Wicked: During the good times we can’t stop thinking about Yes, including THAT scene

We are changed (forever!) now that “Wicked: For Good” is finally available in the world.

After an entire year of waiting, the second and (hopefully) final installment of Jon M. Chu’s imaginative adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, arrived in theaters on November 21. The final film begins some time after Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba defied gravity and the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) authoritarian regime, and single-handedly changed the future of Oz.

With Elphaba now living in exile following Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) Wicked Witch propaganda campaign, and Glinda the Good (Great) enjoying the perks of the Emerald City palace, the sequel follows the separated Oz witches as they grapple with the consequences of their decisions in Part 1.

Longtime “Wicked” fans may already be familiar with the rest of this untold origin story. Still, with a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes, Chu once again takes audiences on a grandiose journey through the Land of Oz that leads to an electric finale that seals the fate of Glinda and Elphaba, yes, forever.

In this chat below, the News staff talks about everything you need to know about “Wicked: For Good,” including Grande and Erivo’s Oscar-contending performances, the long-awaited “Wizard of Oz” character reveal and the songs and scenes that have everyone talking, plus what’s been said so far about another possible sequel.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana have a perfect cast in ‘Wicked: For Good’

I really can’t imagine anyone else in the roles of Glinda and Elphaba. Obviously, a bevy of actors auditioned for these roles, including pop star Reneé Rapp and actress Amanda Seyfried (for Glinda) and actors Cristin Milioti and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (for Elphaba), among others. But Ariana Grande as Glinda has proven to be a perfect choice for this production: she obviously has a talent for singing and has held on to her acting talents from her Nickelodeon days. Variety says Grande’s performance in “For Good” solidifies her as a bona fide movie star.

Cynthia Erivo is no stranger to Broadway, obviously, having won a Tony for her moving performance as Celie in “The Color Purple” on the Great White Way. He has had numerous roles in film and television, including “Harriet,” “Widows” and “Genius: Respect.” On “For Good,” Erivo is truly charming, and I won’t forget that incredible riff on “Defying Gravity” anytime soon. — Ireland

You said it perfectly, Erin! Just from the chemistry we’ve seen on press tours, it’s clear that these two were meant to play these roles together. I will say that while Grande is receiving a lot of praise for her performance in this second film, it was Erivo who blew me away. Of course, she was just as dynamic on “Wicked,” who could forget that mesmerizing final performance of “Defying Gravity.” But the emotional depth she brings to Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good,” from accepting her destiny as the Wicked Witch of the West to convincing everyone, even Glinda, that she melted, made me really love this movie. Listening to her sing “No Good Deed” gave me chills. — Man

All our thoughts on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ character revealed

Silver Screen Collection / Hulton Archive / Getty Images and Universal Studios

I have never seen the play of “Wicked” nor have I read the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. So I didn’t really know what to expect from any of the movies. That said, the reveals of the Wicked Witch of the East, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion were really fun and surprising. I could feel myself getting angry during Nessarose’s (Marissa Bode) scene with Boq (Ethan Slater). Then it was like a light bulb finally went off when I finally figured out what was going on. I loved that we never had a moment completely focused on Dorothy (Bethany Weaver). My only quibble is that when we meet the Scarecrow, it seems like it would be TOO late for him to meet Dorothy as his first companion on the yellow brick road. The Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) kept pissing me off with his terrifying self. I will say that after all the hype surrounding Domingo getting this role, he was the most frustrating character to watch. — Ireland

I also started watching “Wicked: For Good” without knowing the whole story, which I think made it more exciting to discover who would become who in “The Wizard of Oz.” Nessarose took me by surprise, but I realized who Boq would become during their dramatic breakup scene (which gives a clever hint if you pay close attention). As I recalled the events of “Wicked” and Elphaba’s commitment to reclaiming animals, I also discovered how they would bring the Cowardly Lion character full circle. My only complaint is that the few lines we got from him (Colman Domingo deserved more!) were spent attacking Elphaba when all she was trying to do was help. Again, justice for my girl!

As far as the Scarecrow goes, I agree Erin, I felt like his transformation happened too late for him to have time to meet Dorothy, befriend her, and agree to accompany her to see the Wizard. That timeline just didn’t make sense to me. In my opinion, that character also didn’t have the traits that would justify him being the Scarecrow, but I guess that’s how this adaptation needed to stay true to the original story, especially for the ending to play out the way it did. But overall, it was fun to reconstruct these revelations in the theater. — Man

Could the two movies be one better movie?

If I had to register a real complaint about our “Wicked” saga over the last year, I’d say there’s no reason this double-parter couldn’t have been one movie. This goes against my general feeling that most movies should only be 90 minutes long. But there’s no reason to tell this story in almost five hours. I’ve been reading up on the source material and apparently it’s widely known that Act 2 of the stage musical is weaker than Act 1. If so, I don’t see why this couldn’t have been a 2 hour and 45 minute movie. It’s still long, but perhaps it could have strengthened the entire project with a single viewing experience. — Ireland

Okay, I sincerely think we should abandon the idea of ​​dividing films into several parts if there is not enough justification. I enjoyed “Wicked,” but even with its spectacular songs, a nearly three-hour movie is a very exhausting watch. And while I thought “Wicked: For Good” moved its plot forward too quickly, especially toward the end, it didn’t need to be more than two hours long. If anyone can point out a non-capitalist reason why this musical needed two separate movies, so maybe I’ll change my tune. But I feel like we, the viewers, could still have had a satisfying experience if Jon M. Chu trimmed the fat and found a way to tell this expansive story in one fell swoop. A 15-minute intermission a la “The Brutalist” could definitely have worked here. — Man

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Well, I wasn’t expecting much from this steamy scene between Fiyero and Elphaba in their hideout, given that this movie is rated PG. However, I was still surprised that this rather naughty scene alluded so much to these two doing the horizontal tango after professing their love to each other with “As Long As You’re Mine,” just… without all the bells and whistles. All that said, I have something to discuss with Chu and costume designer Paul Tazewell about that chunky knit cardigan Elphaba wears for most of the scene. I get it, this is a family movie that millions of kids watch too. Still, Elphaba could have worn tasteful lingerie more appropriate for the moment. I mean, what was the point of her taking off her witch’s clothes just to cover herself in THAT ratty old thing for sex?

