Universal Pictures' decision to split the cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway sensation “Wicked” into two parts, “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good,” was initially perceived as a considerable risk within Hollywood. However, this strategic move has ultimately paid off handsomely, resulting in record global box office hauls and significant critical acclaim. The success of this two-part strategy was recently highlighted on Variety’s “Daily Variety” podcast by Rebecca Rubin, who unpacked how this gamble led to an unprecedented triumph.

The first film, “Wicked,” achieved a global box office of $758 million, becoming the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in history, alongside a mighty $70 million in its first week on premium video-on-demand, and an impressive 10 Oscar nominations. Building on this success, the sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” further solidified the franchise's popularity, earning a dazzling $147 million domestically and $223 million worldwide during its opening weekend, surpassing its predecessor's initial performance. Director Jon M. Chu explained that the two-part approach was a creative necessity, as the expansive story, spanning events before, during, and after “The Wizard of Oz,” could not be adequately contained within a single film without compromising its narrative integrity. This success stands in stark contrast to many recent stage-to-screen adaptations that have struggled at the box office.

Further underscoring the film’s recognition, “Wicked: For Good” made strong appearances on the inaugural artisan shortlists released by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). For the first time in its history, the CCA has unveiled official shortlists across 11 artisan categories, aiming to spotlight the invaluable contributions of behind-the-scenes craftspeople. These shortlists cover areas from cinematography and editing to production design and original score, and notably include three new categories: sound, stunt design, and casting and ensemble. This initiative aligns the Critics Choice Awards more closely with the below-the-line recognition seen at prestigious guild awards and the Oscars.

Nomination voting for the Critics Choice Awards is now underway, with ballots sent to over 500 CCA members. Each artisan category will yield six official nominees, while the best picture race will recognize 10 films. Among the vast array of contenders, several titles have garnered widespread recognition. Warner Bros.’ “Sinners” emerged as a dominant force, securing an impressive 13 mentions across various shortlists, including cinematography, costume design, editing, hair and makeup, sound, visual effects, original score, three original songs, and stunt design. Netflix’s “Frankenstein” followed with a robust showing of nine mentions, spanning production design, cinematography, editing, hair and makeup, sound, visual effects, and score. Apple’s high-octane “F1” also made a strong impression with nine appearances in categories such as editing, sound, visual effects, score, and two original songs, in addition to longlist mentions for production design and casting and ensemble. Warner Bros. led all studios with a remarkable 31 total mentions, with contributions from films like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and James Gunn’s “Superman.” Netflix secured 21 mentions, A24 nabbed 12, Focus Features received 10, and Neon garnered nine.

The newly instituted artisan shortlists have also brought attention to some eclectic selections. Paramount Pictures’ “Roofman” and Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” were recognized in production design, while IFC’s “The Ugly Stepsister” and GKids’ “Kokuho” appeared in hair and makeup. A24’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and Apple’s “The Lost Bus” received mentions in sound. Notably, several anticipated December releases, such as James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” James L. Brooks’ “Ella McCay,” and Paul Feig’s “The Housemaid,” were not screened in time for the Nominating Committee and were thus excluded from the shortlists. However, each artisan category on the final CCA ballot includes one open slot, allowing members to recognize eligible late-year releases. The CCA film nominations are slated to be announced on December 5, with the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler, taking place on January 4, 2025, and airing on E!.

Below are the specific categories and their respective shortlists:

Casting and Ensemble:

• “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Susanne Scheel
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Nina Gold
• “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Douglas Aibel and Nina Gold
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Jennifer Venditti
• “No Other Choice” (Neon) — TBA
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Cassandra Kulukundis
• “Rental Family” (Searchlight Pictures) — Kei Kawamura and Yumi Takada
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Francine Maisler
• “The Long Walk” (Lionsgate) — Rich Delia
• “The Plague” (IFC) — Rebecca Dealy
• “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Gabriel Domingues
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey

Production Design:

• “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Jeremy Hindle and David Schlesinger
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Ben Munro, Mark Tildesley, Reynan Castro Del Rosario, Andrew McCarthy and Véronique Melery
• “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios) — Kasra Farahani and Jille Azis
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
• “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Cara Brower and Stella Fox
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
• “No Other Choice” (Neon) — Ryu Seong-hie
• “Roofman” (Paramount Pictures) — Inbal Weinberg and Kendall Anderson
• “Sentimental Value” (Neon) — Jørgen Stangebye Larsen and Catrine Gormsen
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Hannah Bleachler and Monique Champagne
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales

Cinematography:

• “28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures) — Anthony Dod Mantle
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Claudio Miranda
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Dan Laustsen
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Łukasz Żal
• “Jay Kelly” (Netflix) — Linus Sandgren
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Darius Khondji
• “No Other Choice” (Neon) — Kim Woo-hyung
• “Nouvelle Vague” (Netflix) — David Chambille
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Michael Bauman
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Autumn Durald Arkapaw
• “The Plague” (IFC) — Steven Breckon
• “Train Dreams” (Netflix) — Adolpho Veloso

Costume Design:

• “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios) — Alexandra Byrne
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Kate Hawley
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Malgosia Turzanska
• “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Lindsay Pugh
• “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions) — Colleen Atwood
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Miyako Bellizzi
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Colleen Atwood
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ruth E. Carter
• “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features) — Ernesto Martinez
• “The Secret Agent” (Neon) — Rita Azevedo
• “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures) — Malgorzata Karpiuk
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures) — Paul Tazewell

Editing:

• “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Kirk Baxter
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Stephen Mirrione
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Evan Schiff
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Chloé Zhao and Affonso Gonçalves
• “It Was Just an Accident” (Neon) — Amir Etminan
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
• “No Other Choice” (Neon) — Kim Sang-bum
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Andy Jurgensen
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Michael P. Shawver
• “The Perfect Neighbor” (Netflix) — Viridiana Lieberman
• “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix) — Bob Ducsay
• “Weapons” (Warner Bros.) — Joe Murphy

Hair and Makeup:

• “28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures)
• “Bugonia” (Focus Features)
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
• “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios)
• “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
• “Kokuho” (GKids)
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Superman” (Warner Bros.)
• “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
• “The Ugly Stepsister” (IFC)
• “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Sound:

• “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix)
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
• “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Sirāt” (Neon)
• “Superman” (Warner Bros.)
• “The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films)
• “Warfare” (A24)
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Visual Effects:

• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
• “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Marvel Studios)
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
• “How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal Pictures)
• “Mickey 17” (Warner Bros.)
• “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)
• “Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Sketch” (Angel)
• “Superman” (Warner Bros.)
• “Tron: Ares” (Walt Disney Pictures)
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)

Original Score:

• “A House of Dynamite” (Netflix) — Volker Bertlemann
• “Bugonia” (Focus Features) — Jerskin Fendrix
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
• “Hamnet” (Focus Features) — Max Richter
• “Hedda” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
• “Marty Supreme” (A24) — Daniel Lopatin
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) — Jonny Greenwood
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.) — Ludwig Göransson
• “Sirāt” (Neon) — Kangding Ray
• “The Plague” (IFC) — Johan Lenox
• “Tron: Ares” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Nine Inch Nails

Original Song:

• “Clothed by the Sun” — “The Testament of Ann Lee” (Searchlight Pictures)
• “Dear Me” — “Diane Warren: Relentless” (Greenwich Entertainment)
• “Drive” — “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
• “Lose My Mind” — “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
• “Golden” — “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix)
• “Highest 2 Lowest” — “Highest 2 Lowest” (A24/Apple Original Films)
• “I Lied to You” — “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” — “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Pale, Pale Moon” — “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “The Girl in the Bubble” — “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
• “No Place Like Home” — “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
• “Train Dreams” — “Train Dreams” (Netflix)

Stunt Design:

• “Ballerina” (Lionsgate)
• “F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
• “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)
• “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
• “Predator: Badlands” (20th Century Studios)
• “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
• “Superman” (Warner Bros.)
• “The Smashing Machine” (A24)
• “Thunderbolts*” (Marvel Studios)
• “Warfare” (A24)
• “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)