12 Best Movies Like Wicked You Need To Watch Next

“Wicked” is one of the most beloved musicals of all time, and it’s easy to see why. The show — which is still running on Broadway since 2003 — revisits one of the most famous fantasy universes ever, tells a heartfelt story along the way, and casually drops some of the best songs in musical theater.

Jon Chu’s 2024 movie adaptation had a high bar to clear, but “Wicked: Part One” is dazzling. The movie captures the magic of the stage show, and because of its extended runtime, fans get to spend more time with the characters and the world around them. “Wicked: For Good” is continuing the story from the stage musical, but even when that movie reaches its conclusion, you’ll almost certainly be left wanting more. 

Luckily, there are plenty of movies that might suit your needs once “Wicked” has run its course. We’ve sorted through an array of movie musicals, magical academies, and classic story retellings to find the best films like “Wicked” that you need to watch next.

“Ever After” is a 1998 reimagining of Cinderella’s story. Like “Wicked,” this movie takes a story you think you know and turns it on its head. The movie tells the “true” story that inspired the fairy tale and follows Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a young girl forced to work for her evil stepmother, Baroness Rodmilla (Angelica Houston), after her father’s death. Danielle’s life begins to change when she meets Prince Henry (Dougray Scott), but their fairy tale romance doesn’t play out the way you might remember it.

“Ever After” doesn’t have the same musical and magical elements as “Wicked,” but there are some noticeable similarities in the storytelling. Both movies use a frame story to go back in time and retell events from the past, and both movies use political tension in the background to raise the stakes for the characters. “Ever After” is full of charm and romance, and its star-studded cast are all at the top of their game. Plus the movie boasts a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If the musical numbers weren’t your absolute favorite part of “Wicked,” then this might make a perfect follow-up for you.

“Maleficent” makes a good follow-up to “Wicked” if you’re the kind of fan who enjoys seeing a new take on a traditionally evil character. “Maleficent” puts its titular villain front and center, but it reimagines her in a way that we’ve never seen before. In this different angle on the “Sleeping Beauty” story, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is actually an extremely sympathetic character. She falls in love with a young human named Stefan (Sharlto Copley), but as an adult, Stefan chops off Maleficent’s wings in order to impress the king and win the throne for himself. Maleficent then kicks off the fairy tale plot we’re more familiar with when she curses Stefan’s daughter, but from there the story plays out in a completely new way.

Critics didn’t shower “Maleficent” with love on Rotten Tomatoes, doling out a “Rotten” 54% score, but the movie fared much better with audiences, earning a 70% approval rating. Fans online still talk about how the 2014 movie is an underrated Disney gem. Meanwhile, the 2019 sequel spins an original story from the tweaked fairy tale presented in the first film, giving fans a chance to spend even more time with the characters from the original “Maleficent.” Anyone who finds “Wicked” appealing might also enjoy this particular fantasy world.

“Into the Woods” is another celebrated musical with a long history. Written by Stephen Sondheim, the musical reimagines multiple different fairy tales, blending them together to create a completely original story. “Into the Woods” is heartfelt but also frequently hilarious, and the songs in the show are guaranteed to stick around in your head for years. The original musical premiered in 1986, and a 1989 production of the show with its original Broadway cast was filmed and has been available for decades.

A big screen adaptation of “Into the Woods” arrived in 2014, packed with stars like Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, and Johnny Depp. The movie is more or less faithful to the Broadway show, and unlike “Wicked,” there aren’t many new scenes that will come as a surprise to longtime fans. “Into the Woods” is a great adaptation that got plenty of love when it first debuted. The movie has a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it made over $200 million off a $50 million budget. Whether you’re a complete stranger to the musical or a fan of the 1989 filmed production, “Into the Woods” is definitely worth checking out.

If you’re a fan of “Wicked,” or really anything in the universe of “The Wizard of Oz,” then it’s almost mandatory that you take some time to watch “The Wiz.” Originally conceived as a Tony Award-winning musical in 1974, the show reimagined “The Wizard of Oz,” with “Dog Day Afternoon” director Sidney Lumet aiming to bring that Broadway experience to a wider audience in 1978 with a film adaptation. 

