Meet the Ultimate Cookbook for Healthy, Homemade Food

Annelies Zijderveld
May 23, 2018

Cookboomarked! is our new series where we review the latest cookbooks from the foodie influencers you follow. Check back often to find out which new releases are worth your hard-earned cash and the recipes you should try first from each.

We know that ditching processed food for a healthy, homemade eating style can be tricky, but you’ve got a friend in More With Less ($35) by Jodi Moreno of the blog What’s Cooking Good Lookingand co-owner of the Brooklyn communal kitchen Neighborhood Studio. Almost all of the 130 recipes have a photograph alongside clear, simple Directions, most only one page long. As a bonus, Moreno intentionally sticks to recipes with 10 ingredients or less. Hooray for us! Keep reading to learn about the unique aspects of book (hint: Moreno’s really into condiments) as well as a few of our choice recipes to get you started.

Cooking equations

Moreno’s approach to cooking is all about a master recipe with multiple variations, so you never grow tired of eating the same thing on repeat. For instance, she’ll start with a base for hummus, then provide playful takes on it using beets or lentils in place of traditionally used chickpeas. More With Less also tries to focus on easy-to-memorize meal equations like “quick one-pan meals = fish + veggies.” Using the same cooking method, which involves roasting the fish and veggies on a sheet tray, the recipe includes four variations to keep things fresh.

condiments on everything

We love the idea that dinner can be a snap to pull together with a little bit of prep but more importantly for Moreno… a whole lot of sauce. With the right condiment, you can add bold flavors and texture to any basic foods. Moreno suggests having a few on hand for last-minute improvisation and makeovers of leftovers. We’re not talking about ketchup or mustard here. Moreno has a recipe for quick zucchini kimchi that can be versatilely used as a burger topper or to flavor a stir-fry. In addition, kale + olive pesto is recommended to top fish, to toss in pasta, or to add onto a charcuterie board.

no food waste

Moreno also encourages the reader to think outside the box when it comes to extra food. When you have leftovers, wrap them up in leafy green wraps or rice paper rolls (to be combined with one of the condiments, of course). Or instead of tossing broccoli stems and just using the florets, shave them into ribbons to serve atop broccoli + tahini soup, or slice them into matchsticks in the snap pea + broccoli stem slaw with basil cilantro aioli.

Ingredients on Repeat

Moreno won’t ask you to stock your kitchen with a zillion ingredients that you’ll only use once. She artfully returns to ones like white miso. Do not overlook the insidery secret of mixing umami-rich miso with unsalted butter. It shows up in several recipes, including sautéed maitake mushrooms. We are smitten with the idea of miso mustard, a versatile condiment she suggests can be thinned out to make salad dressing or used as a sauce for white fish. She suggests spreading it onto big leafy (collard or kale) green wraps.

Miso goes way beyond savory dishes too. Later on in the desserts section, Moreno pulses sweet miso into a crumble topping for the apple + miso + date crisp. She says it “adds a buttery taste without the addition of butter.” Speaking of sweets, the four-ingredient chocolate + tahini + sweet potato mousse might be our new favorite way to end meals as it creatively blends roasted sweet potato for the base of this silky smooth, guilt-free dessert.

Check out a few of the aforementioned recipes below so you can get a taste of More With Less.

Mustard Miso

(Serves1/3 cup)

Mustard and miso are a tasty pair, and this sauce is so versatile—it can be used for dressing, dipping, and marinating. Sometimes I make this as a dip for raw vegetables or a spread for collard wraps, but one of my favorite uses for this sauce is as a marinade for any kind of white fish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon white miso
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tamari
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve immediately. This will keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Big Leafy Green Wraps

(Serves 1)

Wraps are an ingenious way to enjoy any leftover veggies in the fridge (both cooked and raw), as well as grains and sauces. They’re great for a snack or a lunch on the go, one you can eat with your hands. Collards, kale, and nori are the most nutritious as wraps, but there’s also rice paper, which I like to think of as more of a treat. These can be stuffed in countless ways. I tend to use nori wraps when I have leftover black or brown rice and some sort of sesame or miso sauce in the fridge. The leafy greens are best stuffed with crunchy raw veggies, or lightly roasted ones with some quinoa for protein, and an herb-forward sauce such as a pesto. Rice paper wraps, which are also used for spring rolls, work best for softer veggies such as roasted sweet potato or avocado. Peanut sauce is my favorite in a rice paper wrap, but experiment with others sauces like chimichurri or even kimchi to add some great punchy flavor.

