Cinemas issue stark Wicked movie warning as fans astonished by film’s surprise opening

The long-awaited adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked finally arrives in cinemas today. However, AMC (Cineworld in the US) has issued a stark warning to fans viewing the film this weekend.

Just as talking and looking at your phone are prohibited inside a movie theatre, singing along is now.

A pre-show advisory video screening across the point reads: “At AMC Theaters, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”

However, fans desperate to belt out Defying Gravity with the Wicked Witch of the West will be pleased to know that singalong screenings will begin on Christmas Day, following the success of interactive presentations of The Greatest Showman and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Meanwhile, fans have found themselves astonished by the surprise opening scene of Wicked.

Express.co.uk attended the press screening of Wicked on Tuesday and witnessed those around us in the audience being very surprised when the film’s title came up on the screen. “WICKED” appears in the same font used for The Wizard of Oz, paying homage to the 1939 classic, before some additional wording manifests next to it reading “Part 1”. Although made clear when the film adaptation was originally announced, none of the advertising for Wicked has indicated that it is only half the musical, to be followed by a sequel.

This fact will no doubt surprise many fans, given that Wicked: Part 1 is 2 hours 40 minutes, which is 10 minutes longer than the whole stage musical. Presumably, Universal was inspired by Dune’s split into two parts, with “Part 1” only revealed not on the posters but in the opening titles of the sci-fi epic’s first half.

To be clear, Wicked: Part 1 is a faithful adaptation of Act 1 of the show and Wicked: Part 2, which coincides with the events of The Wizard of Oz, is set to release in cinemas on November 21, 2025.