After a year-long intermission, the Wicked saga continues with Wicked: For Good, released on November 4, 2025. Based on the fantasy novel by Gregory McGuire, the story is a prequel to the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, following the unlikely friendship between the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and Glinda the Good. A musical adaptation of the book has had a very successful run on Broadway since 2003; the 2024 movie covers the first act of the stage production, and the 2025 movie covers the second.
Since its release last November, the Wicked movie franchise has swept the world with whimsical visuals, meticulous storytelling, and impressive musical performances from leads Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda). Plus, the extensive press tour of Wicked has garnered widespread attention to the franchise, transforming the movies into a true cultural phenomenon. Closing out a story of this magnitude is no small feat, but Wicked: For Good faced it head-on.
Though subject to much online ridicule, splitting the Wicked story into two movies added to the grandeur of the series, allowing both movies to explore the plot in greater depth. Audiences had already been introduced to director Jon M. Chu’s Oz in the 2024 movie, but Wicked: For Good took the world-building further, showing how the Emerald City transforms under Glinda's influence, how the animal population responds to persecution, and how rising authoritarianism in Oz impacts groups like the Munchkins. For die-hard fans and newcomers to the Wicked story alike, the 2025 film is a satisfying, thought-provoking, mature sequel to the first part—mainstream and digestible to the masses, but with a little more depth for those who are willing to explore it.
As Glinda, Grande gives a convincing performance of a character who is wrestling with her admittedly surface-level values and her relentless pursuit of power. Grande approaches the second half of Glinda's arc with nuance and humor, while still retaining a bit of Glinda’s same naivety that defines her character.
Elphaba, though juxtaposed to Glinda in Oz and in the plot itself, undergoes a very similar transformation throughout the story. Like Grande, Erivo brings a heightened maturity to Wicked: For Good, especially as Elphaba balances genuine altruism that increasingly puts her loved ones at risk. The two actresses not only meet the demands of Wicked’s plot, but they also bring their own lived experiences and artistry to the roles, and their performances, especially in Wicked: For Good, elevate the story significantly.
Unlike the first movie, Wicked: For Good strayed further from the original musical, adding two additional songs, “There’s No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” The former, sung by Elphaba, offers the previously lacking insight into why her cause is worth fighting for and satiates audiences with plenty of classic Erivo vocals. The latter, on the other hand, disappointingly repeats what Glinda has already expressed, is rather uncreative lyrically, and hardly shows off Grande’s talent. The title song, “For Good,” was a heartfelt moment for Erivo and Grande to demonstrate their stage chemistry together. However, the true musical standouts were Erivo and Jonathan Bailey’s (Fiyero) “As Long As You’re Mine” and, later, Erivo’s “No Good Deed.” Both cult-classics of the original musical, the movie adaptations feel fresh and distinct, and they are arguably Erivo’s best performances of the series.
Wicked: For Good marks the bittersweet end of a film franchise that fans of the Broadway musical have been anticipating for nearly five years, but it leaves almost no stone unturned in its careful conclusion of the Wicked epic. Both movies have earned their success through truly enjoyable storytelling and timely commentary on the cost of doing the right thing. Beyond that, though, the films have introduced new audiences to musical theater and captured the hearts of millions, and as Glinda says early on, it’s all about popular.