Now more than ever I believe a Wicked land or attraction is coming. This was on the news:
“Our focus remains on building experiences that will deepen that connection to ‘Wicked,’” he said. “And all I can say is, we are very committed to ‘Wicked,’ but it’s probably too early to share much more than that.” -David O’Connor, president of franchise management and brand strategy at Universal Pictures.
Source:
From Broadway to blockbuster: How Universal built a multi-million dollar 'Wicked' empire
I'm still not sold on this being the next big IP and enough to warrant one of the precious Epic plots. The second movie may very well under perform as the last half of the musical was never as good as the first, and most the reviews for the movie are saying the first was better. If this does less at the box office, I wonder if that'll give them some pause.
I think the IP's core demo being much more female leaning than any of Universal's other IPs is the biggest thing it's got going for it. That may be enough in their eyes if it helps persuade mommy to book a stop at Universal on their next vacation though
Wicked: For Good is predicted to be even more successful than the first half. Why? Because the first movie was so good that everyone is going to want to see the ending. And since Wicked part 1 left movie theaters, it’s been seen by a ton more people via streaming and even a recent TV airing on NBC. So the audience for the sequel is actually bigger than the first act.
It’s unprecedented how successful the marketing campaign has been for the second movie. They spent $30 million LESS on marketing for it because it was already so popular and relevant, so instead they focused on licensing to over 400 product companies. I have not seen tie-in merchandise this immense since Jurassic Park and Barbie.
Wicked as a franchise is already proven to be successful enough to justify an entire theme park land over decades…book, Broadway show, music, movies, and even Universal park experiences in the States and Singapore. Not to mention the tie in to any fans of the original 1939 Wizard of Oz movie which is still relevant as ever with a long lasting Sphere showing that will cross promote anything universal does with Wicked.
And yes you are absolutely right that this will tap into a whole audience of women and children. The screening of Wicked I saw was filled with children and young girls in costume. If universal doesn’t put huge attractions or a land in the parks it would be a terrible waste.
It seems most people think of a coaster for a Wicked land, but I actually had in mind a Glinda bubble ride. Indoor dark ride, maybe an overall tour of Oz led by Glinda and featuring Elphaba and other characters? There are so many possibilities for Wicked though: a hot air balloon, broomstick, boat, coaster, flying monkey…