In an interview with Deadline, Chu said he deliberately made this sex scene less sexy than the Broadway version, but I think that was a mistake. Between not getting a tender kiss from Elphaba-Fiyero and the biggest cardigan I’ve ever seen someone wear to bed, we deserved a little more here. If we’re going all out with this ending, it should have been with flying colors. Or at least some more provocative gestures about an explosion. — Man

That cardigan was SO much fun for me. Honestly, I would wear it myself, but definitely not for sexy times. It looks like the kind of cardigan I would leave at work over the back of my chair for when it gets a little chilly. It looks like Elphaba was wearing black lingerie under that blanket sweater, and I would have loved to see more reveals from that little number. I’m glad Elphaba and Fiyero had a moment, but yeah, I would have loved it to be at least twice as sexy. At least! — Ireland

We evaluate the songs

The most common sentiment I’ve heard about “Wicked: For Good,” which I agree with, is that the songs are much less memorable than those from the first film. They’re not bad, per se (the Jeff Goldblum-assisted “Wonderful” is pretty fun), but overall, I didn’t enjoy them as much as I’d hoped. Erivo’s performance of “No Good Deed” is probably my second favorite overall, but the very emotional introductory song “For Good” takes the cake. Grande and Erivo’s duet almost made me shed a tear in the theater. And like “Defying Gravity,” it will probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the year. — Man

I’ve been listening to the soundtracks, Part 1 and Part 2 over and over since I saw the movie last week. I loved that duet, “For Good.” One thing I found really fascinating is that there were parts where I couldn’t tell if Erivo or Grande was taking the high notes. I love a good harmony and they achieved it. I will say that I definitely embarrassed myself in the moments when Yeoh had to sing. She’s an amazing actress, but her singing voice isn’t strong at all. — Ireland

About THAT ending

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Again, I wasn’t familiar with everything that happened in the play “Wicked” before watching “For Good,” so the ending took me by surprise. In my head, I thought this was a plot twist that Chu gave the second movie an epic ending. But either way, I loved it. I was actually glad when what I thought would be a very sad ending to Elphaba’s story turned out to be triumphant in all the best ways. Without giving too much away, the “good guys” get their happy ending (or as happy as they can be after everything that happened), and the villains, including the evil Madame Morrible, answer for their crimes. I thought it was a satisfying conclusion to this wild “Wicked” ride, so I hope all this talk about another sequel doesn’t change that. — Man

The ending of the movie left me stunned, again, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect. There is a small plot twist in “The Wizard of Oz,” but it is original to the stage production of “Wicked.” (I won’t spoil it here either!) It was very rewarding. — Ireland

Apparently, there could be more sequels?

Universal, the studio behind “Wicked,” told Vulture this about the potential for more Elphaba and Glinda: “Because of the success of ‘Wicked’ but also the number of fans, we almost have a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe,” said Michael Moses, Universal’s chief marketing officer. he told the vulture. “Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things going on.”

Sounds like a money grab to me! I don’t think we really need this, but seeing how much money “Wicked” has made, not just the movies, but all the marketing strategies around it, I’d be surprised if Hollywood didn’t look further. But you know, we could always use that money to fund more original productions! Just saying! — Ireland

Hollywood’s capitalist drive to produce more sequels to a film based solely on its financial Success, in the face of a creative cause, will never cease to surprise me. This is like the “Barbie” effect all over again, which has foolishly paved the way for upcoming toy-inspired movies, including a live-action version of “my little pony” and “hot wheels“…again, who asked for this? “Wicked: For Good” ended as it should. There’s no need to continue from here. We’ve had enough “Wicked” promotion for two lifetimes. Universal, please don’t torture us with any more.

Chu said Variety There are “many ideas” floating around about a third “Wicked” movie, but I’m on the side of Bowen Yang’s take on that: “I think we leave it here.”

Like you said, Erin, there’s a world where all that money could be better used to finance more original movies (the ones Hollywood hasn’t discovered yet can be just as successful as existing IPs). But sadly, at the end of the day, showbiz is still just that: a company more concerned with getting a return on investment than investing in originality. But of course, another “Wicked” movie is just what we need. — Man

So do we think ‘Wicked: For Good’ will nab some Oscars?

“Wicked” won two Academy Awards earlier this year, for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, among other nominations. “Wicked: For Good” has appeared on several shortlists for the 2026 awards ceremony. (Nominations will be announced in January.) I think it will win Best Costume Design again, but the production design for “Frankenstein” was very impressive. Grande could go up against Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”) and Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), which I thought were stronger performances. Erivo, in the Best Actress category, would probably be up against Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”). I saw “Hamnet” last week and wow, Buckley is amazing in there. — Ireland

I’ve seen mixed responses to the Oscar buzz for “Wicked: For Good,” with some people noting that the sequel doesn’t compare to how great the first film was, let alone the rest of this year’s awards-worthy releases. The Best Actress and Supporting Actress categories have some serious competition, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the franchise earned another Best Picture nomination. Best Costume Design seems like a given, but we’ll have to wait and see if the film can pull off wins in the major categories as well. — Man

“Wicked: For Good” is now in theaters.