Despite lukewarm reviews compared to the previous film and a general consensus that it is simply a lesser movie than its predecessor, "Wicked: Part 2" has proven itself a dizzying box-office success.
So far, the musical sequel, which arrived in theaters last weekend, has earned approximately $238 million worldwide, with the numbers rising daily as it breaks records. Currently, it holds the highest global opening ever for a film adaptation based on a Broadway musical; the fifth-largest global opening ever for a musical film (after the "Lion King" remake, "Moana 2", "Frozen 2" and the "Beauty and the Beast" remake); and the largest opening of all time in the US for a stage play adaptation.
Not bad, not bad at all, especially considering "Wicked: Part 2's" Metacritic score of 58, compared to the decent score of the original film (73). The situation on the parallel review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes is also not particularly impressive, with an average score of 68% for the sequel compared to an impressive 88% for the first film.
There is no doubt that audiences love watching the bewitched musical adventures of Glinda and Elphaba, and although their story has reached its conclusion in "Wicked: Part 2", the question arises whether someday we will get to see another film in the series, if not a direct sequel then perhaps a spinoff or another creation taking place in the same cinematic universe. The surprising answer is there's definitely a possibility.
In a new interview with Vulture, Michael Moses, Universal Studios' marketing director, he addressed exactly this possibility and clarified that given the adoration and tremendous box office success, "we almost have a responsibility to understand how we can continue this universe... Have we already figured out how we'll do it? No, but it's in process," according to Moses, who is keeping his cards close to his chest.
Conclusion? The time has probably come to extend the yellow brick road.
