Ahem, ‘Wicked” moviegoers. There’s no need to flex those vocal cords ahead of going to the movie theater this week.
Break out your best pink ensemble. Paint yourself green.
But resist the urge to make watching the film adaptation of the Broadway musical a sing-along − at least at AMC Theatres.
Singing is on the list of no-nos for guests in the theater, according to an advisory being shown ahead of Friday’s release of Part 1 of the expected blockbuster.
“At AMC Theatres, silence is golden,” says the 30-second advisory, which features scenes from the movie. “No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”
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The spot is an example of the occasional policy reminder tailored to a specific movie, AMC spokesperson Ryan Noonan told The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“AMC has a long-standing policy that prohibits disruptive behavior,” he says. “The WICKED preshow spot incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show.”
AMC, the world’s largest movie theater chain, issued less-prohibitive guidelines ahead of the concert films “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
Guests could sing and dance during those showings, but they were asked to avoid dancing on seats or blocking the views of other guests. For “Renaissance,” they were also asked to not record the film; advised to remove any parts of their outfits that might block the screen for other patrons; and were reminded that masks were prohibited unless used for health and safety reasons.
Enforcement of the policy might vary from location to location.
“In previous movies, we have had people sing and dance and then it gets loud in there,” say Izzy Stewart, a supervisor at AMC Castleton Square 14 in Indianapolis. “If there’s a little girl singing and stuff, it’s not a big deal. But if someone is belting out and now everyone can’t hear. … We’re lenient when it comes to certain circumstances.”
What is the movie ‘Wicked’ about?
It’s an adaptation of the stage musical “Wicked” based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, which takes on characters from “The Wizard of Oz” books and films.
The story spotlights the relationship of green-skinned political activist Elphaba and privileged Glinda, who meet as students.
Who is in the ‘Wicked’ cast?
The film stars:
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Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, known as The Wicked Witch of the West
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Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch
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Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero
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Ethan Slater as Boq
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Bowen Yang as Pfannee
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Marissa Bode as Nessarose
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Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
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Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard
Will Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth be in ‘Wicked’ the movie?
Spoiler alert! Stop reading now if you don’t want to know.
The two actresses who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway have been on red carpets everywhere in support of the movie musical.
Yes, they do appear in the film adaptation.
What’s the runtime for ‘Wicked Part One’?
The first part of the film runs 2 hours and 41 minutes.
When will ‘Wicked Part Two’ be released?
The second part of the film will be released on Nov. 21, 2025.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘Wicked’ movie fans, beware: No singing allowed in AMC theaters
