We have been changed (for good!) now that “Wicked: For Good” is finally out in the world.
After an entire year of waiting, the second and (hopefully) final part of Jon M. Chu’s imaginative adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, made its way to theaters on Nov. 21. The wrap-up movie picks up some time after Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba defied gravity and the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) authoritarian regime, and single-handedly changed the future of Oz.
With Elphaba now living in exile after Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) Wicked Witch propaganda campaign, and Glinda the Good (Grande) enjoying the palace perks of Emerald City, the sequel follows the estranged witches of Oz as they grapple with the consequences of their choices in Part 1.
Longtime “Wicked” fans may already be familiar with how the rest of this untold origin story goes. Still, with a runtime of 2 hours and 17 minutes, Chu once again takes audiences on a grandiose ride through the Land of Oz that leads to an electric finale sealing Glinda and Elphaba’s fates, yes, for good.
In this chat below, HuffPost staffers talk about everything you need to know about “Wicked: For Good,” including Grande’s and Erivo’s Oscar-contending performances, the long-awaited “Wizard of Oz” character reveals, and the songs and scenes that have everyone talking — plus, what’s been said so far about another potential sequel.
Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Are Perfectly Cast In ‘Wicked: For Good’
I truly cannot imagine anyone else in the roles of Glinda and Elphaba. Obviously, a bunch of actors auditioned for these roles, including pop star Reneé Rapp and actor Amanda Seyfried (for Glinda) and actors Cristin Milioti and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (for Elphaba), among others. But Ariana Grande as Glinda has proven to be a perfect choice for this production — she obviously has the singing chops and has clung to her acting talents from her Nickelodeon days. Variety says Grande’s performance in “For Good” solidifies her as a bona fide movie star.
Cynthia Erivo is no stranger to Broadway, obviously, as she won a Tony for her stirring performance as Celie in “The Color Purple” on the Great White Way. She’s had numerous film and TV roles, including “Harriet,” “Widows” and “Genius: Respect.” In “For Good,” Erivo is truly enchanting — and I won’t forget that incredible riff in “Defying Gravity” any time soon. — Erin
You said it perfectly, Erin! From the chemistry we’ve seen on the press tours alone, it’s clear these two were meant to play these roles together. I will say that while Grande is getting a lot of praise for her performance in this second film, it’s Erivo who blew me away. Of course, she was just as dynamic in “Wicked” — who could forget that spellbinding finale performance of “Defying Gravity.” But the emotional depth she brings to Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” from accepting her fate as the Wicked Witch of the West to convincing everyone, even Glinda, that she went down melting, made me really love this film. Hearing her sing “No Good Deed” gave me chills. — Njera
All Our Thoughts About The ‘Wizard of Oz’ Character Reveals
I’ve never seen the stage play of “Wicked,” nor have I ever read the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. So I really did not know what to expect for either film. That said, the reveals for the Wicked Witch of the East, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion were really fun and surprising. I could feel myself getting angry during Nessarose’s (Marissa Bode) scene with Boq (Ethan Slater). Then it was like a lightbulb finally went off when I finally figured out what was going on. I kind of loved that we never get a fully focused moment on Dorothy (Bethany Weaver). My only quibble is that by the time we meet the Scarecrow, it seems like it’d be WAY too late for him to meet up with Dorothy as her first companion on the yellow brick road. The Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) kept pissing me off with his scary self. I will say, after all the hoopla around Domingo getting this role, he was the most frustrating character to watch. — Erin
I, too, went into watching “Wicked: For Good” without knowing all the lore, which I think made it more exciting to figure out whose character would turn into whom from “The Wizard of Oz.” Nessarose took me by surprise, but I realized who Boq would become during their dramatic breakup scene (which gives a smart hint if you pay close attention). Thinking back on the events of “Wicked” and Elphaba’s commitment to vindicating the animals, I also figured out how they’d bring The Cowardly Lion’s character full circle. My only complaint is that the few lines we get from him (Colman Domingo deserved more!) were spent bashing Elphaba when all she tried to do was help. Again, justice for my girl!