“The Wiz” is a retelling of the original story, only Dorothy (Diana Ross) is now a Harlem schoolteacher who gets whisked away to a magical land ruled by a powerful wizard named Oz (Richard Pryor). With the help of the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross), and the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson), Dorothy goes to meet the wizard and find her way back home.

“The Wiz” wasn’t a box office smash, and it got ravaged by critics of the time. Despite that the movie found a dedicated fan base, and over time it’s become something of a cult classic. The musical has always remained relatively popular, and a new production of it started a tour in 2025. Most of us can’t get to a Broadway show even when it’s touring, but the movie version of “The Wiz” is a worthy replacement.

The costumes and sets in “Wicked” are some of the best elements in the movie. All the effort put into making the physical sets for Shiz Academy and the Emerald City make the movie world feel incredibly realistic and alive. “Labyrinth” takes a very similar approach to the way it builds its world, and that, along with the fantasy story and musical numbers, makes “Labyrinth” a perfect follow-up to “Wicked.”

Released in 1986, “Labyrinth” follows a teenage girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) whose baby brother is taken by the goblin king Jareth (David Bowie). Sarah has 13 hours to make her way through Jareth’s labyrinth, navigating many dangers and encounters with the maze’s strange denizens, or else her brother will be lost forever. 

Thanks to the work of Jim Henson at his finest, every scene in “Labyrinth” is a feast for the eyes. The story plays out like a fairy tale fever dream, and Bowie gives a particularly memorable performance as the musically-inclined goblin monarch. “Labyrinth” was enjoyed by critics and general audiences alike, and four decades later it feels as wonderfully imaginative as ever.

The Disney live-action remakes range in quality, but 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a particularly good movie. Unlike some of the other remakes, “Beauty and the Beast” scored 71% with critics and 80% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus it earned a jaw-dropping $1.2 billion at the global box office, so clearly the movie gets something right. If you want a classic story with some spectacular songs and high production quality like “Wicked,” then you can’t go wrong with “Beauty and the Beast.”

It’s difficult to compare the 2017 movie to the original animated film, but the live-action “Beauty and Beast” has a distinctive visual style. The Beast (Dan Stevens), his castle, and all its inhabitants look incredible, and the great CGI is supported by strong performances from Stevens and Emma Watson as Belle. The live-action movie also includes new songs like “Evermore” and “How Does a Moment Last Forever” that wowed even fans of the original animated production. “Beauty and the Beast” has all the magic and romance you could want from this familiar story, and musically it’s guaranteed to keep you just as entertained as “Wicked.”

Based on a book series by P.L. Travers, “Mary Poppins” is one of the most famous Disney movie musicals of all time. Released in 1964, the film was acclaimed for its excellent music, delightful choreography, and heartwarming story. Even if you haven’t seen this cultural icon, you’ve probably encountered snippets like the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” 

Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) are young kids who aren’t looking forward to their parents getting them a new nanny. Their outlook changes when they meet Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), a magical governess who helps change the kids’ outlook on life and heals their strained relationship with their parents.

“Mary Poppins” will have you humming its songs for weeks, and the characters will stick with you for years. Fortunately, if you can’t get enough of Mary and her adventures, there is a modern-day sequel: “Mary Poppins Returns,” starring Emily Blunt, debuted to positive reviews in 2018, though of course it doesn’t quite match the original. “Mary Poppins” is an all-time classic for a reason and one of cinema’s must-watch movie musicals.

Despite being set in a much more realistic universe, “Cruella” is an obvious movie to turn toward after falling in love with “Wicked.” “Cruella” also reimagines an iconic movie villain, giving her a tragic backstory and infinitely more character depth than she had in her original appearance. The characters in “Cruella” don’t sing, but if they did, it would likely be a jukebox musical: The movie leans heavily on its soundtrack, which includes a ton of classic songs like “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, “Stone Cold Crazy” by Queen, and “One Way or Another” by Blondie, plus an original song from Florence and the Machine.

While you’re dancing in your seat to the back-to-back needle drops, you’ll also be following a young woman named Estella (Emma Stone) as she climbs her way up in the world of fashion. While embarking on her new career, Estella meets the Baroness (Emma Thompson), a ruthless and successful designer who may have a connection to Estella’s past. To topple the Baroness, Estella takes on the persona Cruella de Vil and changes her life forever. 

