The first “Wicked” film is already as long as the Broadway original, but only covers half of the show’s plot. The second movie, “Wicked: For Good,” scheduled for November, 21, 2025 will complete the story.
“Wicked,” the musical, is the second-highest-grossing Broadway show ever. The plot follows the origin story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, a character from the 1939 movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”
The movie version of “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Yeoh. Although recent cinema adaptions of stage musicals like “Cats” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” haven’t had box-office success, “Wicked” defied gravity and earned $744 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
Marc Platt, who produced the “Wicked” movie and stage production, said he initially intended for the story to be a film but changed his mind after speaking to Stephen Schwartz, who composed the music and lyrics for the stage musical.
“I waited a very long time to make the movie,” Platt said at the movie’s London premiere where Business Insider was in attendance.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande revealed the first ‘Wicked: For Good’ trailer at CinemaCon
On April 2, Erivo and Grande took to the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to present the “Wicked: For Good” trailer, giving a glimpse of what to expect from the story after the cliffhanger of the first film.
USA Today reported that the footage, which has not been released outside of CinemaCon, shows Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) hunting Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who’s on the run. Meanwhile, the green witch sows dissent against the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) by writing “Our Wizard lies” in the skies above Oz.
Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Fieryo are also seen getting married, and Elphaba leading a revolution with animals.
There is also a shot of Dorothy, who is the focus of the original “The Wizard of Oz” story, but the footage does not show her face.
Both parts of ‘Wicked’ were filmed at the same time
The cast, director, and crew have all shared reasons for splitting “Wicked” into two films.
Both the film’s director Jon Chu and its producer March Platt have said in interviews that they didn’t want to cram or cut songs or characters to fit the story into one movie.
Erivo told Entertainment Weekly in February 2024 that the split allowed more space to develop her character’s friendship and rivalry with Glinda the Good Witch, played by Grande.
A fan newsletter, “The Schwartz Scene,” reported that the composer said there had to be a break after “Defying Gravity,” the final song in the musical’s first act.
“We found it very difficult to get past ‘Defying Gravity’ without a break,” he said. “That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic.”
In 2023, Schwartz told the now-defunct site, The Messenger, that the second part will include new original songs written for the film.
“The storytelling required it, and therefore they were created—the intention was that they were organic and not imposed on the movie,” he said.
Both parts of “Wicked” were filmed simultaneously and all the stars from the first film will return in the sequel. This also makes it unlikely the sequel could be delayed by production issues and should arrive on schedule next November.
‘Wicked: For Good’ will likely cover the second act of the Broadway musical
Spoilers ahead for “Wicked,” the Broadway musical and the film.
The sequel’s title is named after the act two song “For Good,” performed by Elphaba and Glinda.
The first movie adapts the first act of the Broadway musical, explaining how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch.
Though Elphaba grew up being bullied and mistreated for her green skin and magical powers, she is desperate to prove she is as valuable as anyone else.
She and her younger sister Nessarose end up at Shiz University, a magical school in the world of Oz, but Elphaba is forced to share a room with a self-absorbed student called Glinda.
The pair bicker until they become friends. At the same time, both women fall for Prince Fiyero Tiggular, and Elphaba learns that someone is trying to cage Oz’s animals and stop them from speaking.
Later in the film, Elphaba is invited to meet the ruler of The Wizard of Oz and brings along Galinda, who now goes by Glinda.
They learn that the wizard is a con man and that he and Madame Morrible, a magic professor at Shiz, are behind the conspiracy against the talking animals.
They want to use Elphaba’s powers to help their plot because she is Oz’s chosen one, not the Wizard — she can read a special book of spells called the Grimmerie.
But Elphaba steals the book instead and leaves Emerald City, leaving behind Glinda, who still believes in the Wizard.
The second film will cover the second act, set a few years after the first. In this act, the story connects back to the plot of “The Wizard of Oz,” which viewers might be more familiar with from the 1939 film.
Glinda and Madame Morrible are part of the Wizard’s administration, and Fiyero is head of a hunting squad for Elphaba.
Nessarose has become a cruel governor of Munchkinland and earned the title of the Wicked Witch of the East.
Elphaba, now known as the Wicked Witch of the West, tries to do good for the animals and people of Oz, but her magic and actions continue to harm her loved ones.
When her sister is crushed and killed by Dorothy’s house, she vows to become truly wicked. This establishes her character as the witch depicted in “The Wizard of Oz” book and film.
There are no new characters in Act Two, except Dorothy, who is normally not played by a character onstage.
The post ‘Wicked: For Good’ picks up where the Oscar-winning ‘Wicked’ left off. Here’s everything we know about the film. appeared first on Business Insider.