When it came to the Scarecrow, I agree, Erin, I felt like his transformation happened way too late for him to have time to meet Dorothy, befriend her and agree to accompany her to see the Wizard. That timeline simply didn’t make sense to me. In my opinion, that character also didn’t have the traits that would justify him being the Scarecrow, but I guess that’s how this adaptation needed to stay true to the original story, especially for the ending to play out how it did. But all in all, these reveals were fun to piece together in the theater. — Njera
Could The Two Films Be 1 Better Film?
If I had to log one real complaint about our “Wicked” saga over the last year, I’d say that there’s no reason this two-parter couldn’t have been one movie. This goes counter to my general feelings that most movies should only be 90 minutes long. But there’s no reason this story needed to be told in almost five hours. I’ve been reading about the source material, and apparently, it’s widely known that Act 2 of the stage musical is weaker than Act 1. If that’s so, I don’t see why this couldn’t have been one 2-hour and 45-minute film. It’s still long, yet perhaps it could’ve made the whole project stronger with just one viewing experience. — Erin
Agreed, I honestly think we need to abandon the idea of splitting movies into multiple parts if there’s not enough justification. I enjoyed “Wicked,” but even with its spectacular songs, a nearly three-hour movie is a very exhausting watch. And even though I thought “Wicked: For Good” moved its plot along a bit too fast, especially toward the end, it still didn’t need to be longer than two hours. If someone can point out a non-capitalistic reason as to why this musical needed two separate films, then maybe I’ll change my tune. But I feel like we, the viewers, could’ve still had a satisfying experience if Jon M. Chu trimmed the fat down and found a way to tell this sweeping story in one sitting. A 15-minute intermission à la-“The Brutalist” could’ve definitely worked here. — Njera
The ‘Wicked’ Sex Scene
OK, so I wasn’t expecting much from this steamy scene between Fiyero and Elphaba in her hideout, given that this movie is rated PG. However, I was still surprised that this rather horny scene alludes so much to these two doing the horizontal tango after professing their love to each other with “As Long As You’re Mine,” just… without all the bells and whistles. All that said, I have a bone to pick with Chu and costume designer Paul Tazewell about that big ass chunky knit cardigan Elphaba wears for the majority of the scene. I get it, this is a family-friendly movie that millions of kids are watching, too. Still, Elphaba could’ve worn some tasteful lingerie more fitting for the moment. I mean, what was the point of having her disrobe from her witchy garments just to cover up with THAT ratty ol’ thing to have sex?
In an interview with Deadline, Chu said he purposely made this sex scene less sexy than the Broadway version, but I think that was a mistake. Between getting no tender Elphaba-Fiyero kiss and the biggest cardigan I’ve ever seen someone wear to bed, we deserved a little more here. If we’re going to go all out with this finale, it should’ve been with a bang. Or at least some more provocative gestures about a bang. — Njera
That cardigan was SO funny to me. Honestly, I’d wear it myself — but definitely not for sexy time. It looks like the kind of cardigan I’d keep at work over the back of my chair for when it gets a little cold. It looks like Elphaba had on some black lingerie underneath that blanket-like sweater, and I would have been so happy to see more of a reveal of that lil’ number. I’m glad Elphaba and Fiyero got to have a moment, but yes, I would have loved for it to be at least twice as sexy. At least! — Erin
Let’s Evaluate The Songs
The most common sentiment I’ve heard about “Wicked: For Good,” which I agree with, is that the songs are much less memorable than those from the first movie. They’re not bad, per se (the Jeff Goldblum-assisted “Wonderful” is pretty fun), but collectively, I didn’t enjoy them as much as I had hoped. Erivo’s performance of “No Good Deed” is probably my second favorite overall, but the very emotional anchor song “For Good” takes the cake. Grande and Erivo’s duet nearly made me shed a tear in the theater. And like “Defying Gravity,” it’ll probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the year. — Njera
