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

Wicked: For Good Director Says The Sequel "Gets Messy"

Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu discusses the tonal shift in the sequel, while stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo tease the song "For Good."

We've been watching musical or book fans do the same thing to movie-only fans over the last month or so regarding Wicked that comic book fans have been doing to regular civilians for years. That is walking around with this shared sense of, "Oh, they have no idea what's coming." It's either a good or bad thing that fans of the movie could easily read the book or find a recording of the musical to watch if they want to know how all of this wraps up, but for now, people are still playing the spoiler game to the best of their abilities. We'll see if everyone manages to pull that off for nearly an entire year. For now, we have the cast of the first film doing the rounds for the awards season while also dropping some hints for Wicked: For Good because we have to start that marketing cycle early. Director Jon M. Chu tried to keep it vague to Variety, saying, "It gets messy." However, Chu doesn't believe that messiness or shift in tone will affect the audience, "I think if they're following the emotions of this movie, they'll walk with us."

As for the song that the sequel is named after, it's probably the bigger one of the second half of the musical. Even fans of this show admit that it's a pretty first-half-heavy show, with the second half not being bad but just not being as strong as the second half. However, For Good is one of the bangers of the second half, and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are already vaguely talking about how emotional it was to film and sing that song specifically. Grande explained, "The scene that leads up to it — and afterwards — is quite a meal. I do remember, at a point, leaving my body and hovering for, like, the whole week."  As for Erivo, she didn't quite have the words without spoiling what was going on for those who are trying to stay spoiler-free. "That was… That was a lot," was all she was able to say at this time.

We'll probably hear more about Wicked: For Good in the lead-up to the Oscars, with the narrative already being pushed that an Academy Award could be seen as "righting the wrong" that occurred when the original musical didn't win a Tony. By then, it'll be March and April, and the next leg of the marketing tour for the second film will probably kick-off, so we hope you're not sick of any of this just yet because we probably have another year and a half [if we're including a potential 2026 awards run for the second film] to go.

Wicked: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

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. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning 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. 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 and will be released in theaters on November 22, 2024. Wicked: For Good is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 21, 2025.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!