“Cruella” has an overwhelmingly positive rating with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and though the movie doesn’t connect to its source material — “101 Dalmatians” — as cleanly as “Wicked” does to “The Wizard of Oz,” it tells a compelling story in its own right.

“Wonka” has a surprising number of similarities to “Wicked.” Both movies have connections to classic films, though “The Wizard of Oz” predates “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” by several decades. Both films give us an in-depth look at the backstory of iconic characters. Both are also slickly produced musicals with star-studded casts that managed to blow everyone away at the box office. “Wonka” earned well over half a billion dollars, in part due to the overwhelmingly positive reviews it received.

“Wonka” stars Timothée Chalamet as the titular chocolatier, though when the movie begins he is a long way off from owning his own chocolate factory. The movie takes us to the beginning of Wonka’s career, when he has a box full of semi-magical concoctions and plenty of dreams but no business to call his own. Unfortunately the chocolate industry is controlled by a shady cartel, and Wonka will need the help of his new friend and assistant Noodle (Calah Lane) to overcome their stranglehold. 

Along the way, Wonka and Noodle encounter characters like a corrupt, chocolate-addicted priest (Rowan Atkinson), a bumbling police chief (Keegan-Michael Key), and a vengeful Oompa Loompa (Hugh Grant). “Wonka” may not have the weight of a Tony Award-winning musical behind it, but the movie is bound to delight you anyway, thanks especially to Chalamet’s star turn as the young Wonka.

Most of the entries on this list are movie musicals like “Wicked” itself, but “Hamilton” is a filmed version of the Broadway stage production. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda in the titular role, the musical follows Alexander Hamilton’s journey from young immigrant in the British Colonies to founding father of the United States and eventually Secretary of the Treasury. 

The show also introduces Hamilton’s wife Eliza Schuyler (Phillipa Soo), his lifelong rival Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.), and other major historical figures like George Washington (Chris Jackson) and Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs). In a whirlwind of non-stop musical brilliance, “Hamilton” carries audiences through the American revolution and into the start of a new nation.

If you’re a fan of “Wicked” who somehow hasn’t encountered “Hamilton” before, then you might be put off by the musical’s historical setting and lack of spoken dialogue. Don’t let that discourage you, though, because “Hamilton” is one of the only near-perfect movie musicals, according to Metacritic. The show itself is a Tony Award-winning phenomenon that took Broadway by storm and helped make Miranda into a household name. From the lyrical genius to the catchy tunes and undeniably emotional moments, “Hamilton” is enthralling from beginning to end, and you should use any inclination you have toward musicals as an excuse to watch it.

Moving back to movie adaptations of stage musicals, we have an outrageously entertaining take on “Hairspray,” which started out as a 1988 comedy film from director John Waters that riffed on 1960s culture. Then in 2002, composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman turned Waters’s film into a Broadway musical that went on to win eight Tony Awards. The show still tours today, but at home we can all watch the movie version from director Adam Shankman, which delighted critics and audiences when it hit theaters in 2007.

In the movie Nikki Blonksy gives a remarkable performance as Tracy Turnblad, a young girl growing up in 1960s Boston who dreams of one day getting to be on the famed television program “The Corny Collins Show.” One day Tracy gets to audition and meet Corny himself (James Marsden), but after she successfully earns herself a spot on the show, her whole life is thrown into chaos. 

The movie has all the charm of the stage musical thanks to a phenomenal supporting cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron. “Hairspray” is the kind of musical that will have you grinning ear-to-ear from the moment the first chords are struck until the credits hit the screen.

Part of what makes “Wicked” great is that the movie gets to be so many things at once. It’s an origin story, a “Wizard of Oz” story, and a magical boarding school story all wrapped up in one package. “The School of Good and Evil” is a movie for people who really liked the Shiz Academy portion of “Wicked.” If you came away wishing the entire film had been focused on the events taking place at a magical school, then this is the one for you.

The School for Good and Evil is an academy for training fairy tale-esque heroes and villains founded by two magical brothers long ago. The movie follows two best friends, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), who learn about the school and want to attend, but their expectations are flipped when Agatha is pushed into the School for Good and Sophie ends up with the evil students. 

“The School for Good and Evil” didn’t impress critics, but audiences gave it a solidly positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This may be a case of the premise being better than the movie itself, but luckily, this Netflix film is based on an entire book series from author Soman Chainani. The film is only the beginning of the story.