Ingredients:

  • kale or collards, deribbed
  • veggies or fruit (raw or lightly roasted): carrots, beets, shiitakes, scallions, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, apples, pears
  • herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley
  • grains: quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, black rice, millet
  • beans or legumes: chickpeas or lentils
  • sauces: pesto, chimichurri + yogurt, mustard miso

Directions:

Blanch 2 large leafy greens in water for 1 minute, dunk in an ice bath, and dry on a paper towel. Use two overlapped leaves to wrap, placing 4 to 5 thinly sliced veggies along with any other topping you like—herbs, a grain, or a sauce—toward the bottom. Take the bottom of the wrap and fold it up and over the veggies, then fold in the two sides, and roll away from you until it’s completely wrapped.

Chocolate + Tahini + Sweet Potato Mousse

(Serves4)

Sneaking sweet potato into a dessert not only gets you to eat more vegetables but is also the secret to making this mousse super-silky smooth. The nuttiness of tahini pairs so well with the richness of the chocolate, and with only a few ingredients, this dessert is as impressive and tasty as it is easy to make. Another bonus is that it only takes minutes in the food processor once your sweet potato has been roasted.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium-size sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons tahini + more for drizzling on top
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Using a fork, poke a bunch of holes into the sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the flesh is cooked through and soft. When the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop the flesh out from the skin and into a food processor. Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, tahini, and salt. Run the food processor until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the mousse into individual serving bowls and top with a drizzle of tahini. Store in the fridge if not enjoying right away. This will keep for several days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Find your next favorite meal on Pinterest.

(Photos and recipes from “More With Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple” by Jodi Moreno © 2018 by Jodi Moreno. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.)

Make This Lemony Gingerbread Layer Cake For Everyone on Your Nice List

Cookbookmarked! is our series where we review the latest cookbooks from the foodie influencers you follow. Check back often to find out which new releases are worth your hard-earned cash and the recipes you should try first from each.

If there’s one person who can teach you how to cook soul food, it’s Top Chef alum Carla Hall. Hall's third cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food ($19), is great for the home cook who wants the comforting flavors of Southern food every day. With a healthy mix of approachable, veggie-centric weeknight recipes — and plenty of special-occasion dishes like fried chicken and caramel cake — Hall says in her intro that her recipes “capture all the soulfulness of soul food but don’t make you feel like you’re gonna die afterward.” Read on to learn what you can expect from the book and get a sneak peek of the gingerbread cake recipe that’s here just in time for holiday suppers.

Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko

Plenty of cookbooks claim to be uncomplicated, but after years of demonstrating easy recipes for home cooks on The Chew, Hall actually delivered on that promise. You can find all of her ingredients at your everyday grocery store, and you won’t need fancy equipment like a mandoline slicer or the hottest new blending device. That makes it realistic to whip up three different veggie dishes in one night (as Hall often does), like chopped salad with buttermilk dressing, blackened beans with lemon and chile, and smashed potatoes with mustard mayonnaise drizzle.

Vegetables do compose a hefty chunk of the book, but it’s still full of indulgent celebration foods, like meaty tomato mac and cheese and fried shrimp with creamy comeback sauce. There’s also an entire section on beans and several pages devoted to cornmeal for classics like johnnycakes, cornbread, and grits. And if you can get through the savory section before running to the kitchen, you’ll drool all over the desserts pages, which includes banana pudding, sweet potato pie, a homemade version of Little Debbie oatmeal cookies, and a strawberry cake that smells like summer.

