Wicked has long been a cultural phenomenon. But it’s entered the zeitgeist in a new way ever since Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande took on their respective roles as Elphaba and Glinda and have run the press tour of a lifetime.
As people flock to see the highly anticipated second act, “Wicked: For Good,” many are once again going all out on their theater attire, down to the green face paint. But movie theaters aren’t quite on board with the cosplay.
The reason comes from a tragedy from several years ago.
Woman Asked To Remove Green Face Paint
In a viral video with more than 2 million views, content creator and cosplayer Diamond (@bbyg1rldee) shared her experience attending a Cinemark screening of “Wicked: For Good.”
In the photo, Diamond and her aunt were posing in the theater lobby, both dressed as characters from the film. Diamond wore green face paint and a green schoolgirl outfit with a black afro wig and glasses to portray Elphaba, while her aunt dressed as Glinda with blonde straight hair, a pink tiara, a pink dress, and a wand.
“Minutes before cinemark [told me] to wipe off my facepaint,” the text overlay reads.
“This is so dumb, but I complied,” Diamond said in the caption.
The Backstory
In an Instagram direct message, Diamond told BroBible she frequently cosplays and had been planning the outing for a while.
She and her aunt made a whole evening of it. They got into costume, went to Chili’s to try the Wicked margaritas, then headed to see the movie. When they arrived, they noticed other moviegoers in “Wicked”-themed attire, and the ticket counter staff even complimented their costumes and took photos of them.
But as they headed in they were abruptly stopped.
“This lady yells out ‘Ma’am’ and she literally ran up to me from the other side of the building and tells me I cant wear my face paint,” Diamond explained. “I asked ‘Why?’ she replied ‘It’s goes against our policies, I’m sorry.'”
Diamond asked to see the policy, and the staff member walked her over to a sign listing the theater’s rules.
“I said oh okay i’ll wash it off no problem,” Diamond recounted. “She apologized and told us to enjoy the movie.”
As Diamond headed to wash off the paint, one staff member yelled “sneak in!” which she found amusing. She wiped off the face paint as best she could and posted about it on TikTok, initially thinking nothing of it. But after sharing the story on Instagram, a friend told her about the 2012 Aurora shooting that prompted the rule.
“It all made sense. I definitely understand why it was put in place now,” Diamond said. “That story put more things into perspective for me.”
Why The Face Paint Rule Exists
Diamond isn’t the only person who’s had to forego their face paint at a Wicked screening.
Last year, there were several viral posts during the first “Wicked” release of people being turned away or told to scrub off paint in the bathroom, USA Today reported.
The policies stem from the 2012 mass shooting at a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The shooter wore a gas mask, ballistic helmet, and full tactical gear that initially obscured his identity.
In response, major theater chains, including AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, quickly implemented stricter safety policies prohibiting masks, face paint, helmets, and anything that covers or obscures the face.
Beyond security concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle notes that theaters are also concerned about face paint potentially staining seats and other areas.
Enforcement of these policies appears inconsistent, with some theatergoers reporting they were allowed in with face paint while others at the same chains were turned away.
‘Wicked’ Drives Record Box Office
“Wicked: For Good” opened with $147 million domestically and $223 million globally in November 2025, setting records as the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, Variety reported.
The first film, released in November 2024, earned $758 million globally and became the third-biggest domestic debut of 2024.
Commenters React
“Yall keep bringing up the shooting when theaters don’t even check purses,” a top comment read.
“Cinemark needs to adjust the policy, facemasks are understandable, but face paint is a reach. If they cared about safety, they would have security checks or metal detectors. That’s more likely to stop a shooting versus a ban on face-paint,” a person said.
“As someone who lived in Aurora Co when it happened pls don’t do this yall im still traumatized,” another wrote.
“Greenface isn’t a crime,” a commenter seemed to joke.
BroBible reached out to Diamond for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Cinemark for comment via email.