Tearful stars and fan videos strap a rocket to Wicked 2's broomstick

The plodding sequel is going stratospheric thanks to a slew of memes rather than its official campaign

- Sarah Manavis

You may not have seen Wicked or booked in to watch its sequel, Wicked: For Good, which opened this weekend.

But if you've spent any time online over the past 18 months, there's a good chance you've come across its stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo taking lie-detector tests, adjusting each other's clothes on red carpets or clasping hands in joint interviews, while one (or usually both) is crying.

Much like 2023's Barbie, the nearly two-year campaign for the Wicked double bill has been a marvel in reviving cinema attendance post-Covid, grossing $756m worldwide by the end of its first theatrical run.

But its true success lies outside the official promotion cycle of guest appearances, premieres and slick profiles in the traditional media. Wicked represents a new era in film campaigning, where it is the potency of fan videos, off-the-cuff moments and memes that catapult a franchise into a cultural phenomenon.