And maybe best of all: Carla Hall’s Soul Food is more than just a cookbook: It’s a history of the cuisine. While it would be easy to believe that her fluffy angel biscuits magically appeared from the heavens, Hall makes it clear in the introduction that her recipes date back much further than her lifetime. She explains that soul food, “the true food of African Americans,” originates from slaves, who relied on seasonal vegetables, beans, and grains as their foundational diet. “For this book, I tried to imagine what my ancestors would be cooking from the farm if they were alive today,” Hall writes. “By looking to our roots, I’m showing you how delicious and healthy true soul food is.” These personal stories, dispersed throughout the book, make each bite just as meaningful as it is tasty.

If you’re itching to test out Carla Hall’s Soul Food, here’s a holiday-ready recipe you’ll want the whole family to try. Canola oil replaces much of the butter for a lighter cake, and lemony curd boosts the brightness of the cream cheese frosting.

Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko

Gingerbread Layer Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

(Serves 12)

Go all out for Christmas. This cake combines the warmth of wintry gingerbread with a lemony frosting that tastes like sunshine. When I made this for my family, my nieces and nephews went crazy over it. It was the best gift I could’ve given them.

Make ahead: The cake layers keep at room temperature tightly wrapped for up to 2 days. The lemon curd can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Cake:
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
Lemon Frosting:
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
  • Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, molasses, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and buttermilk.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients on low speed until well blended. Add the 4 tablespoons butter and the oil and continue mixing on low until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. With the machine running, add the egg mixture and beat just until incorporated, then add the buttermilk mixture in a steady stream. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again just until evenly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans.
  4. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. When you lightly touch the top of the cake, it should feel a little bouncy but still show the indentation of your finger. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and place top side up on the racks. Let cool completely.5. Make the lemon frosting. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir continuously with a spatula until thick enough to coat the spatula, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
  5. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate until cold and stiff.
  6. Beat the cream cheese by hand in a large bowl just until smooth. Whisk the lemon curd to loosen it, then add to the cream cheese. Fold until well combined.
  7. Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate. Spread one third of the lemon cream evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch rim, and gently press another cake layer, bottom side up, on top. Spread half of the remaining lemon cream on its top, leaving a 1-inch rim; then top with the final cake layer, top side up. You can either dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with the remaining lemon cream or spread the remaining cream on top. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

For more special-occasion desserts, follow Brit + Co on Pinterest.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(From the book Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2018 by Carla Hall. Published on October 23, 2018, by HarperWave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.)

This post has been updated.

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11 Fun Holiday Sweaters That Give Your Ugly Christmas Sweaters A Run For Their Money

As much as I love an ugly Christmas sweater party, a small part of me still cringes at just how wacky they can be. There's a very fine line between 'ugly Christmas sweater' and 'playful holiday get-up' – but I think these fun holiday sweaters strike the perfect balance of the two. They're all colorful, festive, and so much fun to wear to any and every holiday get-together you've got going this year.

Scroll on for our favorite fun holiday sweaters for every party!

Anthropologie

1. The Violette Short-Sleeve Tinsel Sweater by Maeve

With 'tinsel' literally in this sweater's name, you'll be making a shiny statement wherever you wear this piece. It also comes in silver, gold, navy blue, and brown to suit your personal holiday style.

Abercrombie & Fitch

2. The A&F Madeline Crew Sweater

This femme 'fit boasts a bow that's reminiscent of holiday gifts and all things merry. It only helps that this sweater is super soft to the touch!

Urban Outfitters

3. Out From Under Catching Feelings Fairisle Print Cropped Pullover

This sweet holiday sweater has an adorable reindeer design along the front, so it's instantly going to fit in for any holiday party. You can also snag the pair of matching shorts to complete the coziness if you'd rather stay in.

Urban Outfitters

4. BDG Stella Star Graphic Oversized Pullover Sweater

With this sweater, you'll literally be a star. The color palette challenges holiday tradition in the best way, though you could totally make it a better fit for a party with a black mini skirt, tights, and metallic boots.

Anthropologie

5. Maeve Faux-Fur Collar Cropped Cardigan Sweater

Oh, so fancy! This cardi's collar is lined with faux fur to make it feel ultra-luxe. Layer it over your best party dress, and voila!

