Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good

The Final Chapter

By Anthony Xiradakis

"Between two souls who clash, friendship always finds its way to the light."

November 19, 2025 marks the triumphant return of Elphaba and Glinda to screens worldwide. Following the planetary tidal wave of the first installment, Jon M. Chu completes his masterful diptych with Wicked: For Good, an epic conclusion that promises to move as much as it enchants. The title itself resonates with particular depth, a direct reference to the heartbreaking ballad that forever binds the two witches of the Land of Oz.

An Ambitious Genesis

The story behind this adaptation remains as fascinating as the characters it depicts. For years, Universal Pictures sought the ideal formula to bring Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's musical to the screen, a Broadway triumph since 2003. In 2021, Jon M. Chu officially took the helm of the project. The crucial decision came during filming: splitting the work into two distinct films.

Stephen Schwartz, composer of the songs, reveals that this division stemmed from difficulties the team encountered in continuing the story after "Defying Gravity" without marking a pause. This iconic song, which closes the first act of the show, represents an emotional peak impossible to overcome in continuous narration. The decision, far from being mercenary, responds to an artistic requirement: doing justice to each character, developing each narrative arc, honoring each musical note.

Filming of both installments occurred simultaneously between December 2022 and January 2024 in England, interrupted in July 2023 by the actors' strike. This colossal production mobilized exceptional talents: Alice Brooks on cinematography, Nathan Crowley on sets, Paul Tazewell on sumptuous costumes.

Elphaba's Shattered Destiny

Branded the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba now lives in exile, hidden in the forest. She pursues her tireless fight for the freedom of muzzled animals while seeking to reveal the true nature of the Wizard of Oz. This solitary quest forges a more determined, more radical character, definitively transformed by the betrayals she has endured.

Cynthia Erivo returns to this role that resonates deeply with her own experience. The British actress, already crowned with a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy, could capture the coveted Oscar with this performance. She already holds the Tony Award for her masterful portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple in 2016, the Grammy Award for the show's album in 2017, as well as a Daytime Emmy Award. A victory at the 2026 Oscars would propel her into the ultra-exclusive club of artists who have achieved EGOT status.

Erivo performs and co-writes one of the new original songs composed especially for the film. This creation could earn her an additional nomination for Best Original Song, multiplying her chances of reaching this legendary status.

Elphaba's green skin symbolizes far more than a physical difference. It embodies all forms of ostracism, rejection, and misunderstanding suffered by those who refuse to conform. Erivo breathes heartbreaking vulnerability beneath the armor of determination into her character, creating a complex heroine who transcends simplistic categories of good and evil.

Glinda and the Traps of Glory

Glinda now embodies glamour and virtue, installed in the Emerald Palace where she enjoys the privileges of her celebrity. Under the influence of Madame Morrible, she works to strengthen the image of the Wizard's reign among the people. This trajectory diametrically opposes the two friends: one chooses marginal rebellion, the other comfortable collaboration.

Ariana Grande composes a Glinda far more nuanced than she appears. Behind the dazzling smile and shimmering dresses hides a woman consumed by guilt. As she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero in a sumptuous grandiOz wedding, Glinda remains haunted by Elphaba. Gnawed by remorse, she attempts a reconciliation that fails and worsens her friend's situation.

The Californian singer realizes a childhood dream. At age 15, she made her Broadway debut with one goal in mind: to embody Glinda the Good Witch. More than two decades later, this dream materializes in a production of colossal means. Her crystalline voice, capable of dizzying technical prowess, serves Schwartz's compositions beautifully.

A Heartbreaking Love Triangle

Jonathan Bailey reprises the role of Fiyero Tigelaar, Prince of Arland whose destiny swings between the two witches. The British actor, revealed in the series Bridgerton, brings charisma and emotional depth to this pivotal character. The consequences of Glinda and Elphaba's choices weigh heavily on Fiyero, as well as on Boq and Nessarose, Elphaba's sister.

Fiyero's narrative arc takes on a tragic dimension in this second installment. Torn between his official engagement to Glinda and his persistent feelings for Elphaba, the prince must face impossible choices. The dramatic tension reaches heights during sequences where his love for the Witch of the West puts him in mortal danger.

Nessarose, portrayed by Marissa Bode, also experiences major developments. The actress reveals that the musical number "The Wicked Witch of the East" undergoes modifications. Unlike the show where Nessarose begs Elphaba to erase her disability so she can walk, the film proposes a different approach. This revision testifies to heightened sensitivity to disability representations, as Bode herself uses a wheelchair in her daily life.

Dorothy's Arrival

A mysterious young girl from Kansas makes her entrance, disrupting the precarious balance of the Land of Oz. Dorothy Gale, heroine of L. Frank Baum's original tale, becomes an unexpected catalyst here. Her presence forces Elphaba and Glinda to confront their respective demons, to question the myths constructed around them.

