TMZ.com

Before you grab your popcorn and watch the wickedness go down, see what Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Cynthia Erivo and more of the 'Wicked' cast were up to on the magical set.

Grab your brooms and fly behind the scenes with our action-packed 'Wicked' gallery!

As we know, Ariana’s stepping into Glinda’s sparkly shoes -- and of course, she made sure to keep it picture-perfect, sneaking in makeup touch-ups between takes.

Connie Nielsen's giving hope to Denzel Washington fans everywhere ... 'cause while the actor says he's nearing retirement, Nielsen says she won't let him quit acting.

We caught up with the "Gladiator II" star in New York City Thursday ... and, we had to ask her how she feels about working with DW in what he says may be one of the last movies of his career.

Watch the vid to the end ... Connie says she's not gonna let him give up the craft ... so Denzel fans can rest easy -- 'cause it sounds like she's on the case.

"Wicked" premiered on Broadway more than 20 years ago ... but, it seems the team behind the film still found a way to shock diehard fans -- 'cause people are posting vids of their friends losing their minds.

The biggest movie of the year opened in wide release in the U.S. Thursday night ... and TikTok is already populating with fan reactions to the movie that's leaving them awestruck.

No spoiler alert here BTW ... 'cause it's unclear exactly which scenes are making people react this way -- though the movie is supposed to be a faithful adaptation of the musical, so if you know the show, you might not be as shocked as these viewers.

Ariana Grande is serving a whole lotta gratitude as "Wicked" finally hits theaters -- gushing over fans and even poking fun at her press tour emotions, saying, "Who’s surprised?"

The singer got real with fans on IG Stories Friday ... flipping the script on their gratitude, saying that while they thank her for changing their lives, she says they’ve massively impacted hers, too -- helping her in countless ways over the years.

Ariana made it clear she wouldn’t be where she is today without them, saying her supporters have held her hand and healed her heart over the past decade.

Dwayne Johnson's bringing his movie star boogie to Oahu ... busting a move with his beautiful dance partner -- his mother, Ata Johnson.

The actor hit Aulani -- a Disney resort on the west side of the Hawaiian island -- where the world premiere of 'M2' took place Thursday evening ... and, he made it a family affair with his daughters, wife Lauren Hashian, and his mom.

The Rock, who plays the character Maui in the movie, has been famous for a long time ... which probably helped put his mom at ease -- 'cause she started showing off her dance moves, grooving to the beat as her son looked on.

Leonardo DiCaprio tried to go incognito as he usually does in public while exiting a Fiji island hotel --  but he first had to slip past a loud music ceremony, and it wasn't so easy.

Check out this video posted to TikTok ... the legendary actor is dressed in his customary undercover garb — wearing an all-black outfit with a matching baseball cap and shades.

Leo appears to have already checked out of the hotel as he strolls through the lobby and makes a call on his cell phone.

"Gladiator II" is one of the most anticipated films of the year, with a whopping $250 million budget -- and the cast definitely found time to live it up between those epic battle scenes.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, among others, were living their best lives on set in Morocco, England, and Malta -- where most of the film was shot, including the iconic Colosseum, which was recreated at Fort Ricasoli.

Clearly, it was an intense 49-day shoot, because Pedro and Paul were snapped cooling off in the ocean -- talk about a well-deserved splash break!

Move over, Regina George -- Andy Cohen just slid into the iconic spot alongside Lindsay Lohan and Lacey Chabert as they recreated a legendary "Mean Girls" scene.

On Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live," Lacey -- AKA Gretchen -- brought us back to high school, delivering the lunchroom scene where the Plastics laid down the rules for new girl Cady.

It's comedy gold -- Andy, rocking a blonde wig, absolutely nails his Regina moment -- totally obsessed with calories, and storming off for some cheese fries while Lacey keeps rattling off the rules.

Netflix's new holiday rom-com, "Hot Frosty," is sure to melt icy relations in the bedroom for some couples this winter ... this according to a renowned sex therapist.

