Have no fear, the Cowardly Lion is here.
After online speculation that the lion in Wicked’s sequel Wicked: For Good would be voiced by stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda or Tom Hanks, Universal Pictures revealed that Emmy-winning Euphoria actor Colman Domingo nabbed the part.
In an Oct. 20 Instagram video, Colman held a plush lion in front of his face before lowering it to reveal himself smiling. He winked and said, “See you in Oz!”
Ahead of the announcement, Wicked director Jon M. Chu had kept mum about who he had cast as the voice of the lion, who was rescued as a cub in the first film by Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero. However, the director detailed that he slid into the two-time Oscar nominee’s DMs to pitch the idea to him.
“I was like, ‘It’s not a ton of lines, but maybe you have a little time. I know you’re busy. I’ll come to you,’” Jon told Deadline in an interview published Oct. 16. “He was like, ‘Why the f--k not, let’s go!’ And then we went ahead and recorded the lines.”
Teasing how beloved and stylish Colman is—he was a co-chair of this year’s Met Gala—the director added, “Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion’s voice steps foot on it. It’ll be wild.”
In addition to adding new members to the cast in Wicked: For Good, Jon explained how he worked hard to create a sequel that dives into the complexities of Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda the Good.
“Elphaba’s a superhero in this one,” he continued. “We wanted to show how powerful she really was. I think this is how you show a superhero, especially these women as superheroes, and not have to fit into what a guy’s superhero is, the stereotype of it all.”
Jon added, “Elphaba’s her own person and Glinda could be too. It’s also the origin story of Glinda the Good.”
Ahead of Wicked: For Good’s Nov. 21 release, read on to see other movies hitting screens soon.
(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Black Phone 2 - October 17, 2025
Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Good Fortune - October 17, 2025
A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist (Seth Rogen).
Where to Watch: In theaters
The Twits - October 17, 2025
Loosely based on the 1980 children's novel by Roald Dahl, this animated comedy follows two brave children who are forced to take on Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle - October 22, 2025
This reimagining of the 1992 classic psychological thriller stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a suburban mom who brings a new nanny (Maika Monroe) into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Hulu
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere - October 24, 2025
The Bear star Jeremy Allen White plays the Boss in this biopic which chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Regretting You - October 24, 2025
Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace and Dave Franco star in this adaptation of Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Shelby Oaks - October 24, 2025
A woman’s obsessive search for her missing sister leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Anniversary - October 29, 2025
Featuring an all-star cast, this gripping thriller follows a close-knit family who are torn apart when the son brings home a new girlfriend with a dangerous agenda. Starring Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Dylan O'Brien, Phoebe Dynevor, Zoey Deutch, and McKenna Grace.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Ballad of a Small Player - October 29, 2025
Colin Farrell stars as a high-stakes gambler lying low in Macau, China, until his past and his debts start to catch up with him.
Where to Watch: In select theaters October 15 and streaming on Netflix October 29
Nouvelle Vague - October 31, 2025
Director Richard Linklater reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, a film that shaped the French New Wave in 1960. Starring Zoey Deutch as iconic actress Jean Seberg.
Where to Watch: In select theaters on October 31, streaming on Netflix starting November 14.
Bugonia - October 31, 2025
Emma Stone re-teams with her Poor Things and The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos for this dark comedy about two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap the CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
Where to Watch: Limited engagement on October 24, then nationwide on October 31.
Christy - November 7, 2025
Sydney Sweeney delivers a knockout performance as she transforms into real life boxing hero Christy Martin in this much-anticipated biopic.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Frankenstein - November 7, 2025
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth.
Where to Watch: In select theaters Oct. 17 and streaming on Netflix on Nov. 7.
Predator: Badlands - November 7, 2025
The newest entry in the Predator franchise is set in the future on a remote planet and follows a young Predator who is outcast from his clan, and must embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Elle Fanning also stars.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Die My Love - November 7, 2025
Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson headline this black comedy-drama that focuses on a new mother struggling with postpartum depression after moving to rural Montana.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Nuremberg - November 7, 2025
A WWII psychiatrist (Rami Malek) evaluates Nazi leaders before the Nuremberg trials in 1945, growing increasingly obsessed with understanding evil as he forms a disturbing bond with Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe). Also starring Colin Hanks, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Michael Shannon and Richard E. Grant.
Where to Watch: In theaters
I Wish You All the Best - November 7, 2025
A modern coming-of-age story that follows a teenager who comes out as nonbinary and is thrown out of their family's home, before embarking upon a journey of self-discovery. From writer/director Tommy Dorfman, and starring Corey Fogelmanis, Lena Dunham, Alexandra Daddario, and Cole Sprouse.
Where to Watch: In theaters
The Running Man - November 14, 2025
Glen Powell stars in this adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novel (which also inspired the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie of the same name) about a deadly competition where contestants must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Jay Kelly - November 14, 2025
George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup and Laura Dern star in this "heartbreaking comedy" from writer-director Noah Baumbach.
Where to Watch: In theaters Nov. 14 and streaming on Netflix Dec. 5.
Keeper - November 14, 2025
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) stars in this horror flick about a wife who becomes isolated in a secluded cabin and must face an evil entity that unveils the property's haunted past.
Where to Watch: In theaters
A Very Jonas Christmas - November 14, 2025
Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas team up for this Christmas caper which sees the brothers face a series of escalating obstacles as they try to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families. Also starring Chloe Bennet, Billie Lourd, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Danielle Jonas, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t - November 14, 2025
Original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco return for this third entry in the magic-infused heist thriller franchise, along with new cast members Rosamund Pike and Dominic Sessa.
Where to Watch: In theaters
The Carpenter's Son - November 14, 2025
Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe and FKA twigs star in this horror tale about the spiritual warfare that erupts when a carpenter, his wife and their son Jesus are targeted by supernatural forces.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Wicked: For Good - November 21, 2025
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) face off in this epic conclusion to 2024’s hit Broadway movie adaptation.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Rental Family - November 21, 2025
Brendan Fraser stars as an American actor who struggles to find purpose until he moves to Tokyo and lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Eternity - November 26, 2025
In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Zootopia 2 - November 26, 2025
This sequel to the Oscar-winning 2016 animated hit promises a return to Animal Metropolis with familiar faces Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) along with some new characters like Gary D'Snake (Ke Huy Quan) and quokka therapist Dr Fuzzyby (Quinta Brunson).
Where to Watch: In theaters
Hamnet - November 27, 2025
Based on the award-winning 2020 novel by Maggie O'Farrell and directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the story of how William Shakespeare endured family tragedy to create his masterpiece, Hamlet. Starring Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, and Joe Alwyn.
Where to Watch: In select theaters on Nov. 27, expanding nationwide on Dec. 12.
Merrily We Roll Along - December 5, 2025
Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez star in the live stage filming of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 - December 9, 2025
The 2023 horror hit gets the sequel treatment, with returning stars Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail and Matthew Lilllard joined by new characters played by Mckenna Grace and Skeet Ulrich.
Where to Watch: In theaters