Good news! She’s… baaaack! Yes, gentle reader, Wicked is returning and the first trailers have landed. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda for act two of everyone’s favourite musical, hitting a cinema near you this winter.
After the blockbuster release of Part One in November 2024—which ruled the box office and earned 10 Oscar nominations, along with a soundtrack that topped many a Spotify Wrapped—fans have been patiently waiting for the news of the second film. Will Elphie and Glinda reunite? What of Fiyero? Who will play Dorothy?
Herein, everything you need to know about Wicked: For Good.
Who’s returning in the cast of Wicked: For Good?
The main ensemble—Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West; Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good; Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero; Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible; Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard; Ethan Slater as Boq; and Marissa Bode as Nessarose—will all return. Their stories are far from finished and there might be a couple of character changes along the way. And, an addition! Dorothy Gale, of the original technicolour Wizard of Oz, will appear in some capacity. But who will play her? It’s tightly under wraps, however internet sleuths theorise that 15-year-old Irish actress Alisha Weir will be slipping on Dorothy’s silver slippers. Weir played Matilda in Matilda the Musical (2022), and appeared at Wicked: Part One’s UK premiere wearing a pair of silver ballet flats. Hmm…
What’s the plot of Wicked: For Good?
“What’s nice about movie two is it’s so different from movie one that it doesn’t feel like we’re talking about what you just saw. It’s the new chapter,” said Jon M Chu in an interview with Vanity Fair. The second act will follow the same story as the original Broadway version. Picking up where we left off in Part One, Elphaba and Glinda have parted ways and now the consequences of that decision are unravelling. Whilst Elphaba is in hiding, declared an enemy of the state of Oz, Glinda becomes a mouthpiece for the government, in the grips of the Wizard and Madame Morrible. Meanwhile, Fiyero, Glinda and Elphaba’s love triangle persists, and Nessarose and Boq’s relationship hits the rocks. The trailers promise endless action, music and romance. “It also is the intersection between The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the world of Wicked,” says Chu.
“In Wicked: For Good, they’re both stepping into this new space in their lives, and I think that actually makes them all the more powerful,” says Erivo. “They realise that what they had in film one can never come back again, and what they have to move into is something very different.” For Grande’s part, “as Elphaba and Glinda dive in to Wicked: For Good, much has changed… we get to see how these characters, like the Tin Man and the Scarecrow and the Lion come to be.”
What about the music in Wicked: For Good?
Wicked: For Good’s soundtrack will be similar to the Broadway original’s Act Two. Tracks like the titular ‘For Good,’ the drama-filled ‘No Good Deed,’ and power ballad ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ will be making an appearance. What’s more? There’s two new original songs, written by original composer Stephen Schwartz, and performed by Erivo and Grande individually. “They were necessary in this movie to help tell the story,” said Jon M Chu.
When will Wicked: For Good be released?
21 November! So until then, hold space for a comically long press tour, more method dressing and tears-a-plenty.
Where can I watch the trailer for Wicked: For Good?
Right here!
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
