 in IMAX.

Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton are directing the film from writer Rob Lieber’s screenplay. J.J. Abrams produces through his Bad Robot Banner alongside Gregg Taylor.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are writing original songs for the film, based upon Dr. Seuss’ final book.

Studio sources indicate that the film is a high priority project for the studio, and is being made in collaboration with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The book is the blueprint for a globetrotting animated musical following a young adventurer as they journey through the joys and heartaches and the peaks and valleys of life.

Chu’s film adaptation of “Wicked” just earned ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The follow-up, “Wicked: For Good,” is due out this November.

Michelle Yeoh is opening up about the close-knit Wicked cast.

The 62-year-old actress appeared on The View, where she spoke about the blockbuster musical’s 10 overall nominations ahead of the 2025 Oscars.

Joy Behar asked if she and fellow stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande had a chance to connect following the nominations announcement.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Yes! We are all crying for joy,” she said.

“But, we must say we are also crying because Jon M. Chu, Alice Brooks — our Dp — were not nominated, but the rest of us are celebrating. Best Picture, costumes, hair!”

Sunny Hostin added that the film is “fantastic,” while Ana Navarro referenced the snubs.

“This is the second time they’ve passed over Jon Chu. He should’ve been nominated for In the Heights,” she said, with Michelle responding: “Yes, I agree with you!”

Find out who else was snubbed at the Oscars.

Wicked director Jon M. Chu will reunite with Universal Pictures again for Britney Spears' biopic. The superstar singer initially didn't plan to adapt her memoir, The Woman in Me, but eventually signed a deal with Universal in August 2024.

Earlier this month, Chu addressed how involved Spears was. The director has received critical acclaim for films like 2018's Crazy Rich Asians and 2021's In the Heights, and adapted the beloved Broadway musical Wicked into two parts, the second set to premiere in November this year. Per Life & Style, Britney Spears has "tons of input" in the adaptation.

Related 'I Cannot Stop Crying': Ariana Grande Goes Viral With Emotional Reaction to Wicked Oscar Nomination

Ariana Grande was definitely popular following her Wicked role.

At the Golden Globes red carpet, Chu shared, "I’ve been a fan since I was young and she was young and she was one of 12 acts at the Shrine Auditorium.

When it was first announced that Jon M. Chu, the director behind movies like "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In the Heights," would adapt Stephen Schwartz's hit Broadway musical "Wicked," news broke shortly thereafter that the movie would be split into two parts. On some level, it does make sense to split "Wicked" in half, giving it a cinematic two-act structure that mimics the stage version. With all of that said the movies were originally called "Wicked: Part One" and "Wicked: Part Two," and Part One soared into theaters in November 2024, crushing the box office and earning rave reviews from critics. Then, in December of that year, Chu revealed that the second part of the epic film will actually be called "Wicked: For Good," taking its title from an earnest duet sung by Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and her best friend turned political enemy Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande-Butera) in the show's second act.

While the Oscars may not be here just yet, the wait is no longer for those eagerly anticipating the news of whether their favorite films have been scorned or regaled by the Academy. To the surprise of few, one of those nominated is the critically acclaimed adaption of the novel and Broadway production of the name Wicked.

Members of the cast were delightfully surprised. Ariana Grande—who is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role—expressed her tearful appreciation of the nomination. It will surely be a season of celebration for many of the stars of Wicked, though Michelle Yeoh, who plays Madame Morrible, notes that there is some somberness, as they felt one of the crew had been snubbed by the Academy.

Related Controversial Oscar-Nominated Netflix Movie Unsurprisingly Snubbed by 36th Annual GLAAD Awards

A controversial film getting lots of award nominations elsewhere wasn't acknowledged by the GLAAD Awards.

Michelle Yeoh said the Wicked cast is celebrating but also “crying” after the 2025 Oscar nominations were revealed.

The actress, who played Madame Morrible in the movie musical, stopped by The View on Thursday, where panelist Joy Behar asked if she had yet to connect with her fellow castmembers after Wicked earned 10 noms earlier in the morning.

Among the film’s nominations were best picture, Cynthia Erivo for best actress, Ariana Grande for best supporting actress, best costume design and best original score. However, Jon M. Chu was shut out of the directing category.