The script's genius lies in this narrative intersection. Wicked tells the untold story of the witches, the one that precedes and accompanies Dorothy's journey on the Yellow Brick Road. The familiar events of The Wizard of Oz unfold in parallel, seen from a radically different angle. What seemed heroic becomes ambiguous, what appeared monstrous reveals its hidden nobility.

A Popular Revolt

Facing a popular revolt directed against Elphaba, the two witches must set aside their differences. Their friendship, complex but sincere, becomes the key to their shared future. This final convergence constitutes the beating heart of the film. After misunderstandings, betrayals, divergent paths, Elphaba and Glinda rediscover what united them at Shiz University.

Jon M. Chu's direction reaches summits during these crucial sequences. The director, already praised for his work on In The Heights and Crazy Rich Asians, masters the delicate art of spectacular emotion. Musical numbers become moments of pure grace where choreography, visual effects, and vocal performances merge into a visual symphony.

A Musical Revolution

The soundtrack, titled Wicked: For Good - The Soundtrack, will be co-published by Republic Records and Verve Records on November 21, 2025. A second album containing the score by John Powell and Schwartz will follow. This double release testifies to the project's musical ambition.

The show's second act contains unforgettable songs: "Thank Goodness," "The Wicked Witch of the East," "Wonderful," "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)," "As Long As You're Mine," "No Good Deed," and of course, the moving "For Good." Each explores universal themes of ambition, sacrifice, impossible love, and unwavering friendship.

Schwartz enriches this already exceptional score with two original compositions. These additions, far from being fillers, deepen characterizations. Elphaba's song promises painful introspection on her transformation into an outcast. Glinda's should reveal the cracks behind the mask of perfection.

A Commercial Phenomenon

On October 8, 2025, ticket sales opened and created an event. Fandango announced that the film became the best first day of presales of 2025, dethroning Demon Slayer, Taylor Swift, and Superman. It also became the biggest presale success of all time for a film rated for general audiences.

These dizzying figures are explained by several factors. The first installment surpassed one billion dollars at the worldwide box office, becoming the third biggest success of 2024. It received ten Oscar nominations for 2025, consolidating its artistic as well as commercial legitimacy. Exceptional word-of-mouth transformed Wicked into a cultural phenomenon transcending musical theater enthusiasts.

Universal Studios orchestrates a promotional campaign of unprecedented scale. A special show titled "Wicked: One Wonderful Night" will air in November 2025 on NBC, recorded at the Peacock Theater with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and special guests. World premieres are scheduled in São Paulo, Paris, London, Singapore, and New York.

Thematic Stakes

Beyond sumptuous entertainment, Wicked: For Good interrogates burning political questions. How does propaganda shape public perception? What mechanisms transform a revolutionary into a terrorist in the eyes of power? Why do dissenting voices suffer systematic demonization?

To hope to rewrite their story and that of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda must learn to understand each other with clarity, respect, and kindness. This moral conclusion resonates with current events where political divisions, identity cleavages, and mutual misunderstandings poison public debate. The film advocates for empathy, dialogue, the ability to recognize one's share of responsibility in conflicts.

Elphaba's figure also embodies the ecological question and respect for living beings. Her fight for the muzzled animals of the Land of Oz echoes contemporary struggles for the rights of sentient beings, biodiversity preservation, refusal of exploitation. This activist dimension of the character makes her far more than a fairy tale witch.

A Lasting Legacy

The Wicked show is inspired by Gregory Maguire's novel, itself an adaptation launched on Broadway in 2003. This work masterfully revisits The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, a 1900 classic that became an American myth thanks to the 1939 film with Judy Garland.

Jon M. Chu inscribes his diptych in this illustrious lineage while bringing a contemporary vision to it. His aesthetic choices favor real sets over computer-generated imagery, creating a tangibility rare in current blockbusters. Tazewell's costumes, of dazzling inventiveness, blend historical references and unbridled creativity.

Alice Brooks' cinematography captures the particular magic of the Land of Oz: emerald skies, enchanted forests, shimmering palaces. Each frame could be hung in a gallery, so perfect is the visual composition. This plastic beauty serves the purpose: Oz represents a dream as seductive as it is deceptive, a gilded paradise built on oppression.

The Final Verdict

Wicked: For Good promises to be far more than a simple commercial sequel. The film concludes a saga that has touched millions of viewers worldwide, offering a feminist and political rereading of a centennial tale. Elphaba and Glinda join the pantheon of cinema's mythical duos, equal to Thelma and Louise or Ennis and Jack.

Cynthia Erivo's performance could earn her ultimate recognition at the 2026 Oscars ceremony. Her physical and emotional transformation into Elphaba represents a summit of embodiment. Ariana Grande proves that her pop celebrity conceals an accomplished actress, capable of subtle nuances and authentic emotion.

November 19, 2025 will mark the culmination of an exceptional creative journey. Between