The second installment of Jon M. Chu’s two-part “Wicked” adaptation revisits the land of Oz with broom-defying flair. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and company ensure that this magical follow-up keeps audiences spellbound, delivering a well-deserved “whew factor.”

Cynthia Erivo will receive the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 18th Annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. The honor, Deadline notes, often foreshadows Oscar attention and arrives as final-round Emmy voting heads toward its August 27 deadline.