“Yes! We are all crying for joy,” said Yeoh, who previously won an Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. “But, we must say we are also crying because Jon M. Chu, Alice Brooks — our Dp — were not nominated, but the rest of us are celebrating. Best picture, costumes, hair!”

Co-host Ana Navarro later added,...

Update: Real Women Have Curves: The Musical has announced additional members of the production’s Broadway company who will join the previously announced Tatianna Córdoba (Ana) and Justina Machado (Carmen). Newly announced cast members are Florencia Cuenca (Broadway debut) as Estela, Shelby Acosta (1776) as Prima Flaca, Carla Jimenez (Broadway debut) as Pancha, Aline Mayagoitia (Broadway debut) as Itzel, Mason Reeves (Broadway debut) as Henry, Jennifer Sánchez (Elf) as Rosalí, Sandra Valls (Broadway debut) as Prima Fulvia, and Quincy Hampton, Zeus Mendoza, Claudia Mulet, Christopher M. Ramirez, Monica Tulia Ramirez, Shadia Fairuz, Elisa Galindez, and Omar Madden.

Casting for the role of Raúl will be announced at a later date.

Previous, January 16: Justina Machado and Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba have been cast as the leads in the upcoming Broadway production Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, producers announced today.

Justina Machado is heading back to Broadway!

The One Day at a Time and Six Feet Under actress has joined the cast of the upcoming show Real Women Have Curves: The Musical in the role of Carmen Garcia.

The new musical is based on the beloved movie of the same name, which was actually based on a stage play by Josefina Lopez.

In Real Women Have Curves, it’s the summer of 1987 and Ana Garcia dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles. But when her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, Ana finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds.

Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba will make her debut starring as ambitious high school senior Ana Garcia, the role that America Ferrera played in the 2002 movie.

Keep reading to find out more…

Justina...

The overlap of awards season with a fire season has posed a stern test of Hollywood fortitude. Will there be shelf space for statuettes?

If Hollywood needs some optimism I’d propose it look to Jon M. Chu, who has contributed both a sharp, but unnoticed, new book plus a hit movie to advance his mission. His Wicked won the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement honor at the Golden Globes, but the kudo crowd also owes Chu a bow for his memoir Viewfinder, which poses his dissent on current issues.

Viewfinder details the hazardous trek of a young Chinese-American filmmaker seeking to pursue his zeal for pure “entertainment” in an industry that periodically seems disdainful of that concept.

As he preps his Wicked sequel at Universal, Chu, at 46, can look back upon a formidable list of snubs, slaps, cancellations and ethnic putdowns littering his younger years.

Deadline Related Video:

The...

After watching Wicked, fans will want to check out the two movies that helped pave the way for Jon M. Chu’s highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s beloved Broadway musical. Reviews for Wicked praise the director’s glamorous and affecting theatrical vision which, paired with its visuals, costumes, acting, and musical performances, is perfectly suited for the big screen. Chu’s experience directing another acclaimed Broadway cinematic adaptation explains his skill in creating choreographed scenes that palpate with emotion in Wicked.

Additionally, Chu’s major romantic comedy hit from seven years ago displayed popping visuals, larger-than-life characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of heart — all of which are masterfully used again by Wicked and its cast. Both movies demonstrate the creator’s ambition to direct universally resonant stories told from unfavored points of view, acting as the right stepping stone before Wicked’s tear-inducing ending and darker sequel setup.

Wicked fans may have been mourning their beloved film after Sunday’s Golden Globes, where it only won one of the four awards for which it was nominated, but the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical was the toast of the town in New York on Tuesday night.

At the 2025 National Board of Review Awards, Wicked was honored with best film, best director (Jon M. Chu) and a special award for the collaboration between stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

The accolades, which NBR announced in early December, were presented, as is customary at the gala at New York’s Cipriani 42nd Street, via star-studded introductions and extended speeches from each of this year’s honorees.

Lin-Manuel Miranda honored his In the Heights director Chu, and Yeoh paid tribute to her Wicked co-stars Erivo and Grande. But NBR saved arguably the most star power for the end of the night,...

Jon M. Chu, the director of Wicked: Part 1, has done more than a few fantastic projects over his years as a director; Crazy Rich Asians (2016), In the Heights (2021) and he’ll soon be finishing Elphaba’s story in 2025’s Wicked: For Good. Along with his musical work, Chu will continue his work with magic in helming the third entry of Now You See Me.

