The wait is almost over. The beloved musical “Wicked: For Good” will hit theaters on Nov. 21, 2025. Running at two hours and 17 minutes, this film promises to deliver the dark, high stakes drama of the stage show’s second act, finally revealing how Elphaba and Glinda become the iconic rivals we know from “The Wizard of Oz.”
The sequel, adapted from the latter half of Gregory Maguire’s novel, picks up immediately where ‘Wicked: Part One’ left off: Elphaba has just defied the Wizard and Madame Morrible, flying away from the Emerald City after declaring herself an enemy of the corrupt state. While Elphaba embraces her new identity as the Wicked Witch of the West, her former best friend Glinda chooses to remain behind, accepting the public persona of Glinda the Good in a political arrangement that fractures their friendship.
The central action of the movie will be focused on the consequences of that decision. We will see Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, as a hunted fugitive fighting for the rights of the suppressed animals of Oz. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) must navigate the Wizard’s court, a role she takes on with the hope of changing the system from the inside, but which forces her to become a tool in the propaganda machine against Elphaba.
The returning cast, including Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, have expressed with great gratitude and awe the scale and emotional depth of this final installment. At the 97th Academy Awards in March of 2025, Goldblum said, “Elphaba and Glinda will further thrill you [viewers] and chill you [viewers] and devastate you [viewers].”
What the audience is most eagerly anticipating, beyond the visual spectacle of Elphaba’s final turn, is the payoff to the central friendship. The film will feature the iconic duet “For Good,” which happens when Elphaba and Glinda finally find a moment of peace amidst the chaos.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Jon M. Chu has revealed that the film will have a more emotional, mature tone than the first, focusing on loneliness and the unintended effects of Elphaba and Glinda’s choices, saying,
“If part one is about choices, part two is about consequences. Choices are difficult to make, but when you do make those choices, sometimes the result isn’t what you expect it to be.”
Fans are eagerly anticipating the final installment to learn the truth behind the Wicked Witch’s demise, following the success of the prequel ‘Wicked’ that was released on Nov. 22, 2024.