Nordstrom

6. ASTR the Label Velvet Bow Cardigan

Bring on more bows, please! This tie-up cardigan secures with two oversized velvet bows that speak to the holiday season flawlessly.

Gap Factory

7. Gap Factory Peanuts Relaxed Gap Logo Sweatshirt

Snoopy is truly a holiday icon, especially in his dramatic puffer jacket. Don the famous dog on this cozy sweatshirt – it's so much cuter than an ugly Christmas sweater, plus you'll earn mega compliments (everyone loves Snoop!) wearing it.

Free People

8. Free People Festive Frost Sweater

This fuzzy sweater is downright festive, thanks to the traditional stripes across the top half. We love it because it still leans very 'holiday,' but isn't explicitly so, since the color palette isn't just reds and greens.

Nordstrom

9. Vinyl Icons Martini Embellished Off The Shoulder Graphic Fleece Sweatshirt

Espresso martinis are a hallmark of the holiday season, and you simply can't change our minds on that. Get playful with your holiday sweater selection with this design that evokes a happy hour at any time of day, especially on a holiday break away from school or work!

Free People

10. We The Free Flower Patch Sweater

You'll be able to get a lot of wear out of this sweet red sweater around the holidays! The slouchy fit is ideal for pairing with even more winter layers to stay warm.

American Eagle

11. American Eagle Whoa So Soft Oversized Grinch Holiday Sweater

With Christmas' favorite villain on it, this super-soft sweater will always be in style around the holidays.

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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20 Hilarious Christmas Party Games That Will Make Your Family Reunion EPIC

Christmas party games are a fun way to connect, relieve some holiday stress, and bring some holiday cheer, way better than zoning out in front of the TV or navigating tricky political conversations. Whether you're hosting a holiday party or hosting the big day (or eve), here are some ROFL Christmas games for adults and kids to experience real holiday joy, perhaps create some new traditions, and take the best IG shots of the season.

Here are 20 exciting Christmas party games you can play with the whole family!

Shutterstock

Christmas Charades

Play charades with a holiday twist! Write down Christmas-themed clues (e.g., decorating a tree, Rudolph, Mariah Carey, building a snowman...) and have teams act them out. Keep it simple for kids, especially ones learning to read, or add some pop culture references (Buddy the Elf, anyone?) for adults-only parties.

Shutterstock

Name That Carol!

Play short snippets of Christmas songs and have guests guess the title. To up the challenge, use instrumental versions or hum the tune. For kids, you can turn this into musical chairs with holiday music!

Shutterstock

Christmas Trivia

Create trivia questions about Christmas movies, traditions, and songs. Bonus points for the most obscure facts! Here's a few to start:

  • Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? (Answer: Germany)
  • In the song Twelve Days of Christmas, what is given on the 7th day? (Answer: Swans a-swimming)
  • Which country celebrates “Feliz Navidad”? (Answer: Spain or Latin American countries)

Shutterstock

Guess the Holiday Scent

Use candles, essential oils, or holiday-themed spices like cinnamon, peppermint, or pine. Blindfold guests and have them guess the scent. Throw in some unexpected surprises like egg nog, maple syrup or Scotch tape.

Shutterstock

Snowball NBA

If you're lucky enough to have a White Christmas, set up buckets outside labeled with different point values. Guests toss real snowballs, or “snowballs” like white cotton balls or small foam balls if you're playing indoors, into the buckets for points.

Shutterstock

The Awkward Gift Wrap Race

Find awkwardly shaped items around the house, like a basketball or stuffed animal, and provide rolls of wrapping paper. The fastest (and neatest) gift wrapper wins!

Shutterstock

Ornament Relay

Hand out spoons or chopsticks and teams have to race to get ornaments from one side of the room to another.

Shutterstock

Candy Cane Hunt

Similar to an Easter egg hunt, hide candy canes around the house or yard and let guests hunt for them. Wrap a few with dollar bills to up the ante .;)

Shutterstock

Holiday "Who Am I?"

