Wicked’s lack of wins at the 2025 Oscars has rendered it this year’s version of another successful movie from the 96th Academy Awards. Thewinners of the 2025 Oscarsproved to be those connected toAnora, with that film receiving the most wins on the night with five. Beyond that, though, the overall ceremony was perfect for celebrating the last year in film, with many vying for the chance to join the manygreat Best Picture winners of recent Oscarsceremonies.
Wickedwas one such movie, and it went down as one of the most nominated movies celebrated at the 97th Academy Awards. Theending ofWickedand the long wait for a continuation it ushered in did not dissuade Academy members from giving it the plaudits it deserved, thanks to the film’s total of 10 nominations at the ceremony. As the wait forWicked: For Good’s storycontinues, the first film has cemented itself as a repeat of a $1.4+ billion movie from last year’s Oscars due to the overall lack of wins both received.
Wicked’s Fate At The Oscars Make The Movie This Year’s Version Of Barbie
The Two Are Tied Together By A Disappointing Oscars Turnout
The other movie in question isBarbie, which was released in 2023 to critical acclaim and strong commercial numbers. At the 2024 Oscars ceremony,Barbiereceived eight nominations, yet it only found itself winning one of them in the Best Original Song category for “What Was I Made For?” This is somewhat of a repeat ofWicked,which, despite its 10 nominations, only won for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
This meant that both movies lost out on all the major categories.WickedandBarbieboth received nominations for Best Picture in their respective years and shared Best Supporting Actress nominations for Ariana Grande and America Ferrera, respectively. Of the typical big Oscar categories, the former was nominated for Best Actress, while the latter received nods for Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. None of these categories were won by either film, linking them together.
WickedandBarbieare fairly similar films, making their Oscars fate even more coincidental. Both projects became huge box office successes, and their focus on musical performances - such asGrande and Erivo’s Oscars 2025 performance- still gave them big presences at their respective ceremonies. Unfortunately, neither of the big-budget movies could overcome their competitors.
Why Wicked Only Won Two Academy Awards
Wicked Is Not A Typical Oscar Movie
Concerning whyWickedonly won two Academy Awards, the answer is fairly simple. For its wins,Wicked’s production design and costume design were the standouts in their categories. The production design ofWickedwas likely awarded an Oscar due to the film’s dedication to practicality, placing it above other predicted winners likeDune: Part Two. Where the costume design award is concerned,Wickedis a high fantasy movie, meaning the various otherworldly, colorful locations allowed for a vast array of costumes, making the film stand above its peers in that category.
Regarding its losses in the so-called big categories,Wickedis not a typical Oscar fare movie. It is no secret that more big-budget, blockbuster-style films are somewhat more overlooked than smaller, independent projects come awards season, andWickedis certainly more of the former. Furthermore, only 10 musicals have won Best Picture in the past, meaningWickedhad an uphill battle there. Erivo’s Best Supporting Actress nomination was unlikely to be awarded overEmilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña, with the latter film receiving the most nominations of any at the ceremony. Overall,Wickedhad an uphill battle.
Wicked & Barbie Are Still Very Successful Movies
In spite of all this, it is worth noting thatWickedandBarbieare still highly successful movies.Wickedearned over $720 million at the worldwide box office, whichBarbiedoubled, proving how both were successful in the eyes of general audiences. Their respective Oscar wins are a good indicator of that, and while it is a shame that neither won in a big category, the Oscars are not the be-all and end-all of filmmaking. It would have been awesome if eitherWickedorBarbiehad snagged a big category win, but both can count themselves as success stories regardless.
