
'Wicked: For Good' Trailer Beats First Movie With 113 Million Views In 24 Hours
There's plenty of buzz surrounding the yellow brick road, as the full trailer for Wicked: For Good has achieved a celebratory milestone. The two-and-a-half-minute clip racked up 113 million views in its first 24 hours, nearly 1.5 times more than the first trailer for 2023's big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, which came in at 75 million views.
The numbers put it above recent big hitters like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , Mufasa: The Lion King , and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , on equal footing with Greta Gerwig's Barbie , and below that of Joker: Folie à Deux and Gladiator II . As a point of reference, Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine trailer tops the chart with 365 million views in 24 hours.
While viewership doesn't necessarily translate to box office earnings, it bodes well for the sequel. Alongside iconic musical numbers like 'No Good Deed' and, of course, 'For Good', the trailer also teases the arrival of Dorothy and her companions: The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion.
Original director Jon M. Chu returns to helm the film, picking up after the final scene in the first movie, in which Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba flies through the sky while singing the iconic 'Defying Gravity'. It will cover the events in the musical's second act, where Elphaba and Ariana Grande's Glinda 'embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North', while facing the consequences of their previous decisions.
The leading pair is joined by returning stars Jonathan Bailey ( Bridgerton ) as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Michelle Yeoh ( Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ) as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum ( Jurassic Park franchise) as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Released last year, the first Wicked film earned US$634 million worldwide after six weeks and is now the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation globally. For Good is scheduled for release on 21 November.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Universal wicked Wicked: For Good
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Geek Culture
4 hours ago
- Geek Culture
'Superman' Trailer Unleashes Heat Vision And Green Lantern Face-Off
The Man of Steel is returning to the big screen soon, and he won't be in for a good time. But it seems fans will, as the final trailer for James Gunn's Superman showcases plenty of new footage that gives a good idea of the action to come. Coming in a little over two minutes, the clip goes full throttle on the superhero antics, from fighting various threats (including a fire-breathing kaiju) and saving people to knocking out some teeth. Krypto, the superdog companion to Krypto's last son, gets a flashy tag-team finisher moment, while various familiar faces make their appearance. At one point, Mister Terrific appears and shouts at Superman to 'quit messing around.' I'm not messing around. I'm doing important stuff, ' he replies while lying on the ground (big mood, right there). Lex Luthor, meanwhile, seems to really hate the latter's guts, threatening to kill his girlfriend, Lois Lane, and everyone else he's close to. The Man of Steel also winds up being strangled with an alien baby in hand, and after a face-off against Guy Gardner / Green Lantern, unleashes his Heat Vision at the end of the trailer. If it looks like a lot is going on for Superman , it's because there is. The film's release marks a high-stakes moment for Warner Bros. and DC Studios as the entry point to the latter's rebooted cinematic universe, led by DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, both of whom serve as producers on the project. Alongside David Corenswet ( Pearl , Twisters ) as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , House of Cards ) as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult ( X-Men films, The Menu ) as Lex Luthor, the highly anticipated pic co-stars Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Terence Rosemore (Otis), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), and María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer). Superman will also mark Krypto's cinematic debut, and previously smashed records with a whopping 250 million views for its first trailer, achieved within its first 24 hours. It boasts a runtime of two hours and nine minutes, which is relatively short when compared to 2013's Man of Steel (two hours and 14 minutes) and its 2016 follow-up, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (two hours and 31 minutes). Look up, the superhero feature hits theatres on 11 July. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. DC Studios James Gunn Superman warner bros


Geek Culture
11 hours ago
- Geek Culture
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
