Ryan Reynolds’ Magical Full-Circle Moment: From The Wizard of Oz to Wicked

At the National Board of Review Awards Gala on January 7, 2025, Ryan Reynolds shared a heartfelt story that perfectly captured the magic of moviegoing and the bonds of family. The Deadpool & Wolverine star presented the Best Film award to Wicked producer Marc Platt, but it was his personal “full-circle moment” that stole the spotlight.

Reynolds recalled attending a special screening of Wicked at New York City’s Metrograph Theater in December 2024 — the very same theater where, in 2017, he brought his then three-year-old daughter James to see her first-ever movie on the big screen: the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. “I saw Wicked at the Metrograph Theater here in New York City,” Reynolds said. “This is the very same theater I attended in 2017 when I took my then three-year-old daughter to see her first film… which was The Wizard of Oz.”

An Ozian Legacy

Reynolds, 48, and wife Blake Lively share four children — James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and nearly two-year-old Olin. At the Wicked screening, the couple embraced the film’s Oz-inspired spirit: Lively wore shimmering red Mary Janes reminiscent of Dorothy’s ruby slippers, while Reynolds sported a cozy beige look evoking the Cowardly Lion. Joining them were Wicked’s stars Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), who headlined a production that has become the highest-grossing musical film adaptation, taking in over $682 million worldwide.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked reimagines the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda before Dorothy’s arrival in Oz, weaving visual and musical nods to The Wizard of Oz. From the rainbow in “No One Mourns the Wicked” to the vintage 1939 Universal logo fading from sepia into emerald and pink, the film layers nostalgia with spectacle — much like the magical color shift that first enchanted young audiences in 1939.

Music, Togetherness, and Praise for the Cast

In his speech, Reynolds described Wicked as a “signal fire of togetherness,” praising composer Stephen Schwartz’s ability to write music “felt by many.” He lauded the performances of Grande and Erivo, while playfully teasing co-star Jonathan Bailey’s charisma as Fiyero: “I’m a movie actor… Jonathan, you’re making us look terrible.”

For Reynolds, the moment was more than a Hollywood celebration. It was a continuation of a family tradition, tying his daughter’s first brush with Oz’s magic to a new cinematic chapter.

A Year of Family Focus

The Wicked event capped a family-centered 2024 for Reynolds and Lively, who also attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour with James — a special occasion since Swift’s song “Betty” references all three of the couple’s daughters by name. With the whirlwind of Deadpool & Wolverine promotions behind him, Reynolds says 2025 will be devoted to time at home.

Fans Feel the Magic

Reynolds’ story quickly resonated online. “Ryan taking James to The Wizard of Oz and then Wicked in the same theater is so wholesome,” one X user wrote. Others called it a “perfect passing down of Oz magic.” The sentiment mirrors the film’s wider cultural impact, bolstered by cameos from Broadway legends Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the “One Short Day” sequence.

For Reynolds, that night at the Metrograph was proof that some stories — like Oz itself — are timeless, connecting generations through shared wonder. And with Wicked: For Good set for release on November 21, 2025, it seems the journey down the Yellow Brick Road is far from over.