‘Wicked’ Brew of Memes and Discourse Is Here as Movie Musical Smashes Records
Beyond the box office numbers, the best way to tell if a movie is a hit is the prevalence of related memes. Perhaps you remember how Barbie and Oppenheimer conquered your social media feeds when released simultaneously last year, going on to earn more than $2 billion combined?
No, it’s not always a sure thing — the memes mocking Morbius didn’t mean there was an audience for a dreary Marvel supervillain spin-off. But in the case of the stage-to-screen adaptation of the musical Wicked, it feels safe to say that Universal is headed down the yellow brick road to a holiday-season jackpot: with $114 million opening weekend, the film had the third biggest North American debut of the year, and easily the best ever for a blockbuster translated from a Broadway production. And while devoted fans of the show (not to mention stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande) definitely turned out in force, the online chatter certainly helped.
For starters, there was the much-discussed press tour Grane and Erivo embarked on to promote the movie: multiple interviews saw the pair give emotional answers to interview questions and even break down in tears, as befits discussion of a musical theater dream project earning wide acclaim. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote in a reply to several clips of the two women weeping and holding hands: “All of the vibes around this movie are absolutely insane. I cannot wait to see it because what the fuck is going on.”
Of course, nothing from these Q&As surpassed the moment when Out journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist informed Erivo that “people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity,’” a climactic song for her character, Elphaba Thropp, “and really holding space with that, and feeling power in that.” Erivo responded, touched and somewhat stunned, “I didn’t know that was happening,” while Grande clutched her index finger. Gilchrist then explained, “I’ve seen it on a couple posts, I don’t know how widespread, but you know, I am in queer media.” The awkward melodrama of the exchange became a meme in its own right, from Wicked poster edits that showed Grande’s hand on Erivo’s finger to countless remixes of the phrases “holding space” and “defying gravity.”
With energized crowds packing sold-out showings, Wicked is also provoking discourse about theater etiquette. Some viewers — Ariana Grande stans in particular, it seems — have been taking photos during their screenings to post on their social accounts afterward. Among the many to scold this group for having their phones out in the cinema was the luxury theater chain Alamo Drafthouse, which is known for an especially strict no-phones policy. “Or, don’t do that,” they replied to a Grande supporter who shared a photo of the Wicked title card in a theater encouraged others to share their own pictures. (The fan later claimed to be receiving death threats over the post.)
Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson kicked off a backlash of his own by weighing in on a debate over whether theatergoers should be allowed to sing along with the songs in a musical like Wicked. “Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it,” he told BBC News at the premiere of Moana 2. The comments drew plenty of disagreement and ridicule online, with one X user’s sarcastic reply going viral: “yeah fuck it,” they wrote. “Sing in the cinema. Film in the cinema. Chat and scroll and kick your feet up. The theatre is a theme park and the movies are junk like your collectible popcorn bucket. Who cares.”
But amid the arguing over how to behave at a feature attraction, most of the Wicked memes celebrated the arrival of a fiercely anticipated musical event that had been marketed for months on end. From tongue-in-cheek Letterboxd reviews explaining the plot through internet references (“And they were roommates!”) to a home light display that apparently commemorated the film’s release to jokes about inconsistencies between this story and The Wizard of Oz, it’s hard to avoid Wicked mania if you’re on your phone this week. What’s more, the true die-hards are already impatient for the premiere of Part Two next year: quipped one X user, “this intermission hella long.”
Suffice to say, the sensation has somewhat overshadowed the success of Gladiator II, which also dropped on Friday, catering to dudes who can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire and have a limited appetite for show tunes. It’s not a huge surprise when you consider the accumulated nostalgia for the many books, films, and Broadway productions that precede this latest, lavish iteration of Oz. Will it follow in Barbie‘s footsteps as a family-friendly behemoth that crosses the billion-dollar mark? Judging by how the posts are popping off, you can bet on it. See you in Emerald City.