Live-action reboots have become Hollywood's favourite lottery ticket – safe bets wrapped in expensive nostalgia. But How to Train Your Dragon arrives with a slightly different weight on its wings. Unlike Disney, which has practically made a factory line out of real-world reimaginings and even dropped its own Snow White (2025) and Lilo & Stitch (2025) remakes before the summer hits, DreamWorks is only now stepping into the fray, choosing one of its most critically acclaimed and emotionally resonant animated franchises as its first offering. It's a bold move, but one that makes a certain kind of sense as the 2010 original was a critical darling and a generational touchstone, so why not aim for a little live-action magic of their own? There's something ironic about remaking a film that's barely old enough to drive, but fifteen years seems to be just enough time for a nostalgia cycle to kick in. For many, 2010's How to Train Your Dragon was an early cinematic love and those same kids are old enough to bring their own to the cinema. It's a tightrope walk between appealing to longtime fans and introducing a new audience, and in an unexpected twist, DreamWorks has enlisted the very same filmmaker to drive that conversion. Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the original with Chris Sanders (and coincidentally, the pair worked on the original Lilo & Stitch movie as well), returns for this adaptation and doesn't so much reimagine the story as re-stages it faithfully, almost reverently. That directorial connectivity gives the film a curious duality, as a nostalgic retread and a showcase of just how well the bones of the original still hold up. Most people walking into the theatre already know how the story goes. Hiccup (Mason Thames, The Black Phone ), a Viking teen from a dragon-hunting tribe, wounds a Night Fury in a bid to finally prove himself. But when he finds himself face to face with the creature, his instinct isn't to kill but to understand. What follows is the formation of a bond that challenges every belief Hiccup has been raised with, including those held by his own father, the tribe's imposing chief, Stoick, brought to life once again by Gerard Butler ( 300 , Olympus Has Fallen ), the only actor from the original who makes a return in the same role. It's told with such sincerity that it's easy to overlook the fact that much of the material has been lifted wholesale. But that's also the strength. The film doesn't waste time trying to justify its existence, instead leaning on what already worked and letting the timeless emotional beats do the heavy lifting. Author Cressida Cowell's ( The Wizards of Once ) source material still lends itself beautifully to the kind of storytelling that doesn't need modern tweaks or tonal reinvention. That said, the film takes a while to find its footing. The opening act struggles most, weighed down by cartoonish slapstick that doesn't translate smoothly to live-action. Some of the comedy that charmed in animation feels overly broad in this new format, occasionally clashing with the film's more sincere undercurrents. Fortunately, Thames' performance as Hiccup serves as a stabilising force. His awkward charm and soft-spoken sincerity help smooth the tonal bumps, grounding scenes that might otherwise feel too silly or jarring. Thames is clearly drawing inspiration from Jay Baruchel's ( The Sorcerer's Apprentice ) original and now iconic voice work, even mimicking his inflexions at times, but he brings a welcome youthfulness and emotional vulnerability that make the role feel fresh rather than imitative. Thames plays Hiccup as skinny, unsure of himself, and achingly sincere – a boy entirely unfit for the brutal Viking mould his village demands of him. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the moment that defines the franchise – his refusal to kill a wounded dragon. As Hiccup tentatively offers fish to the wary creature he'll soon name Toothless, the film reaches a delicate turning point. It's a nearly silent scene, wordless but emotionally charged, where mutual trust is negotiated one nervous breath at a time. For a story hinging on a bond between human and digital beast, this moment has to sell the magic. And thankfully, it does. There's a genuine tenderness to their tentative connection, a feeling made all the more powerful by John Powell's ( Wicked ) returning score, which once again supplies Toothless with a musical soul. Toothless himself walks a fine line between familiar and reimagined. Slight design tweaks make him feel more physically imposing than his animated counterpart, but his essential expressiveness remains. The balance between predator and pet, awe-inspiring beast and bashful friend, is still intact. Animator Nico Marlet's ( Kung Fu Panda ) original character design, which once blended the sleek menace of a panther with the size and awkward charm of a large dog, is honoured here, even if the live-action aesthetic pares back some of the exaggeration. The choice to resist leaning too far into photorealism works in the film's favour. Toothless still feels like a creature from myth, not an animal from a documentary, and that's precisely what makes his friendship with Hiccup feel magical rather than mechanical. Once the bond is formed and flight becomes possible, the film gains lift visually and emotionally. Virtual tools take over much of the heavy lifting, and the story slips more comfortably into its fantasy rhythm with the human actors largely rising to the challenge of selling it. Nico Parker ( The Last of Us ), stepping into Astrid's boots, brings just enough edge and warmth to make her more than a stock love interest. She captures Astrid's no-nonsense strength, and her rapport