Stick Christmas-themed names or characters (e.g., the Grinch, Jude Law, Holiday Armadillo, Charlie Brown) on players' foreheads. Guests ask yes/no questions to guess who they are. It's a great ice breaker for new friends!

cottonbro studio

Gingerbread Decoration Contest

Anything with a ticking clock adds a certain element of hilarity to it. Give your teams gingerbread houses with icing and decorations. Let the creativity flow, and award prizes for categories like “most festive” or “funniest" or "worst construction."

RDNE Stock project

Here are more Christmas games to play this season:

Jingle Bell Toss: Set up your college-era Solo cups into a bowling pin formation at opposite ends of the table. Each players tries to get large jingle bellsinto the opposite side’s cups. The first player to get a bell in each cup wins.

Human Hungry Hungry Hippo: Pair up, stand in a circle, and hand out plastic candy canes. Toss shatterproof Christmas balls in the middle of the circle. One person stands, holding the feet of the other person on the floor. The person on the floor tries to collect more balls with the candy cane than the other teams for a human version of Hungry Hungry Hippo!

Christmas Pictionary: Like charades, but on paper. Use pop culture references like "Hallmark Holiday Movie" or holiday-themed phrases like "Silent Night" for teammates to guess.

Left-Right Christmas Story Game: Make up a holiday story that includes the words "left" and "right" often. Guests pass a wrapped gift or object left or right as the words are mentioned, and whoever holds it at the end keeps the gift!

Christmas Bingo: Downloadbingo cards with holiday symbols or themes. Mark them off as they’re called out. First to yell “Bingo!” wins.

Reindeer Ring Toss: Use inflatable reindeer antler hats (or make your own) and toss rings to see who can "decorate" the reindeer.

Christmas Cookie Taste Test: Bake or buy a variety of holiday cookies. Blindfold guests and see who can identify the most flavors correctly.

Christmas Movie Emoji Quiz: Create a string of emojis that represent Christmas movies and have guests guess the titles.

Snowman Building Contest: If there’s snow, go outdoors for a snowman-building competition! If indoors, use toilet paper to “wrap” someone as a snowman.

Holiday Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of Christmas-related items like a red ornament, mistletoe, or a stocking and have guests search for them in teams.

Christmas Karaoke: Set up a karaoke machine or app and sing along to holiday classics. Bonus points for best singer or most dramatic performance!

Subscribe to our newsletter for more fun holiday inspo!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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'Wicked' Sing-Alongs Are Coming To Theaters! Here's When You Can Finally Belt 'Defying Gravity.'

Following in the footsteps of movie musicals like Mean Girls, Wicked might just be the 2024 movie we're most excited for. The fantastical design, beautiful songs, and enemies-turned-besties relationship between Elphaba and Glinda come together like magic. The show first opened on Broadway in 2003 with Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. Stephen Schwartz, lyricist and composer, has teased the film since 2017, and every little bit of new news gets us more excited to finally travel to Oz on the big screen. Keep reading for everything we know about the gravity-defying fall movie!

Here's the latest news on 2024's brand new Wicked movie.

  • Wicked is coming to theaters this November.
  • The movie's based on the musical of the same name, which premiered in 2003.
  • The Wicked cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Marissa Bode.

Is there a Wicked movie singalong?

Universal Pictures

Good news for singers and theatre kids alike: Wicked singalongs are coming to theaters! While the movie premieres on November 22, interactive screenings are coming to around 1,000 movie theaters in North America starting December 25. Stay tuned for location details! Until then, please do us all a favor and hum under your breath during "Defying Gravity."

What has the Wicked cast said about each other?

Universal Pictures

The Wicked cast truly became a family onset. Ethan Slater exclusively told Brit + Co that Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo welcomed everyone into the film "with open arms," while Michelle Yeoh added working together was "magical." Meanwhile, our leading ladies went viral for crying over how much they mean to each other.

And Jonathan Bailey just spilled some more behind the scenes secrets in his Vanity Fair cover story. In addition to calling Ari and Cynthia "the girls" (which is a nickname I love!! I feel like it emphasizes how close they are by highlighting the fact there's only two people he could be talking about), he opened up about the support he received making the transition from Fellow Travelers and Bridgerton to Wicked.

