Wicked: For Good, the highly anticipated second installment of the hit Broadway musical’s film adaptation, is coming out in theaters on Nov. 21 — much to the excitement of fans who have been waiting since the first film’s release late last year.
For Good stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as the leading characters, Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in a story that picks up sometime after the end of Wicked: Part One.
The first movie, which came out in November 2024, was a massive box office success, earning more than $750 million worldwide and becoming the top-grossing film based on a Broadway musical of all time.
Director Jon M. Chu first announced in April 2022 that Wicked would be split into two parts, so that “we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.”
As we prepare to return to Oz and catch up with our beloved characters, here’s what we know about the upcoming sequel.
Who is in the cast?
The first and second movies were filmed back-to-back, so a lot of the original cast is returning. In addition to Grande and Erivo, the second film will feature performances by Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Ethan Slater (Boq) and Marissa Bode (Nessarose).
Grande as Glinda. (Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Chu teased that Dorothy would play a bigger role in the second movie in a November 2024 interview with Screen Rant.
Chu said the presence of Dorothy in For Good “is important because that plays a significant role in what will happen.”
“But you’ll have to see movie 2 to know how far we go with her,” Chu said.
What we know about the storyline
For Good will take place sometime after the ending of Part One, when Elphaba flies away from the Wizard and Madame Morrible. Chu has said that For Good’s plot will align with what happens in the second act of the theater musical, with some slight adjustments.
In the theater production’s second act, Glinda is reintroduced as “Glinda the Good,” a public figure for the people of Oz, and announces she and Fiyero are engaged, which is surprising news to Fiyero, who is continuing to search for Elphaba. The Wizard and Madame Morrible have launched an Oz-wide smear campaign against Elphaba — calling her the “Wicked Witch of the West” — while Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, has been appointed the mayor of Munchkinland. Then, suddenly, Elphaba, who has been on the run, returns, and the story escalates.
Chu said For Good’s plot will be a little darker than the first movie.
“It gets messy,” Chu told Variety in January.
Glinda and Elphaba reunite after some time apart in “Wicked: For Good.” (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Erivo described how the plot will showcase the emotional aftermath of Glinda and Elphaba going their separate ways at the end of the first movie on Good Morning America in February.
“It becomes a little darker for them, a little tougher for them,” Erivo said. “But I think it’s really beautiful the journeys that they have to go on, whether or not they come back together, I don’t know. You have to see.”
Still, the plot won’t be entirely negative, Chu told Entertainment Weekly in November 2024. For Good will balance its heavier themes with some moments of levity.
“There’s a lot of fun parts. We’ve not forgotten about that,” Chu said. “But there’s a matureness and a nuance to it that we earn from the first movie.”
How ‘For Good’ will tie into the first movie
While time has passed between the end of Wicked: Part One and the start of For Good, the sequel will remain closely tied to the emotional and narrative choices present throughout the first film.
Chu summarized Wicked: Part One as being about “choices” — Glinda decides to stay in Oz, while Elphaba leaves. For Good, he explained, is about the “consequences.”
“There’s a lot of soul searching in movie 2,” Chu told Entertainment Weekly. “They’re asking, ‘Is this the right decision that you made?’”
What we know about the soundtrack
The songs in Wicked: Part One align with the Broadway musical’s first act, so For Good is expected to follow the second act’s setlist. The songs in the Broadway musical’s second act are:
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“No One Mourns the Wicked” (Reprise)
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“The Wicked Witch of the East”
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“I’m Not That Girl” (Reprise)
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“As Long As You’re Mine”
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“March of the Witch-Hunters”
Erivo as Elphaba. (Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection)
However, unlike the first movie, the second film’s soundtrack will include two brand-new songs, which were announced on Sept. 17. The new songs are “The Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Glinda (Grande), and “No Place Like Home,” performed by Elphaba (Erivo).
In addition to the new songs, “there is a lot that’s new in several other existing songs,” composer Stephen Schwartz said in a recent statement.
Fans have been anticipating new songs since Schwartz announced he had written original material for the second movie in December 2023.
“The storytelling required it, and therefore they were created,” he told the Messenger, according to Playbill. “The intention was that they were organic and not imposed on the movie.”
Erivo said she helped cowrite one of the new songs in an interview with Variety in December 2024, though she did not provide details at the time.
“It’s so special to me,” she said. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready.”
Why is the movie called ‘Wicked: For Good’?
The title For Good is a reference to one of the songs in the second act. The duet is between Glinda and Elphaba as they reflect on how they have changed each other’s lives “for good” before they decide to part ways.
Grande and Erivo hinted at the significance of the song in a joint interview with Variety in January.
“The scene that leads up to it — and afterwards — is quite a meal,” Grande said. “I do remember, at a point, leaving my body and hovering for, like, the whole week.”
“That was a lot,” Erivo said.
How long is the sequel?
It has a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, according to AMC. This is slightly shorter than the first movie, which clocked in at 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Where can I watch ‘Wicked: Part One’?
The first movie is currently streaming on Peacock.
A look at all the teasers and trailers (so far)
The first official trailer for Wicked: For Good dropped on June 4 and begins with a tense reunion between Glinda and Elphaba on a balcony in Oz. The trailer then flashes between scenes of their separate lives, hinting at some of the darkness audiences should expect to see throughout the sequel.
There are some eye-catching scenes quickly shown: Glinda in her wedding dress, shots of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and the Cowardly Lion, and flashbacks to Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship in the first movie.
Another teaser dropped on Sept. 3, offering a closer glimpse into Glinda’s point of view at the start of the film, before Elphaba reenters her life.
Universal also shared a behind-the-scenes first-look video in August, featuring new interviews with the cast members about what fans can expect from the next chapter in Oz.