with Hiccup carries just enough flirtation to feel sweet, never saccharine. When they soar together, it plays less like a teenage fantasy and more like two equals figuring each other out in midair. Butler returns as Stoick with surprising gravitas, grounding the film's emotional stakes beneath all the fur and bravado. There's a weariness to his performance that wasn't present in the animated version, as though Stoick now bears the full weight of being both warrior and father. He and Thames bounce off each other with a tension that feels lived-in, their disagreements over dragons crackling with frustration, care, and unspoken grief. Their dynamic anchors the film's broader themes about tradition and change, and when reconciliation finally arrives, it feels earned. Butler's growl softens just enough to reveal Stoick's love for his son, not through words, but in the way he finally chooses to listen. Much of that emotional payoff works because DeBlois, now guiding his first live-action feature, knows exactly where those moments sit and how to preserve their rhythm. Action scenes, especially the aerial sequences with Hiccup and Toothless, remain as stirring as ever – grand, sweeping, but also intimate. Credit goes to cinematographer Bill Pope ( The Matrix , Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ), whose collaboration with DeBlois results in one of the most visually rich family films of the year. Berk feels tactile and lived-in, bathed in earthy warmth and misty light. Even the interiors, often cluttered with wood, smoke, and old iron, exude a sense of place that never felt as essential in the animated version. That extra care becomes most evident once Hiccup and Toothless take to the skies. Their first successful flight remains the emotional high point, and in IMAX, it's everything you'd hope for: sweeping, vertigo-inducing, utterly joyful. There's restraint in how these sequences are handled; they're not loaded with spectacle for spectacle's sake. Every swoop, stall, and dive feels purposeful, grounded in trust between boy and dragon. Powell's returning score, ' Test Drive' , still hits with the emotional velocity of a rollercoaster crest, precisely because it earns its crescendo. By the final act, the film swings with unexpected weight, dialling into something primal and painterly. Flaming skies, dragon wings, and the raw defiance of a boy choosing compassion over violence all crash together in a climax that feels less like a family movie and more like a metal album cover come to life. The world may already know where this story goes. Doesn't matter. When Hiccup leaps and Toothless follows without a doubt, it hits you again, hard. Maybe that's the magic trick. No plot twists, no reinventions. Just belief. In flying. In risking. In rewriting what war means with kindness instead of conquest, DeBlois not only brought How to Train Your Dragon into the real world, but also reminded us why we ever believed in dragons in the first place. Summary Too often, live-action reboots feel like cash-ins or tech demos. Thankfully, How to Train Your Dragon feels more like a reunion between filmmaker and story, between character and audience. It remembers what worked, respects why it did, and most importantly, still knows how to fly. Story - 7.5/10 Direction - 8/10 Characterisation - 8/10 Geek Satisfaction - 9.5/10 Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she's not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she's probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace . dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon Review


Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Geek Culture
HBO's Harry Potter Series Waves Magic Wand At Casting For Draco Malfoy, Molly Weasley & More
The torchbearers of Hogwarts are slowly being brought to life. Following the casting of its main trio, HBO Max (reverting to its original name after a two-year rebranding stint) has added more names to its roster for its upcoming Harry Potter reboot series. Joining industry newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout on the call sheet are Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. This comes after the casting news of Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as Petunia and Vernon Dursley, respectively, per an exclusive report by Variety. As previously announced, McLaughlin, Stanton, and Stout are portraying Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the upcoming show, which promises to be a 'faithful adaptation' of J.K. Rowling's novels and offer a 'more in-depth' look at the wizarding world. Other key stars include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. The project is produced in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television and Brontë Film and TV, with Rowling, Neil Blair ( Fantastic Beasts franchise), Ruth Kenley-Letts ( Mrs. Wilson, C.B. Strike ) and David Heyman ( Paddington, Gravity ) serving as executive producers. While fanfare is expected, the involvement of Rowling has sparked controversy — the author's transphobic views have caused disappointment and furore among discerning fans, and rightly so. No release date was announced for the new Harry Potter series, but it will begin production sometime this summer. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Harry Potter Harry Potter series HBO HBO Max