Wicked was a massive hit in cinemas this year with one review calling the musical “the most entertaining film of the year” – but a change has been made to the sequel of the Universal Pictures
The follow-up to this year’s hit musical film Wicked has had a name change – despite the blockbuster’s huge success.
Directed by Jon M Chu, the film has been officially named Wicked: For Good, which is thought to reference a duet in the stage musical between Elphaba and Glinda about how their relationship has impacted their lives forever.
It was originally built as Wicked: Part II to complete the plot of the first film, as producers had decided to tell the musical across two segments. However, the change has been confirmed today eleven months ahead of it release, scheduled for next November.
A post on the film’s official X page said: “You will be changed. Wicked: For Good, only in theaters November 21, 2025.” It comes after stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo scored major Golden Globe nominations for their roles in Wicked, which serves as a prequel to The Wizard Of Oz (1939).
Grande landed her first Golden Globe nod for best supporting female actor in a motion picture for her role as Glinda, while British star Erivo received a nod for best female actor in a motion picture musical for portraying green-skinned witch Elphaba.
Wicked explores the friendship between Glinda and Elphaba before they become estranged, in the classic stories by L Frank Baum. The two-part film adaptation of the Broadway smash has been in the works since the stage version debuted in 2003, which scored Idina Menzel a Tony Award for best leading actress in a musical in her role as Elphaba.
Bullying of the green-skinned witch saw the film, which also stars Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey, given a PG rating by the British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC) for “discrimination”.
Wicked became Chu’s highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing Oz-related film, and the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2024. One critic in national US media described Wicked as “the most entertaining film of the year and the most dazzling live-action Hollywood musical since Chicago”.
But other reviewers took issue with the casting. One reporter criticised the film’s decision to include an extended cameo by Broadway stars Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth during the Emerald City sequence, noting it undermines Erivo’s later performance of Defying Gravity.