Dr. Laura Berman, who is best known for her show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, tells TMZ ... the seasonal flick will likely help guys get laid during the winter months -- which is a notorious time for dry spells.

According to the doctor, studies show people's sex drives decrease in the winter months, especially around the holidays ... likely due to the stress and lack of alone time with families being home more. Depression is far more common in the winter, too.

The first crowd to see "Rust" audibly gasped during a scene that eerily paralleled the real-life tragedy that happened during filming ... when Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

One of the first reviews from the "Rust" premiere in Poland is out, and the report in Vulture says there was a noticeable shock in the room when a character was accidentally shot to death.

The shooting scene happens early in the film ... and the review says the crowd reaction was definitely related to Hutchins' death.

Alec Baldwin was absent from today's "Rust" premiere, hanging out instead in NYC this week -- as the film's opening focused on honoring cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who tragically lost her life on set of the movie in 2021.

Just days after Kazimierz Suwała, the director of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival, explained they didn’t invite Baldwin in order to avoid distractions ... the premiere in Toruń, Poland, went down without a hitch Wednesday -- Baldwin-free and drama-free.

It’s unclear if Baldwin would’ve attended even if invited, but he certainly looked off the clock, spotted pushing a stroller in NYC Monday. Regardless, Suwała made it crystal clear to The Hollywood Reporter the event wasn’t about Baldwin at all -- it was all about honoring Halyna.

Moviegoers will get a chance to see the world from Halyna Hutchins' point of view when they go see "Rust" ... so says the new cinematographer brought on to finish up the flick.

Bianca Cline -- the new director of photography brought on to finish the film -- spoke alongside director Joel Souza at Camerimage Film Festival in Poland Wednesday before the movie's world premiere ... telling the audience it's amazing so many people came out to support Halyna's vision.

Cline says all filmmaking is about being vulnerable, especially when it comes to cinematography ... explaining that, by watching the movie, viewers will really get a chance to see the world how Halyna saw it.

Wayne Knight’s health glow-up is next level ... and now he’s spilling the tea on it all, including how his weight loss has negatively impacted his Hollywood career.

We caught up with the actor at LAX on Tuesday, and he told us he’s shed a whopping 100 pounds since 1993's "Jurassic Park" -- something he's achieved by trying everything from therapy to radiation… and in true comic Wayne fashion, even "being taken by aliens."

Jokes aside, you’ve gotta watch the full video -- 'cause Wayne reveals which method actually worked best for him. Plus, he gets real about how years of yo-yo dieting have impacted him.

Paul Mescal can't believe his eyes after meeting his official doppelgänger ... who nabbed the title earlier this month in Ireland in a look-alike competition.

Unlike Timothée Chalamet, who made a surprise appearance at his own competition in NYC, the "Gladiator II" star didn't get the pleasure to attend the event ... though, the contest was clearly on his radar.

While speaking with the winner -- a recent college graduate named Jack Wall O’Reilly -- on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 'Breakfast Show' Wednesday, the Oscar nominee confessed he "saw the photo" after the fact ... applauding the young man, who he said "captured the spirit of me very well."

Denzel Washington is getting real about his battle with alcohol, admitting his wine consumption ravaged his body.

The Oscar-winning actor sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Esquire while promoting his new flick "Gladiator II" — and, at one point, he went into detail about his love for expensive wines.

Denzel said it started in earnest in 1999 when he constructed a ten-thousand-bottle wine cellar in his house, which only served to enhance his booze intake.

Demi Moore, Julianne Moore and Selena Gomez were among a bevy of stars attending Tuesday's "Elle Women In Hollywood" event — and all the ladies looked stunning in their amazing outfits.

Demi, Julianne, Selena and the other celebs arrived on the red carpet at the Four Seasons Hotel on Tuesday night, posing for a slew of paparazzi pics.

Check out the photos ... Demi sparkled in her gold reflective dress; Julianne looked elegant in her red gown; and Selena was a sight to see in her black jumpsuit.