12 Magical Movies Like 'Wicked'

Wicked, now in theaters, is bringing the magic of Oz to the multiplex. The musical adventure tells the origin story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the future Good Witch of the North, who were frenemies at school, where Glinda was always perfect and Elphaba was made fun of for her green skin. It tells an alternate history where Elphaba isn’t bad at all, she’s just made to be a scapegoat when she tries to do the right thing in an unjust world.

The film is based on a beloved Broadway musical that has delighted millions of people around the world since its premiere in 2003. Wicked Part Two, which tells the second half of the story, was filmed simultaneously with part one, and will be released next year. Both films are directed by Jon M. Chu.

If walking out of the theater after Wicked made you feel like you were “defying gravity,” here are a dozen more movies that will keep you in a magical mood. Some are musicals, some are other stories set in Oz and all of them will transport you to a fantasy world you won’t want to leave.

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Movies to watch if you like Wicked

The Wizard of Oz

We would be remiss to not start the list with The Wizard of Oz, the classic movie without which Wicked would not exist. Wicked, of course, is the prequel to this story; by the time of The Wizard of Oz, Elphaba has become the Wicked Witch of the West, the film’s antagonist, and Glinda has become the Good Witch of the North. They’re supporting characters, though; it’s really about Dorothy Gale’s (Judy Garland) unexpected journey from Kansas into the magical world of Oz, where she travels with the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow to meet the wizard who will solve their problems. This 1939 fantasy film is one of the most enduring Hollywood movies of all time and still has the power to enchant.

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The Wiz

This 1978 musical reimagining of The Wizard of Oz with an all-Black cast is a classic in its own right. Legendary Motown singer Diana Ross stars as Dorothy, who in this version is a schoolteacher from Harlem. The film has a jaw-dropping assemblage of talent: legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet directs; the music is produced by Quincy Jones; and Michael Jackson, who at this time was between the Jackson 5 and solo superstardom, plays the Scarecrow. Like Wicked, The Wiz began as a stage musical before being adapted for film. It wasn’t a success when it was originally released, but has become a beloved film over time.

Oz the Great and Powerful

Wicked isn’t the only Wizard of Oz prequel. This 2013 Disney film tells the story of how “the man behind the curtain” got there. James Franco stars as Oscar Diggs, a circus magician and con man from Kansas who ends up in Oz in much the same way as Dorothy. He meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), a Good Witch who informs him of a prophecy of a wizard who comes from another place and becomes the King of Oz by defeating the Wicked Witch. At home, he was an unexceptional man, but in Oz he wants to become the person his new friends believe him to be. The film is directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and the cast also includes Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.

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Related: How to Stream Wicked

Into the Woods

Ten years ago, another big-screen adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical fantasy hit theaters: Into the Woods, director Rob Marshall’s take on legendary composer Stephen Sondheim’s 1986 musical. The story weaves together several Brothers Grimm fairy tales—“Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and “Rapunzel”—into something new, where a childless couple (Emily Blunt and James Corden) try to lift a curse placed upon them by a witch (Meryl Streep, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance). The all-star cast also includes Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp as the Big Bad Wolf. It’s a spiritually faithful adaptation of one of musical theater’s favorite fairy tales.

Mary Poppins

Classic Disney musical Mary Poppins isn’t exactly like Wicked—it’s set in the real world, most significantly—but it’s similar to The Wizard of Oz in how well it holds up so many years after its release. Julie Andrews and her perfect diction star as the title character, a mysterious, magical nanny who, along with the help of her friend Bert (Dick Van Dyke), helps a family that isn’t getting along come back together. Some of the film’s songs, including “A Spoonful of Sugar” and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," are songs that everyone knows even if they’ve never seen the movie. It’s a delightful film full of wonder and possibility.

Wonka

Another musical prequel to a classic story. Timothée Chalamet stars as young Willy Wonka, who aspires to be a great chocolatier, in this pleasant fantasy film. Willy arrives in the city and tries to start selling his magical confections, but he faces obstacles like jealous competitors and a lack of funds. Fortunately, he has a ragtag group of friends to help him. Wonka is a prequel to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the classic 1971 comedy in which Gene Wilder plays Wonka, and the films share the iconic song “Pure Imagination.”

Hugo

This 2011 fantasy adventure is legendary director Martin Scorsese’s only family film, so it’s a special movie for that reason alone. On top of that, it’s a dazzling movie that builds an immersive world you’ll feel you can get lost in. Set in Paris in the late 1930s, Hugo tells the story of an orphaned boy (Asa Butterfield) who lives alone in a secret apartment in a clocktower at a grand train station. When he makes a new friend, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), who has a key that mysteriously operates the broken automaton his father left behind, Hugo is thrust into an extraordinary adventure. The film won five Academy Awards and was nominated for 11, including Best Picture.

Ella Enchanted

Anne Hathaway stars in this 2004 musical fantasy as a young woman who, as a baby, was given a very unhelpful gift—she has to obey every command given to her. When she and Prince Char (Hugh Dancy) fall in love, people who don’t want them to be together find out about her gift and try to use it against her. So she needs help from her human and magical creature friends to protect her. The film is a jukebox musical that integrates familiar pop and rock songs by Queen, Elton John and others. It’s not a classic like some other films on this list, but Hathaway’s performance is a delight.

Enchanted

Speaking of enchanted, this 2007 Disney fantasy will make you feel that way. It’s a clever movie that’s sort of a loving parody of Disney princess films in which princess-to-be Giselle (Amy Adams) gets magically transported from her animated world into contemporary New York City. She’s followed by Prince Edward (James Marsden), who wants to rescue her, and her evil stepmother Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who wants to keep her there forever. In New York, she’s helped by Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), a cynical divorce attorney who doesn’t believe in true love or happily ever after. Can you guess what happens? The story continues in the sequel Disenchanted, which was released in 2022.

Frozen

This 2013 animated smash is on this list for a very specific reason: Idina Menzel, who played Elphaba in the original Broadway production of Wicked and is musical theater royalty because of it, provides the voice of moody, powerful princess Elsa. Her Elphaba is different from Cynthia Erivo’s, but they’re both iconic in their own ways. Frozen and Wicked are both stories about complicated relationships between two women; Elsa’s is with her younger sister, Anna (Kristen Bell). It’s a modern classic of a magical musical.

Alice in Wonderland

The movie that started Disney’s live-action adaptation trend back in 2010 is, like The Wizard of Oz, a story about a girl who stumbles into a magical world and meets some eccentric characters as she tries to find her way home. Mia Wasikowska stars as Alice, and the cast also features Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Crispin Glover. It’s directed by Tim Burton, who gives his signature macabre sheen to the proceedings. It was followed by a sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, in 2016.

Beauty and the Beast

If it’s a magical vibe you’re craving, this live-action Disney remake will do it for you. Emma Watson stars as Belle, the headstrong heroine, who gets trapped inside of a castle with the Beast (Dan Stevens), who used to be a handsome but selfish prince. He’s been cursed to stay a beast until he learns to love—and unfortunately, his servants have been turned into inanimate objects. The cast also includes Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. Musically, it’s not as good as Wicked—Emma Watson can’t sing like Ariana Grande—but it’s beautiful to look at, and was nominated for Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Related: 'Wicked' Leaves 'Part Two' With Impossibly Large Shoes To Fill: Review