"I’d flown back from Canada and then I was filming Bridgerton," he says. "I met the girls then, and they were well and truly underway. I remember going to the dressing rooms, and theirs were pink and green and were just spilling into the hallway. And mine was just an interrogation room with nothing. But I did spend the whole day with [choreographer] Chris Scott and went from Chris Scott to see [musical writer] Stephen Schwartz, and it was just, for me, boot camp days. You just lean on the amazing choreographers and obviously [director] Jon M. Chu’s vision."

What is the Wicked movie release date?

Universal Pictures

Wicked: Part I hits theaters on November 22, 2024. It was originally scheduled for a Christmas release (and then Thanksgiving) but the sooner, the better IMO!

And good news for any Amazon Prime subscribers: you can see the movie early! Amazon's new “Oz on Amazon” campaign means members can screen Wicked in theaters November 18, four whole days before the rest of the world sees it. Get tickets here while they're still available!

Will there be a Wicked movie soundtrack?

Universal Pictures

Yes, we're getting a Wicked movie soundtrack! Full of beloved Broadway numbers like "Popular," "I'm Not That Girl," and "The Wizard and I," this is an album for a whole new generations of Ozians.

“The other week I was visiting my family in Boca and I was up late one night with my headphones on because the mixes had just come in for the soundtrack,” Ariana Grande told Allure in September. “I was sitting in my childhood bedroom with the poster across from my bed signed by the original Broadway cast and listening to our mixes of the soundtrack. It was really emotional. I just burst into tears.”

Watch The Wicked Trailer!

Universal Pictures

If you didn't already believe that Wicked was going to be the musical movie event of the century, this trailer will convince you. The dancing! The costumes! The literal magic! I am going to be weeping the entire time (and I need to start working on my Halloween costume STAT!)

Check Out The New Wicked Poster

Universal Pictures

The newest Wicked poster shows off Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba like we've never seen! As a Glinda girl myself, I love to see all the details on Ariana's costume, plus all the texture and intricacies on Cynthia's. The poster is totally giving "The Creation of Adam" painting with Glinda and Elphaba just out of reach of one another — and it also reminds of "Defying Gravity" since Elphaba is in the air!

Who else is in the Wicked movie cast?

Sophy Holland/Universal Pictures/Vanity Fair

We got a first (leaked) look at Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero the week of May 13. We already know that he can sing so we're extra excited to see him in action alongside Ariana and Cynthia!

In this Vanity Fair first look, we see the three actors are joined by a powerhouse cast including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Everything Everywhere All At Once star (and Academy Award winner!!) Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible. The cast also features Broadway actor Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, SNL star Bowen Yang as Pfannee, and The Greatest Showman actress Keala Settle as Miss Coddle.

We might have gotten a first glimpse at the movie during CinemaCon 2023, but this year's convention finally revealed the one cast member we've been waiting for: Dr. Dillamond, who will be played by Peter Dinklage.

"The wicked movie now has an academy award winner, grammy winner, tony winner and an oliver award winner," says @sheeshgwws on X. "i mean the talent is stacked."

Who auditioned for the Wicked movie?

Kevin Winter/Frazer Harrison/Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Before we got the official Wicked cast list, it turns out that a lot of our favorite stars went out for the film! When the movie was in its earliest stages of pre-production, back in 2014, Lea Michele and Harry Styles were reportedly the frontrunners for Elphaba and Fiyero (via The Guardian).

And once Jon M. Chu was attached to direct and the film really took off, a lot of stars we know and love made it into the audition room. Reneé Rapp told Watch What Happens Live that she auditioned for Glinda, while Dove Cameron confirmed she also auditioned for the role, via The Wrap. Amanda Seyfried was also in the running for the Good Witch, and revealed she auditioned (via Cosmopolitan) when she was playing Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout.

But the most surprising bit of news to me is that Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas went out for the same role! Nick confirmed to Variety that both brothers auditioned for Fiyero.

