If you’re one of the many theme park fans rooting for a Wicked land at Universal, we may have some good news.Even before Wicked (2024) hit theaters last November, the Broadway musical held a deeply passionate fanbase. The stage show follows Elphaba and Glinda (or, technically, Galinda Upland) in their days at Shiz University before, during, and after the events of The Wizard of Oz, examining how Elphaba becomes known as the Wicked Witch and Glinda is adopted as a heroine to the residents of Oz.Credit: Universal PicturesSince Universal released its big-screen adaptation, however, the success of Wicked has proven as gravity-defying as its most famous song. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda – alongside Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose – the film raked in over $756 million at the box office. Wicked was also met positively by both fans and critics, with Erivo and Grande nominated for their performances at the 97th Academy Awards.Less than a year later, fans are gearing up for the release of the film’s sequel, Wicked: For Good (2025). This picks up where the film left off, with Elphaba on the run as the Wicked Witch of the West while fighting for animal rights throughout Oz. Hype is already high four months before the film hits theaters, and will undoubtedly reach even greater heights once Erivo and Grande kick off the emotional Wicked press tour 2.0. (We’re already holding space for every single interview.)Before that day comes, however, fans are abuzz about a different kind of Wicked project. For months, it’s been heavily rumored that Universal may develop a theme park land inspired by the franchise. Mark Woodbury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Destinations & Experiences, confirmed as much earlier this year when he named Wicked as an IP in his eyeline for a future project. “When I saw it, my first reaction was, ‘This is a theme park waiting to happen,’” he said.Credit: Universal PicturesNow, another development seemingly confirms that this is the case.Is Wicked Heading to Epic Universe?In May, Universal officially debuted its newest theme park, Epic Universe.Located further south than Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, the park invites guests into the worlds of Harry Potter (yes, again), How to Train Your Dragon, Universal Classic Monsters, and Nintendo. It also features an original land free of any IP (with the exception of a subtle Back to the Future Easter egg) in the form of Celestial Park.Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicA one-hour TV special about the park is set to air on NBC on August 20. Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe will go behind the scenes of the theme park, but will apparently be markedly different from the mini-docuseries Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks, which will stream later in 2025 on Peacock.What exactly will the special entail? Well, that remains a bit of a mystery for now. What we do know is that it is hosted by Joe Manganiello. It will also feature appearances from the likes of Warwick Davis, Mason Thames, Steven Spielberg, Nico Parker, Vin Diesel, and (drumroll please) Jon M. Chu.‘Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe’ will air Wed., Aug. 20 at 9pm on NBC and next day on Peacock. One-hour speical featuring Bowen Yang, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jon M. Chu (!), Steven Spielberg and more.‘Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe’ will air Wed., Aug. 20 at 9pm on NBC and next day on Peacock. One-hour speical featuring Bowen Yang, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jon M. Chu (!), Steven Spielberg and more. pic.twitter.com/O32uydZdGo— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 29, 2025The curious thing about this lineup is that everyone except Chu has some kind of connection to Epic Universe or another existing Universal theme park project. Thames and Parker, for example, fronted the recent live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, while Davis famously starred in the Harry Potter films. Meanwhile, Vin Diesel appears in the much-derided Fast & Furious: Supercharged at Universal Studios Florida. Another Fast & Furious attraction, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, is also set to debut at Universal Studios Hollywood next year.Credit: Andrew Boardwine, Inside the MagicThis leads us to the internet’s most commonly accepted conclusion: Wicked must be heading to Epic Universe.“They gonna announce Oz as the next portal here i can feel it,” said one X, formerly known as Twitter, user.Another wrote, “Now why would they have multiple Wicked stars in their special on Epic Universe? Hmmmmm…”Bolstering this theory is the fact that Chu will be joined by Michelle Yeoh (who plays Madam Morrible) and Bowen Yang (who plays Pfannee but is also admittedly considered a Prince of Celestial Park).Credit: Universal PicturesOf course, this doesn’t make it a given that a Wicked land will be announced next month. Three months does seem like an exceptionally short timeframe between opening a theme park and announcing its expansion. However, Universal has made no secret of the fact that it plans to aggressively expand Epic Universe, with four or five expansion pads reportedly ready to go.With Wicked hitting theaters again later this year, it would also make sense from a marketing perspective. Preluding the film’s release with a theme park land announcement would only positively impact the hype around both projects.Previous Wicked Theme Park ProjectsA Wicked land also aligns with the efforts to celebrate the film at the parks so far. Both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort feature versions of the Wicked Experience, an immersive shopping experience featuring photo ops, replica costumes, and more. Elphaba and Glinda have also popped up for meet and greets at both parks.Credit: Universal PicturesMeanwhile, Universal Studios Singapore welcomed a pop-up Emerald City, complete with appearances from Elphaba and Glinda themselves. With Wicked premiering much later in Japan than most of the world, Universal Studios Japan kick-started its Wicked Celebration in March, inviting guests to take pictures with the two witches and enjoy original food, merchandise, and a costume exhibit.Should Wicked work its way into other theme parks, it wouldn’t be the first time a Universal destination has debuted a permanent Wicked fixture. Universal Studios Japan previously boasted a shortened version of the Broadway musical in its now-defunct Land of Oz area, cutting characters such as Fiyero and Madam Morrible to cut the runtime down to a theme park-friendly 35 minutes.Would you like to see a Wicked land at Epic Universe?The post REPORT: Universal Quietly Confirms ‘Wicked’ Expansion for Epic Universe appeared first on Inside the Magic.