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

Wicked: For Good Features A "Heavier" And "More Complicated" World

Wicked: For Good star Jonathan Bailey says he is "really excited for the tonal shift" now that the groundwork has been laid.

If the box office is anything to go by, everyone is still very invested in Wicked. We have a little under a year before Wicked: For Good comes out, and we are already talking about it. For fans and Universal, that's the benefit of shooting back-to-back and having established material like this. Movie-only fans will have to channel their inner Neo in The Matrix to try and dodge spoilers if they don't want to know how this thing ends.

Even without knowing how the story's second half goes, it's very clear from the end that things are about to take a pretty hard left turn from where we were at the beginning of the film. One of the people who is teasing the shift in the story is Jonathan Bailey. Fiyero becomes a major player in the dynamic between Glinda and Elphaba, and Bailey explained to IndieWire that he's excited to explore this "heavier and more complicated" world now that all of the groundwork has been laid,

"I think we understand the world and how it works [now]," Bailey said. "I'm really excited for the tonal shift. The world gets heavier and more complicated and there's just that pumping sense of hope and joy and resilience and all the things that we love about Elphaba's journey that I can't wait for."

There are many big songs in the second half of the musical, though they aren't usually as well-known as "Defying Gravity" or "Popular. " However, there is one in Wicked: For Good that Bailey is specifically looking forward to because, as he revealed in the interview, it was actually one of his favorite songs.

"'As Long as You're Mine,' I was listening to that on [my] bike on the way to meet Jon Chu back, you know, however many years ago, and that's always been one of my favorite songs," Bailey said about his apropos music choice for his first chat with the director. "So I'm really excited for that as well. It's amazing."

"As Long as You're Mine" is a ballad between Fireyo and Elphaba, so everyone who was into their scenes has plenty to look forward to once we get to Wicked: For Good. The movie is currently making the rounds for the awards circuit, but so far, it has only won a Golden Globe, which is a bit weird and almost seems like a participation trophy, which is a shame. There are a lot of fans who are looking to this movie awards cycle as "redemption" for the fact that Wicked didn't win big at the Tony's. We're going to get little bits of information about Wicked: For Good until the end of the awards season, and then, maybe, we'll get a short break before this whole cycle starts up again. We can hope the cast will get a break somewhere.

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.

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