I’ve been listening to the soundtracks — to Part 1 and Part 2 on repeat since I saw the film last week. I absolutely loved that duet, “For Good.” One thing I found really fascinating is that there are parts where I couldn’t tell whether Erivo or Grande was taking the high notes. I looooove a good harmony, and they nailed it. I will say, I definitely cringed at the moments when Yeoh had to sing. She’s an incredible actor, but her singing voice is not strong at all. — Erin
About THAT Ending
Again, I wasn’t familiar with everything that happened in the “Wicked” stage play before seeing “For Good,” so the ending took me by complete surprise. In my head, I thought this was a plot twist Chu threw in to give the second film an epic finale. But either way, I loved it. In fact, I cheered when what I thought would be a sad, sad end to Elphaba’s story turned out to be triumphant in all the best ways. Without giving away too much, the “good guys” get their happy ending (or as happy as they can be after everything that went down), and the villains, including that evil Madame Morrible, all answer for their crimes. I thought it was a satisfying conclusion to this wild “Wicked” ride, so hopefully all this talk about another sequel doesn’t change that. — Njera
The ending of the film blew me away — again, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect. There’s a little twist to the plot of “The Wizard of Oz,” but is original to the stage production of “Wicked.” (I won’t spoil it here, either!) It was very fulfilling. — Erin
Apparently, There Might Be More Sequels Coming?
Universal, the studio behind “Wicked,” told Vulture this about the potential for more of Elphaba and Glinda: “Because of ‘Wicked’s’ success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe,” Michael Moses, the chief marketing officer at Universal, told Vulture. “Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway.”
Sounds like a money grab to me! I don’t think we really need this, but seeing how much money “Wicked” has raked in, not just the films, but all the marketing ploys around it, I’d be surprised if Hollywood didn’t go after more. But you know, we always could use that money to fund more original productions! Just saying! — Erin
Hollywood’s capitalistic urge to churn out more sequels to a movie solely based on its financial success, versus a creative cause, will never cease to amaze me. This is like the “Barbie” effect all over again, which has foolishly paved the way for more forthcoming toy-inspired films, including a live-action version of “My Little Pony” and “Hot Wheels”... again, who asked for these? “Wicked: For Good” ended the way it should. There’s no need to continue from here. We’ve had enough “Wicked” promo to last two lifetimes — Universal, please don’t torture us with more.
Chu told Variety there are “a lot of ideas” flying around about a third “Wicked” film, but I’m siding with Bowen Yang’s take on that: “I think we leave it here.”
Like you said, Erin, there’s a world where all that money could be put to better use to fund more original movies (the ones that Hollywood still hasn’t figured out can be just as successful as existing IP). But sadly, at the end of the day, showbiz is still just that — a business more worried about getting its return on investment than investing in originality. But sure, another “Wicked” movie is just what we need. — Njera
So Do We Think ‘Wicked: For Good’ Will Nab Some Oscars?
“Wicked” earned two Academy Awards earlier this year, for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, among other nods. “Wicked: For Good” has appeared on a number of short lists for the 2026 awards ceremony. (The nominations will be announced in January.) I think it’ll win Best Costume Design again, but the production design for “Frankenstein” was very impressive. Grande could be up against Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”) and Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), which I thought were stronger performances. Erivo, in the Best Actress category, would likely be against Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”). I saw “Hamnet” last week, and whew, Buckley is incredible there. — Erin
I’ve seen mixed responses to the “Wicked: For Good” Oscars buzz, with some people noting how the sequel doesn’t quite compare to how great the first film was, much less the rest of this year’s award-worthy releases. The Best Actress and Supporting Actress categories have some serious competition, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the franchise nabbed another Best Picture nomination. Best Costume Design seems like a given, but we’ll just have to wait and see if the movie can pull off wins in the main categories, too. — Njera
“Wicked: For Good” is in theaters now.