The biggest new release this week is the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Part one of a two-part adaptation, the second half of Wicked is scheduled for November 2025.
Meanwhile, in terms of “speciality” cinema attractions, it’s not quite Christmas yet, so it’s time for a not quite Christmas movie in the form of this week’s Throwback Cinema offering, Die Hard. Otherwise, if you’re a Cape Town opera fan, you can catch a live stream of Tosca screening at the V&A Waterfront this weekend.
Set in the Land of Oz before the events of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked: Part I follows a young green-skinned outcast named Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as she attends Shiz University and forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda (Ariana Grande), a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.
Look out for our Wicked review later today.
Arriving in cinemas a few weeks after its North American debut is crime actioner Absolution. Liam Neeson stars as a brooding, ageing gangster attempting to to outrun his past and reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson after a terminal diagnosis. But the past doesn’t let go so easily. Absolution also stars Daniel Diemer and Ron Perlman.
The last of the new releases this week is heartwarming comedy drama Arthur’s Whisky. Recently widowed Joan (Patricia Hodge) discovers that her late husband invented an Elixir of Eternal Youth and shares it with two friends Linda (Diane Keaton) and Susan (Lulu). However, are the three women still equipped to be youthful in the modern world?