How Long Is “Wicked”? What to Know Before Bringing Kids to the New Musical Movie

'Wicked' will be presented in two parts, with the first out Friday, Nov. 22, and the second in November 2025

Warning: Some spoilers for Wicked ahead.

Grab your popcorn: Wicked will have audiences in their seats for nearly three hours.

Part 1 of the soon-to-be-released musical fantasy film has a runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes, making it 10 minutes longer than the entirety of the Broadway production it is adapted from.

The Jon M. Chu-directed movie — starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as lead witches Elphaba and Glinda, respectively — has been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association, meaning there's no doubt kids will be among the audience members dazzled by the Emerald City when Wicked premieres in theaters this week.

Given the lengthy runtime, parents bringing younger children may want to consider scheduling bathroom breaks throughout.

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Related: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Reveal Wicked Secrets in Behind-the-Scenes Special: How to Watch (Exclusive)

They also may want to snag aisle seats, to get to the bathroom more quickly without potentially disturbing other audience members too much.

Rated PG for “some scary action,” Wicked saves most of its more distressing moments for its final scenes. Many involve the future Wicked Witch of the West’s flying monkeys, shown at one point baring their teeth and breaking through windows. A scene explaining how the apes sprouted wings might be disturbing to young audience members averse to seeing animals in pain.

Also toward the film’s climax, the Wizard’s mechanical mask may be considered frightening — before, as in The Wizard of Oz, a harmless man (Jeff Goldblum) emerges from behind its curtain.

Although suffused with comedy throughout, it's important for parents to consider that Wicked brings the “thematic material” of its MPA rating with depictions of bullying and discrimination.

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Related: PEOPLE’s Wicked Issue Goes Behind the Scenes: Ariana Grande Hid Candy in Her Costume, Cynthia Erivo Baked Cookies (Exclusive)

First reactions from early screenings of Wicked have largely praised the film, whose source material, Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 Tony-winning Broadway musical, is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire.

While speaking with PEOPLE in July for an exclusive interview about his memoir Viewfinder, director Chu, known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, teased that the new movie will take its source material to new levels.

Said Chu, 45, in part, "We get to be more intimate. We get the camera two inches from their face, so we can see when they're lying, when they're not or when they're lying to themselves. And that brings a lot of power to the show that you can't have on a stage when you have to look forward to the back of the crowd."

Wicked part 1 flies into theaters Friday, Nov. 22, with the second part slated for release Nov. 21, 2025.

Go behind the scenes of Wicked with PEOPLE’s new special issue, available here.