Jonathan Bailey’s $758M Franchise Smash Lands on Peacock
Jonathan Bailey’s blockbuster Wicked, co-starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, lands on Peacock later this month, bringing home the spellbinding saga that leapt from a beloved children’s fantasy to a long-running Broadway phenomenon.
So, here's some news for fans of massive Broadway musicals and big-budget movie adaptations: the 2024 musical Wicked — yep, the one with the flying monkeys, big ballads, and an over-the-top green-skinned lead — is finally landing on streaming. And not just that, it's coming with a sing-along version in case you want to belt 'Defying Gravity' from your couch (which, let's be honest, is most of us).
When and Where?
Mark your calendars, streamers: Wicked hits Peacock on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Yeah, it's weirdly far out for a release date announcement, but this thing turned into an event when it hit theaters, so maybe they're just making sure every last Ozdust particle is cleaned up before the streaming debut.
The Story (for Anyone Not Already Obsessed)
Here’s the quick and dirty version: Wicked dives into the backstory of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the much-misunderstood green-skinned student at Shiz University. She ends up roommates (and massive frenemies, at first) with Glinda (Ariana Grande). They're basically opposites, but winds up becoming unlikely best friends. Then comes a detour to the Emerald City, a sketchy Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), magical showdowns, and — surprise, surprise — a falling out that sends them on totally different life tracks.
In case you're keeping score: the film is based on the smash-hit Broadway musical, which itself took inspiration from Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel — which, in turn, riffed off the original 1900 Wizard of Oz book by L. Frank Baum. So we're talking a long daisy chain of adaptations here.
Who's Playing Who?
- Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (green witch, the misunderstood one)
- Ariana Grande as Glinda (doesn't need much introduction)
- Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero (the main love interest)
- Ethan Slater as Boq (secondary character, but he thrives in the fandom)
- Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible (because, yes, she's in everything now)
- Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard — which might just be perfect casting when you think about it
Direction comes from Jon M. Chu, who's been reliable with big musicals ever since In the Heights. The script was handled by Winnie Holzman (the original musical) and Dana Fox, so it stayed at least close to Broadway territory.
How Did It Actually Do?
This movie wasn't just a hit, it was a full-on juggernaut:
- Box Office: Over $758.8 million earned globally. Not bad for a $150 million budget.
- Audience scores: 95% with regular viewers on Rotten Tomatoes; critics gave it 88%. In other words, just about everybody left the theater happy.
- Awards: 10 Oscar nominations at the 2025 ceremony, landing wins for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
And, Because Everything’s a Franchise Now…
Naturally, there's already a sequel: Wicked: For Good dropped in November 2025. But fair warning — while it tried to keep the magic going, it just didn't pull in the same box office or glowing praise as the first one. Sequel fatigue? Bad timing? Who knows.
Final Thoughts
If you missed Wicked in theaters, or if you just want to watch (and rewatch) some impressively expensive musical numbers at home, May 2026 is your date. And, if you're into comparisons, this might be the rare case where the film and Broadway version can actually stand toe-to-toe.
Personally, I'm just waiting to see how many people actually hit 'play' on that sing-along version before neighbors start filing noise complaints.