Something bad continues to happen in Oz. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Universal has bounced the Wicked movie, which is definitely a thing that exists and will definitely happen, from its planned release date on December 22, 2021 to make way for Sing 2, which is in turn moving back its release to make way for Minions: Rise of Gru. (Ozians, rejoicify that your Gru-ness could subdue the wicked workings of you-know-who for now.) The dream of a Wicked movie will, however, continue to dance on through your life. Universal did not announce a new release date for the movie, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the film “will be redated at a later time.â€
The Wicked movie, based on the ever-popular screlt-heavy stage show, has been in the works for nearly a decade, with Stephen Daldry, the nominal director at the moment, in talks as early as 2012. Universal had previously announced that Wicked would premiere in 2019, though of course it put out Cats on that date instead, and moved Wicked back to 2021. At this point, even No. 1 Wicked fan Ariana Grande might have to stall her campaign to get cast. What can we say? That joy, that thrill, continues to not thrill like you think it will, still.