15 Best Movies Like Wicked On Streaming

This article contains spoilers for Wicked and Spellbound.With Wickednow streaming on Peacock, fans may be looking for other movies like the musical adaptation. Wicked had an incredible worldwide box office run while also becoming a hit when it was released on video-on-demand platforms. Now a whole new audience can discover the movie while fans have the chance to rewatch it frequently as it lands on Peacock. Watching Wicked all over again is a reminder of why this film is one of the best movies of 2024; it is a stunning and extraordinary adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.

There are several movies that resemble Wicked in some way, whether it is because of the twist on a classic tale, another Broadway musical adaptation, or a special magic system at the heart of the story. These movies are already available to stream on various platforms, leaving fans the opportunity to watch Wicked from the comfort of their homes and also check out some of the other movies that capture the same spirit.

15 Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)

Streaming: Disney+

After the success of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, the filmmaker decided to take on another iconic property with Oz the Great and Powerful. Like Wicked, Oz the Great and Powerful is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, also focusing on a minor character and their backstory to the events of the classic movie. James Franco stars as Oz,a con artist and trickster who finds himself in a magical place where he establishes himself as a powerful wizard while also creating a stir with the local witches.

The movie is a star-studded affair with Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz as the future Wicked Witches and Michelle Williams as the "good witch." Kunis' Theodora is not as good-hearted as Wicked's Elphaba, but the film also presents her as a misunderstood character who was driven to her evil ways rather than simply being a villain for no reason. The Wizard of Oz fans can explore this new look at the mythology on Disney+.

14 Maleficent (2014)

Streaming: Disney+

The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most iconic movie villains of all time, so it is quite impressive that Wicked is able to reimagine her story and turn her into a sympathetic character. Such is the case for the Disney live-action film Maleficent, whichtakes the legend of Sleeping Beauty and puts the focus on the evil witch Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). Delving into the story, Maleficent is shown to be, not the envious and cruel sorceress, but a mistreated and scourned victim who is looking for revenge.

Both movies are moving reinterpretations of iconic villains seen in a new light and given justice for their story.

Wicked makes Elphaba a more sympathetic and heroic character as the evilness she is accused of is a complete fabrication, whereas Maleficent has hardened over time and Jolie has a lot of fun playing the character's morally complex persona. However, both movies are moving reinterpretations of iconic villains seen in a new light and given justice for their story. Maleficent and its sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, are available on Disney+.

13 Cruella (2021)

Streaming: Disney+

Cruella not only succeeded in being a live-action Disney retelling that actually adds something new to the story, but also succeeded where Sony's Spider-Man universe failed in making a villain a worthwhile protagonist in their own origin story. It also helps that it is two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone leading the movie as she plays Estella, a poor girl with an eye for fashion who sets out on a mission to take down the rich fashion designer who wronged her.

Like how Cynthia Erivo's Oscar-nominated performance in Wicked made Elphaba a character with so much more depth, Stone's performance as Cruella de Vil is funny, charming, and moving. The film is also a thrilling heist movie of sorts with Estella concocting elaborate ways of taking down her powerful enemy while also cementing herself as London's most impressive fashion icon. Like the original 101 Dalmatians, Cruella is currently available to stream on Disney+.

12 Transformers One (2024)

Streaming: Paramount+

One of the big emotional draws of Wicked is seeing how Galinda and Elphaba, two characters presented as enemies in The Wizard of Oz have this deeper history as friends. This is the same approach taken with the latest entry in the Transformers franchise, Transformers One. The animated movie takes audiences to the Transformers' home planet of Cybertron with a story centered ontwo robots who are like brothers but will eventually grow to be mortal enemies, Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Along with the storyline of friends becoming enemies, the movie also follows aspects of Wicked's story as it explores a deep conspiracy at the center of Cybertron. However, while the film is a fun and action-packed ride with humor and colorful characters, in the movie's third act, the fractured central relationship becomes truly captivating and heartbreaking as these friends are torn apart. Transformers One is available on Paramount+.

11 Shrek (2001)

Streaming: Peacock

In its exploration of the "true story" behind The Wizard of Oz, Wicked is filled with hilarious gags and details that allow it to have a lot of fun poking fun at this world of wizards and talking animals. The movie dives into the wilder and even scandalous aspects of this world, subverting a lot of the audience's expectations. This is similar to the fun had in the Shrek movies which pick apart the "fairy tale" world in a hilarious way.

The first Shrek film remains the best of the bunch with its irreverent humor and iconic characters. The story follows the titular ogre whose life in isolation is interrupted when he is dragged into a mission to rescue a princess. Shrek is a much more comedic movie compared to Wicked, yet both films take well-known fantasy tropes and have some fun with them. They also both feature a central message about not judging based on looks as taught by a misunderstood green character.Shrek is available on Peacock.

10 Spellbound (2024)

Streaming: Netflix

Skydance Animation produced an animated feature film that premiered on Netflix on November 22, 2024: Spellbound. The film follows a young princess named Ellian, who is now responsible for breaking the curse that turned her parents into monsters and sent their kingdom into chaos. Spellbound has an epic voice cast of characters, including Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane, John Ratzenberger, and Jordan Fisher. This talented cast also produced a stellar soundtrack for Spellbound, with music composed by the renowned Alan Menken.

