WELLA PROFESSIONALS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSAL PICTURES' WICKED TO CELEBRATE BOLD BEAUTY AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Universal Pictures' Wicked arrives in theaters November 22, 2024

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wella Professionals is thrilled to announce its first-ever global co-branded partnership with a major motion picture. Inspired by the spellbinding transformations in Universal Pictures' new cinematic event, Wicked, Wella Professionals is bringing magic in the hair to the world with our ultimate power duo: Ultimate Repair and Color collections.

Based on the beloved stage musical, Wicked (in theaters Nov. 22) is the untold story of the witches of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda, whose unlikely friendship will see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

To unleash magic transformations and encourage color glow ups with enchanting repair rituals, Wella Professionals offers a wide portfolio to enable creativity. For Elphaba inspired looks, Wella Professionals Color Touch and Wella Professionals Koleston Perfect provide intensely vibrant darks, while Wella Professionals Shinefinity and Wella Professionals Illumina Color can help with playful pastel lights for Glinda inspired looks, with the use of Wella Professionals Blondor across all Wicked inspired looks. To repair the damage, the magic power of Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair line provides long lasting inside out repair for all hair types.

As part of the Wella wizardry, the brand developed a limited-edition care set to thrillify fans spotlighting products from Wella Professionals, the #1 Salon Color Brand* in the world and O.P.I. This enchanting ritual unlocks the miracle of repair for magical transformations. Like a spell, Wella Professionals and O.P.I. Care formulas will repair and strengthen hair and nails.

"As a brand that celebrates individuality, self-expression and creativity, Wella Professionals is thrilled to partner with Universal Pictures' Wicked. Much like the film elevates traditional storytelling, Wella Professionals aims to empower stylists and individuals to redefine beauty standards and embrace their personal style. This collaboration allows Wella Professionals to bring bold, culturally relevant hair trends to life, embodying the spirit of transformation and self-discovery that both Wella and Wicked stand for." said Lori Pantel, Chief Marketing Officer Wella Company.

The Spellbonding Hair & Nail Repair Set includes:

• Wella Professionals Miracle Hair Rescue: A hair repair treatment that helps repair hair damage in 90 seconds. This leave-on spray—powered by Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA) and Omega-9—detangles wet hair and strengthens, smooths, and rebuilds hair inside and out. Transformative results after just one use.
• OPI Repair Mode Bond Building Serum: Patented Ulti-Plex Technology™ repairs nail keratin structure by penetrating the surface to build new bonds INSIDE the natural nail.
• And a Limited Edition Wella x Wicked Branded Comb

This Spellbonding Hair & Nail Repair Set will be available exclusively at Ulta locations worldwide while supplies last.

About Wella Company
We are Wella Company, an innovative global leader in the beauty industry that combines its iconic 140+ years history and industry expertise with its emerging status as a category-leading high-growth company. Since 2020, Wella Company has galvanized the transformation of our business and brands to become one of the fastest-growing companies in the beauty sector. Our portfolio of leading professional and retail hair, nails, and beauty tech brands includes Wella Professionals, O•P•I, ghd, Briogeo, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, and Clairol. Wella Professionals is the No. 1 Salon Color Brand in the World^vii and OPI is the #1 Professional Nail Salon Brand Worldwide. With an ambition to become the best beauty company in the industry, we inspire consumers and beauty professionals through our brands to look, feel, and be their true selves. We approach the product creation process by rigorously combining science, technology, and artistry to develop performance-led products, often distinguished by patented technology, a mark of the legendary Wella Company difference.

Guided by our company values and led by our ambition to deliver positive impact on people, through our products and towards our planet and society, we strive to deliver sustainable growth to our stakeholders. We proudly support the salon industry, the stylists, and the artists we serve across the 127 countries in which we operate. We impact a diverse community of more than 91 million beauty lovers and industry professionals, social influencers, ambassadors, followers, employees, customers, and suppliers across the globe. This is our Wella Family. We are continuing our journey to sustainably improve our products, reduce our impact on the environment, and create a culture where all employees act as owners who are invested in our shared success – through these efforts we are working to ensure Wella Company prospers for generations to come. For more information on Wella Company, visit www.wellacompany.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Universal Pictures' Wicked
After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. 

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 21, 2025.

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning and Oscar^®-nominated powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway's The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. 

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film also stars Oscar^® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University's regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway's Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba's favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.

Wicked is produced by Marc Platt p.g.a. (La La Land, The Little Mermaid), whose films, television shows and stage productions have earned a combined 46 Oscar^® nominations, 58 Emmy nominations and 36 Tony nominations, and by multiple Tony winner David Stone (Kimberly Akimbo, Next to Normal), with whom Platt produced the blockbuster Wicked stage musical. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

Wicked is based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar^® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

The Broadway stage musical is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Marc Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. 

*Based on Wella Master Brand USD sales on the 2022 Salon Hair Care study for the hair coloring products category published by Kline

SOURCE Wella Professionals