‘Good news!’ KC area movie theatres offer early release screenings of Wicked

Wicked // Courtesy Universal Pictures

Fans of Wicked who are eager to see the new film don’t need a magic spell to get early access. Kansas City area B&B Theatres and AMC Theatres are offering early access screenings on November 20.

The film opens in theatres across the country on November 22, 2024, but Universal Pictures has released some early screenings to large-format theatres, including many around the metro. 

Why was Kansas City, specifically, chosen as an early-access market?

The Kansas connection to The Wizard of Oz surely plays a role, but it also comes down to our collective moviegoing habits. “They [Universal Pictures] know how passionately we feel about creating social buzz around new film titles and how fervently our guests respond,” says Paul Farnsworth, Executive Director of Communications and Content at B&B Theatres. In fact, many of the B&B Theatre locations will feature an on-theme decorated lobby and theatre entrance. Factor in some time for festive photos if you attend one of the early access screenings or catch it on opening weekend.

In case you aren’t a former theatre kid like me, here’s a rundown of how we ended up with a big-budget film about some vaguely familiar characters. 

Wicked is a movie adaptation of a 2003 Broadway musical of the same name. The stage musical was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, also of the same name, which is a revisionist version of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum from 1900. 

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Other noteworthy stars include Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and Jonathan Bailey. 

Elphaba and Glinda are paired up at Shiz University and are forced to come to terms with drastically different life experiences as a deep friendship grows. An unexpected enemy arises over the merry ol’ land of Oz, and the two witches must choose a path for themselves that may change everything–for good. 

Of course, the drama is punctuated with song and dance and elaborate costuming. And for those who attend an early-access screening, expect to see some on-theme green and pink garb.