Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: Wicked: For Good

In Wicked: For Good ""The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever For Elphaba"

Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu believes the second half of the movie is where stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande really shine.

When it was announced that Universal had made the decision to split Wicked into two films, even fans of the musical were a little worried. While the first act of the musical is very good, and while the second act is far from bad, it just doesn't compare to the first. So it's going to be really interesting to see if that lackluster reception to the second half of the musical carries over to the second film. It certainly hasn't for one person involved, and that's director Jon M. Chu. While speaking to Empire, he revealed that while the first half was good, Wicked: For Good is where stars Cynthia Erivo (as Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (as Glinda) really shine.

"I love that people get to see the full masterplan, and the full scope of what Cynthia and Ariana do in this movie," Chu revealed.. "I'm so happy they were appreciated in the first one, but movie two is where the meat comes out."

Wicked: For Good is also different in terms of what is on the line for all of the characters. This isn't rivalry at school anymore, things are getting very real, and very dangerous. And no is in more danger or has high stakes than Elphaba. Chu explained, "The stakes are higher than ever for Elphaba. She's fighting to expose the Wizard, but she's alone in that. Can one person actually make a difference? She's up against the Wizard's propaganda, calling her the Wicked Witch, talking about how her skin is green and her soul is impure. What happens when the home you believed in doesn't want you anymore? Is it worth defending? Why stay?"

Wicked: For Good is based on a musical that came out in 2003, and the musical was based on a book that was released in 1995, so the statute of limitations for spoilers expired a long time ago. The explanation and fates for all of the characters introduced in the first movie will be the sort of reveal that people unfamiliar with the source material are either going to really like or really hate. Wicked: For Good will be a massive presence during the fall movie season, but will it be as big as the first one?

Wicked: For Good – Summary, Cast List, Release

And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend …

Last year's global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.

Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz's silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.

As Glinda's stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba's sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: For Good also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda's fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba's childhood nanny, Dulcibear.

The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.

Wicked: For Good is based on the generation-defining 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 & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Wicked: For Good will be released in theaters on November 21, 2025.

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