Wicked: For Good Movie Preview

A happy ending like in a fairy tale: "Wicked" was a huge success at the box office. The first part has so far grossed over 700 million dollars, setting the all-time record for musical film adaptations.

But of course the story is not over yet: the movie world is now getting ready for the sequel "Wicked: For Good", which will be released in theaters in November 2025. In this article, we take a closer look at the production and find out how the magical journey continues - and what differences viewers can expect in comparison to the musical!

The Starting Point

"Wicked: For Good" continues the story without interruption and covers the second half of the musical. While the first part mainly focused on Elphaba and Glinda getting to know each other, the sequel centers around the consequences of their decisions and further developments in the world of Oz.

After the dramatic events of the predecessor, Elphaba is on the run from the authorities in Oz. Her decision to stand up for her beliefs has made her an outlaw. At the same time, Glinda, who now occupies a key political position, has to deal with the moral consequences of her actions and her role in society. Their friendship is thus put to the test as their lives drift further and further apart.

Possible Changes in "Wicked: For Good"

The first movie already differed from the original in some ways. Not surprising: after all, at 162 minutes, Part 1 runs almost as long as the entire musical - including an intermission. Some of the supporting characters such as Boq and Nessarose, for example, were given a lot more focus, while other aspects of the plot were developed further in order to provide a clearer explanation.

For instance, the film shows a new flashback that sheds light on Elphaba's childhood and illustrates her trauma from being teased by the other children. This scene emphasizes Elphaba's role as an outsider and her longing for acceptance, which makes her later development into a supposedly evil witch more comprehensible.

Another example of a difference from the musical is when Elphaba and Fiyero meet in the forest before he officially arrives at the university. This encounter underlines Fiyero's differentness and his candor towards Elphaba, which makes their connection special from the start.

At the moment, it is unlikely that part 2 will be any shorter - so we can expect to see more differences between the musical and part 2.

Dorothy in the Spotlight

A core element of the sequel is Dorothy's arrival in Oz. She never actually appears in person in the musical, even though her adventure has an impact on the history of the witches. However, the makers of the movie have already confirmed that she will appear in the second part and an appropriate actress has been cast as well - even though it is not yet known who the successor to the legendary Judy Garland will be.

One possible approach would be to give Dorothy a bigger narrative role. In the musical, she usually remains in the background, but the film adaptation could bring her perspective more to the fore in order to illuminate the events from a new angle. This would also build a bridge to the classic "Wizard of Oz" and establish a connection to a wider audience.

New Musical Highlights

The music naturally plays a vital role once again. Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the original musical, has written new songs especially for the film adaptation. There weren't any new songs in Part 1 yet, though there were some changes to the well-known hits.

Probably the biggest musical variation, for example, concerns the song "One Short Day", which contains a new opening and a longer sequence entitled "Wizomania" in the film. The sequence is sung by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original actresses of Elphaba and Glinda from the musical.

In "Wicked: For Good" we can expect not one but two new songs. In an interview with USA Today, the composer explained that he had written even more for the project - but in the end, they only used the songs that the movie's story really needed. This of course makes us curious as to what changes to the story made it necessary to create new songs. So fans can expect some new features, while classics like "For Good" will of course not go by the board.

A New Title

Interestingly, a new title for the movie was recently announced: It has been renamed from "Wicked: Part Two" to "Wicked: For Good". "For Good" has a double meaning: on the one hand, it can be understood as "for the good", on the other hand, it also means "forever" or "final". This creates an exciting contrast to the main title "Wicked", which actually refers to the "Wicked" Witch of the West, Elphaba.

In addition, "For Good" is a tribute to a popular song from the second half of the musical, as fans will of course have recognized immediately. In this duet, Elphaba and Glinda reflect on how their friendship has shaped and changed their lives.

Cast

Cynthia Erivo will once again take on the role of Elphaba, now also known as the "Wicked Witch of the West". She is known for her powerful voice and exceptional acting skills. In the first part, these already brought an impressive amount of depth to this complex character. Her performance, which fluctuates between vulnerability and unbending strength, was highly praised by critics and nominated for a Golden Globe.

Pop icon Ariana Grande returns as Glinda, the "Good Witch of the North". Her performance in the first movie thrilled fans and critics alike. Grande's musical performances were among the highlights of the first part.

Jonathan Bailey, best known from the series "Bridgerton", will once again take on the role of Fiyero. His chemistry with the two leading actresses was already a crucial factor in the first film. As a charming character, Fiyero is also at the center of conflicts and emotional confusion in the second part - above all in the love triangle with Glinda and Elphaba.

A central role in part 2 is played by Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba's sister. Bode is in a wheelchair herself and adds authenticity and emotional depth to the portrayal of this important character. The two "Wicked" films represent her first ever appearance in movie theaters. Nessa's fate is closely linked to Elphaba's and in "Wicked: For Good" she brings about important changes in the character of the "Wicked Witch of the West".

The Story of Wicked: Act 2

Should you never have seen the musical and simply cannot wait until November, we will roughly summarize the story of the second act of the musical below. It will be exciting to see in what respects the film adaptation will differ. Of course, please be aware of spoilers - if you don't want to know anything about the story, you should skip this section.

In Act 2 of "Wicked", the conflict between Elphaba and Glinda escalates as Elphaba's reputation as the "Wicked Witch of the West" grows and Glinda is celebrated as the "Good Witch". Fiyero, who is now engaged to Glinda, secretly longs for his girlfriend Elphaba.

She visits her sister Nessarose and tries to save their relationship. In order to do this, she enchanted shoes with which her sister can walk. However, a tragic incident leads to her having to turn Boq into tin in order to save his life. To the others, however, this appears to be an evil deed. Back in the Emerald City, the sorcerer wants to use Elphaba for his own purposes. When she refuses, Fiyero helps her escape and the two spend a short but passionate time together.

After a series of tragic events, Fiyero finally sacrifices himself to save Elphaba. She is now completely distraught and assumes her reputation as "evil". In a final showdown, Glinda and Elphaba finally come to blows and we witness the finale from the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz". In the musical, however, we are shown that not everything went exactly as it seemed.

Production

Behind the scenes, little has changed: Jon M. Chu is responsible for directing, as he was for the first movie. His decision to tell the story in two parts allows him to do justice to the multi-faceted characters.

Filming took place in parallel with the first movie. This is also the reason why we can see the second film in cinemas just one year after the first. The production costs for both parts together amounted to a total of around 200 million US dollars, with a large part of the budget going towards special effects and the impressive sets.

In view of the huge success of the first part, expectations for the sequel are enormous. "Wicked" already generated 114 million US dollars on its opening weekend in the United States alone, making it one of the most successful musical film adaptations of all time. Universal Pictures is naturally planning another extensive marketing campaign to further increase the hype. The strategically chosen theatrical release date of November 21, 2025, shortly before the Thanksgiving weekend, should guarantee maximum visitor numbers.