Although Spellbound is an animated movie, it is still an excellent follow-up to Wicked. Both films are fantasy adventure musicals with compelling magic systems. Furthermore, Spellbound and Wicked both feature bittersweetness in their endings. Wicked's ending portrays Elphaba and Glinda going their separate ways and choosing their own paths. Spellbound's ending is happier, but it still contains a surprisingly bittersweet element because Ellian's parents permanently split—but it does not change their love for her.

9 Wonka (2023)

Streaming: MAX

Wonka is another great movie to stream, given its commonalities with Wicked. Wonka is a prequel to the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the same way that Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. The Willy Wonka prequel follows the titular character in his early days as a candy maker as he strives to establish his business while his competitor, Arthur Slugworth, schemes to bring him down. Wonka reached major milestones during its box office run, being one of only seven films to gross more than $600 million worldwide.

Wonka was so successful that there might be a sequel, but other than "half a draft" of a script, Wonka 2has not been officially confirmed. Wonka is available to watch on MAX. Otherwise, Wonka is available to rent or buy on various digital platforms, including Apple TV+, Google Play, and YouTube.

8 The Little Mermaid (2023)

Streaming: Disney+

The Little Mermaid is a live-action adaptation of the 1989 beloved animated classic of the same name. However, The Little Mermaid has also been adapted for Broadway, similar to Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is the book Wicked is based on. Broadway adaptations and their source materials often portray significant changes, which is no different for The Little Mermaid and Wicked. The Wicked movie has several big changes from Gregory Maguire's book, while Disney's The Little Mermaid significantly differs from Hans Christian Andersen's original tragedy,

The Little Mermaid's narrative is highly character-driven, given that the story focuses on Ariel and her desire to become human. Wicked's narrative is also character-driven for a different reason—Elphaba desires to work on her powers to meet the Wizard. Furthermore, both movies have stellar soundtracks, with songs such as "Part of Your World," "Defying Gravity," "Under the Sea," and "One Short Day." The live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid is available to stream on Disney+, and it is also available to rent and buy on various digital platforms.

7 Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)

Streaming: Netflix

At first glance, Tick, Tick... Boom! seems so different from Wicked. Tick, Tick... Boom! is a semi-autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, while Wicked is a fantasy musical that explores a different interpretation of the classic Wizard of Oz.The former is grounded in reality, while the latter takes place in a fictional universe with talking animals and magic. However, both movies are productions based on Broadway musicals, and both films have received high praise from critics: Tick, Tick... Boom! and Wicked received identical scores of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Both movies are productions based on Broadway musicals, and both films have received high praise from critics: Tick, Tick... Boom! and Wicked received identical scores of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Furthermore, Andrew Garfield won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Tick, Tick... Boom!, while Wicked won Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and received countless more nominations. Both movies have received numerous accolades, which is a testament to how Broadway musical adaptations for the big screen can dominate the film industry if the adaptation is done correctly. Tick, Tick... Boom! is a Netflix original movie, so it is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

6 Descendants (2015)

Streaming: Disney+

Descendants is a Disney franchise that began with a movie trilogy, which quickly expanded into a series with multiple movies, short films, TV shows, and books. The original Descendants movie trilogy is about four teenagers who are the children of notorious Disney villains. They grew up on the Isle of the Lost, where Prince Adam and Belle banished all Disney villains after they got married. However, Adam and Belle's son, Ben, wants to give Villain Kids—also known as VKs—a chance to live in Auradon, the combined kingdom of Disney fairy tales.

Descendants Franchise
Title	Type	Release Date
Descendants	Movie	July 31, 2015
Descendants 2	First Sequel	July 21, 2017
Descendants 3	Second Sequel	August 2, 2019
Descendants: The Rise of Red	Third Sequel	July 12, 2024
Descendants: School of Secrets	Prequel TV Show	July 2, 2015 – July 26, 2015
Descendants: Wicked World	Animated Sequel TV Show	September 18, 2015 – March 3, 2017
The Planning of the Royal Wedding	Animated Short Series	August 28, 2020 – September 14, 2020
Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story	Short Film	September 28, 2018
Audrey's Royal Return: A Descendants Short Story	Short Film	July 5, 2019
Wicked Woods: A Descendants Halloween Story	Stop Motion Animated Short Film	October 4, 2019
Wickedly Sweet: A Descendants Short Story	Stop Motion Animated Short Film	October 25, 2024
Descendants Remix Dance Party	TV Special	March 20, 2020
Descendants: The Royal Wedding	Animated TV Special	August 13, 2021
The Isle of the Lost	Novel Series	May 5, 2015 – May 7, 2024
School of Secrets	Novel Series	August 30, 2016 – November 14, 2017

Descendants follows Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, Jay, the son of Jafar, and Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, as they navigate Auradon as VKs. Descendants is similar to Wicked because the story is a musical reimagining of Disney fairy tales, the way Wicked is a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz.All three Descendants movies—as well as the countless short films, shows, and TV specials—are available to stream on Disney+.

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