Even Wicked can’t escape the trend of everything turning into a fight. Jon M. Chu’s movie version of the popular Broadway musical hit theaters worldwide on November 22, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
The film adaptation is wowing fans with songs like “Defying Gravity.” But after some moviegoers turned the movie into a sing-a-long, theaters were forced to take extreme steps to keep everyone quiet.
Fans are loving the ‘Wicked’ movie, but not everyone is thrilled.
The movie Wicked opened recently and got some really good reviews, with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans are going wild over how they turned the book into a movie and theater show.
Sing-alongs in theaters are sparking heated debates online.
Some fans got a bit too excited and started singing along in theaters. And, like we kinda expected, it’s been causing a lot of noise on social media.
A TikToker suggests fans keep their singing to the car.
“I’m not paying to hear you sing Wicked,” said TikToker and podcast host Munashe Chinyanganya, playfully scolding. She recommended singing in the car before getting to the movie theater and then muting yourself once you’re there.
Theaters are taking action with no-singing signs.
Signs started showing up in theaters telling fans not to sing along during the movie. The same thing happened when some other recent musicals were turned into movies.
A film critic says sing-alongs belong at home.
Things got heated really fast when well-known movie critic Richard Roeper joined the debate on X. He said that while fans who want to sing say others are being judgmental, it’s actually the singing fans who are being inconsiderate. He thinks people should wait until the streaming release and then sing at home.
The controversy is dividing opinions but stays mostly playful.
Social media works best when people have a fair and honest debate about something, and that’s pretty much what’s happening here. At this point, it’s mostly just jokes and light teasing, and it seems like theaters are trying to stop any big arguments before they happen.
A mom bans her own kids from a ‘no singing’ Wicked screening.
A mom in Chicago went all out to make sure her Wicked screening stayed quiet. Ariane Tyler, a 39-year-old special education teacher, rented a movie theater for 115 people but made one big rule: no singing along! She even banned her own kids, aged five and eight, from coming to the event.
Ariane just wanted to enjoy the movie without worrying about people singing along with hits like Popular and Defying Gravity.
“Unless you have won a Tony, no singing will be permitted,” she said.
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Is this uproar really that serious?
So far, this whole debate is pretty harmless, but some reports seem to be taking it way too seriously. ABC News even tried to make things lighter by having a panel discuss the whole controversy.
Theaters are offering a compromise for sing-along enthusiasts.
Some theaters are planning to include the option where everyone can sing along to the movie. The sing-along screenings for Wicked will start on Christmas Day, December 25, 2024, and will be available in around 1,000 theaters across the country.
People just want to double the fun.
For some moviegoers, singing along in the theater is just part of the magic. It’s a fun way to connect with others and enjoy the film together, like a big musical party!