Chu is quickly becoming a name worth his fame, so it only feels appropriate that a director becoming an icon of the industry will be working on the story of a singer-songwriter Britney Spears. Spears is a name in the industry known for her musical talent, but lately also for her legal battles and poor treatment by the media - though Chu is assured the latter will not be continued in his work as he aims to do the singer justice, per Entertainment Tonight.

Related 'My...

Now that Wicked-mania has successfully taken the globe by storm, director Jon M. Chu is beginning to open up his energy to other projects. While he may not be going down the exact same road he previously skipped with Wicked and In the Heights, the filmmaker will still be keeping things musical for his highly-anticipated bio-flick about the one and only, Ms. Britney Spears. The production was first announced when things were a lot warmer for those of us chilling in the Northern Hemisphere, when the queen herself took to social media to share the good news back in August. In the months since the project’s reveal, fans have been transfixed with Wicked, which has undoubtedly also been taking up most of Chu’s energy. But now, we’re looking into the future of the biopic, after Chu teased pieces of the feature to Entertainment Tonight on the Golden...

Jon M. Chu is assuring fans that Britney Spears will be “very involved” in the adaptation of her bestselling 2023 memoir “The Woman in Me.”

Chu told Entertainment Tonight that the mega-star will definitely be part of the production for his upcoming Universal film, which is based on Spears’ life. “La La Land” and Broadway producer Marc Platt is also producing the big-screen adaptation.

“She’s going to be very involved,” Chu said of Spears. “I haven’t really started anything fully yet. But she will be very involved in this. I have ideas and things of an approach, but it’s very, very early.”

However, there has not been anyone cast yet as singer Spears.

“I’ve seen all the fan casting, I’ve seen all that stuff, and I always take those into consideration because maybe there’s a good idea out there,” Chu said. “But we’ll have to see.

“Follow the Yellow Brick Road” isn’t stopping anytime soon.

That’s because at the Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Pre-Show at the Beverly Hilton, Ariana Grande donned an unworn vintage 1966 Givenchy Haute Couture dress. Grande told Marc Malkin, Variety‘s Senior Culture & Events Editor, that the dress’ color is inspired by the iconic song from “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 musical for which “Wicked” serves as a prequel.

“It’s yellow because of ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road,'” Grande explains. “It’s one of Glinda’s favorite colors and here we are.”

The pale yellow silk dress with a hand-beaded bodice was purchased from Rita Watnick-lily et Cie and came from the collection of an “old school studio head’s wife,” according to Watnick.

Original sketch for the Givenchy gown

“Wicked” is nominated for four Golden Globes, including Grande for Best Supporting Actress, Cynthia Erivo for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy,...

Musical movies have an extremely variable track record when it comes to box office and critical reviews. 2024 was a good year for the movie musical just based on one film alone: Wicked. An adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name, Wicked received rave reviews, and has been considered a frontrunner for Oscar nominations. The film has also done tremendously well at the box office, making over $648 million and counting. This positions the musical as the no. 6 movie of the year at the worldwide box office at the time of writing.

Not all movie musical, unfortunately, have had the same fervent support as Wicked had this year. Even movies adapted from incredibly popular Broadway musicals can flounder, as evidenced by the critically panned box office flop Dear Evan Hansen in 2021, which grossed a mere $19.1 million worldwide. Wicked director Jon M. Chu's own In the Heights also struggled...

Seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in action is a remarkable study in contrasts. Even after months of their omnipresence on social media and TV screens — as fans have consumed every morsel of the ongoing press tour for their film “Wicked,” in which tears have been shed — it’s hard not to be mesmerized as the London-born theater actor and the Boca Raton-born pop singer, newly minted co-stars, pose for photographs in a New York City studio in early December. Erivo is stoic, silent, channeling the power of her character Elphaba, though once she’s off-camera she lets loose watching her director Jon M. Chu take solo shots: “Give me Calvin Klein, Jon!” she shouts. “C’mon, profile! Work!” And on cue, Chu grows half an inch taller, straightening his spine and adjusting the tilt of his chin.

Grande, on the other hand, seems never to stop singing, harmonizing to...

‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu demanded Ariana Grande prove she could “overcome” her pop star image before she was cast as Glinda.The 31-year-old singer stars opposite Cynthia Erivo as the ‘Good Witch’ in the musical blockbuster, though Chu, 45, insisted he would only consider Grande for the role if she could demonstrate she could put her pop star persona aside for the part.The filmmaker told Deadline: “[She] had to overcome the Ariana Grande image in order to do it. And I know how hard it is. “I’ve seen actors who do their first lead in a movie, and that’s not easy. That also takes skills and that takes actual craftsmanship. That experience can happen.”While her audition process was a challenge, the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ director said Grande ultimately won the role of Glinda after demonstrating she “understood the nuance of the character”.He said: “Every time she came in,...

“Wicked” is everywhere.

Since debuting at Thanksgiving, the movie, an adaptation of the blockbuster musical, has earned more than $635 million at the global box office and earned four Golden Globe nominations and eleven Critics’ Choice Award nominations (including Best Picture). It just debuted on digital platforms, too, so if you have someone in your house that is a “Wicked”-head, you’re going to be hearing “Defying Gravity” even more often than before.

And now you can go behind-the-scenes of the movie with a brand-new featurette dedicated to the movie’s director Jon M. Chu. You can watch it below.

“I think back to the moment I first saw ‘Wicked,’ when it was being workshopped in San Francisco 20 years ago. I had a very personal family connection to it watching it with my mother and I was so blown away to learn the backstory of the Wicked Witch. It felt so relevant event back then,...

In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Wicked director Jon M. Chu gave a hilarious response to a question about the movie's choreography. In the clip, Chu watches a pre-recorded question from friend and colleague Lin-Manuel Miranda, who playfully shades the director of copying some moves from In the Heights. Referring to the salon sequence in the song "One Short Day," Miranda calls the nail choreography "suspiciously familiar" to the nail choreography from In the Heights.

Chu laughs at the video comment from Miranda and confirms the scene as an homage, crediting Chris Scott, who was the choreographer for both Wicked and In The Heights. The director elaborates by saying how they like to include "little nods" or references to their past works in new projects. You can watch the interview clip here. Chu continues:

"Yes, we were aware that there are some fun things that are little winks to ourselves,...

Adapting a popular title is never easy, but Jon M. Chu managed it with Wicked. Following the premiere of Wicked on Nov. 22, the musical has beaten several records and has recently added another two.

The musical, which has received four Golden Globes nominations, is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name, which was based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel about The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West's origin story. The Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-led feature film premiered before Thanksgiving to critical acclaim, the movie has continued to break records and surpass several other titles. Per Deadline, Wicked has just achieved two more milestones: it magically toss-tossed past the $400 million milestone and beat 2008's Mamma Mia! globally.

Related 'It's Very Radical': Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Predicts Wicked Might Get Banned

Should we worry about Wicked's future?

Over a month since its theatrical premiere,...

Universal’s “Wicked” is officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history, overtaking 2008’s “Mamma Mia” to notch the harmonious milestone.

“Wicked” has generated $634 million worldwide after six weeks of release while “Mamma Mia” amassed $611 million (not adjusted for inflation) by the end of its box office run. “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has earned $424 million domestically and, weeks ago, surpassed 1978’s “Grease” ($188.62 million) as the biggest Broadway adaptation at the domestic box office. These benchmarks are good news for Universal since the second half of the big-budget musical, “Wicked: For Good,” opens in 2025. This record is also notable because it bucks the recent trend of underseen stage-to-screen remakes, including 2023’s “The Color Purple” and 2021’s “West Side Story,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “In the Heights.”

Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” cemented a franchise record with $74 million in its international box office debut, the...

After the box-office success of musicals like Wicked and Moana 2, Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical collaboration with Eisa Davis on a remix of The Warriors should be the next Miranda film adaptation. 2024 has been a good time for movie musicals, with plenty of successes found on the big screen. Even beyond the historic heights of Wicked and Moana 2, films as diverse as Emilia Pérez, Spellbound, Mean Girls, Joker: Folie à Deux, The End, and Mufasa: The Lion King highlight how versatile and varied the genre has proven to be in modern film.

This leaves the door open for plenty of other big musical adaptations, with other upcoming movie musicals set to make their mark at the box office. However, one of the most exciting prospects that currently doesn't have a movie planned actually has an established cinematic history. Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2024 musical collaboration with Eisa Davis reimagined the 1979 film as a...