Considering in the mid-2010s One Direction was at the top of their game, Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried proved her singing chops again in Les Misérables, and we all had major crushes on the Jonas Brothers (still do, TBH), this cast would have overwhelmed every Tumblr musical theater girlie in the very best way.

Who is Jonathan Bailey playing in Wicked?

Sophy Holland/Universal Pictures/Vanity Fair

Jonathan Bailey from Bridgerton is starring as playboy-turned-lover boy Fiyero. When he first meets Glinda and Elphaba, he's taken with Glinda's charm and popularity, but he quickly realizes there's much more to Elphaba than meets the eye. In this Vanity Fair first look, we see that just like Anthony Bridgerton, Fiyero has an affinity for vests, billowy shirts, and horses. I'm not mad about it.

Why was Ariana Grande at the Oscars 2024?

Rodin Eckenroth/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo presented the award for "Best Score" and "Best Original Song" at the Oscars 2024! The duo showed up ahead of the Wicked movie (which hits theaters this fall), wearing their best Oz-approved fashion. Ariana Grande wore a voluminous bubblegum pink gown from Giambattista Valli Haute Couture that was reminiscent of Glinda the Good Witch, while Cynthia Erivo channeled Elphaba in a leather green Louis Vuitton dress.

While the aesthetic and fabric of both dresses were very different (similar to their Wicked characters!) both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo looked stunning and otherworldly thanks to the artistic silhouettes. I am simply in love with Ariana's off-the-shoulder bubble cape, and Cynthia's ruffled sleeves. I can't wait to see the rest of their press looks!

What is the Wicked movie about?

Universal Pictures

Wicked is an origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good from The Wizard of Oz. As young women, Elphaba and Glinda uncover the wizard's plot to suppress all of the animals in Oz and keep his power. When Elphaba tries to expose him, he frames her for the act. Wicked will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who also directed 2021's In The Heights. We loved his work on that blockbuster musical, so we can't wait to see what Chu brings to the big screen with Wicked this time!

Who will play Elphaba in the wicked movie?

Cynthia Erivo/Instagram

Elphaba will be played by Broadway star Cynthia Erivo. She starred in a revival of The Color Purplefrom 2015 to 2017, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. She also took to the screen in films like Harriet, Pinocchio, and Bad Times at the El Royale. Cynthia Erivo first teased her Wicked look in an Instagram post, and we can't wait to see more!

Who is playing Glinda?

Ariana Grande/Instagram

Popstar and actress Ariana Grande will play Glinda in the films. We're very excited about this, especially after she sang "The Wizard And I" at the 2018 Wicked 15th Anniversary Special. Ariana may be a global pop sensation, but she has strong roots in musical theatre, starring as Charlotte in 13 the Musical in 2008. She's also been asking the Wicked team about a movie for over ten years!

“Since I was 20, I was like, ‘Hey, I don't know when this is happening, but when it's happening, may I please at least just audition?’" Ariana Grande tells Amazon Music's Zach Sang. "That's all I wanted, was an audition. I've never wanted anything more.”

Ariana prepped for the audition with “voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day” for six whole months. “I trained every single day to prove to [Wicked producers] that I could handle taking on this other person," she says.

Why is the Wicked movie two parts?

Universal Pictures

Wicked will be split into two parts, just like the Broadway show. That way, the stakes will feel higher, and we'll have more time with the characters! The two-part release follows in the footsteps of blockbusters like The Hunger Games and Dune. Wicked: Part I will premiere in November 2024, and the second part will follow the next year.

Why is Wicked coming out in 2024?

Universal Pictures

The Wicked movie was originally supposed to premiere in 2021 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film got pushed. Thankfully, the strikes during the summer of 2023 didn't delay the movie at all!

Watch The Brand New Preview For "Wicked" Here!

Universal Pictures

Hopefully the wait for the 22 will only feel like One Short Day...until then, catch us watching this preview on repeat!

Keep checking back here for more Wicked movie updates and let us know what you're most excited about on Twitter! Until we get to see the movie in theaters, check out the top Spring Movies and Summer Movies to watch in the meantime!

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This post has been updated.

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