Wicked For Good: Your Questions About The Cast And Release Date (Plus The Scarecrow And Tin Man) Answered
Excitement for the musical sequel Wicked For Good is really starting to build following the release of the new film's first trailer.
We'll admit that when we first heard that the stage musical Wicked was being split into two, we rolled our eyes a little – but after seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in action last year, we now can't wait for the second instalment.
There are still a few months to go until our next trip to Oz, but we know you might have a few questions between now and then.
So, here's everything we know about the second movie…
Initially billed as Wicked Part 2, it was revealed towards the end of 2024 that the sequel would be given the subtitle For Good, based on the show-stopping eleven o'clock performed as a duet between Elphaba and Glinda towards the end of the musical.
The decision was met with a mixed response, but Ariana has claimed that Wicked For Good was actually already being touted as a title for the project when it was being filmed.
'I'm glad it's official now because we grew rather attached to it,' she said last year. 'It's just the perfect title because this project really has changed us for good.'
Fans of the original musical will know that the second act begins with Thank Goodness, an ensemble number that helps catch us all up with what's gone down among the cast of characters since we last saw them.
Besides that, we can look forward to the dramatic Elphaba number No Good Deed, her duet with Fiyero, As Long As You're Mine, and, as mentioned above, For Good, which has become one of Wicked's signature tunes.
There's also another solo for the Wizard, Wonderful which… yeah… let's not even go there.
While Wicked's original composer extended the One Short Day sequence in the first film, he's gone one step further in the sequel, and penned two new songs.
Director Jon M Chu recently confirmed that one of these will be a new solo for Cynthia, while another will be performed by Ariana.
Wicked itself is a retelling of the events of The Wizard Of Oz, retold from the perspective of its witches, Elphaba (known in the 1939 film as simply the Wicked Witch Of The West) and Glinda (who comes to be known as the Good Witch Of The North).
Act one begins with Munchkinland celebrating the news of Elphaba's death, before taking us back through her younger years to explore her years at school.
The second act – on which Wicked For Good is based – revisits the characters later in life, with Elphaba exiled and a public enemy, thanks to efforts from the Wizard Of Oz and Shiz professor Madame Morrible, and still harbouring feelings for Fiyero, to whom Glinda is now engaged.
It also addresses more directly how specific events in the Wizard Of Oz came to be, including Dorothy's arrival in Oz, and her becoming friends with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.
Evidently, yes. While Dorothy is never seen on stage in the original production of Wicked, we've already caught a glimpse of her in the opening moments of the first film.
Dorothy is also seen – once again from behind – in the latest trailer for Wicked For Good, suggesting the character will be more prominently featured in the movie than the stage musical.
Chu told Vanity Fair: 'We tread lightly, but try to make more sense of how [Dorothy's arrival] impacts our girls and our characters than maybe the show does.'
'We're delicate. We're delicate. We're delicate,' he then insisted, reassuring anyone concerned about him taking any big swings away from the source material.
It was previously reported that Matilda star Alisha Weir portrays Dorothy in the movie, though this is yet to be confirmed.
Alright – we're going to be giving away some major Wicked spoilers now, so if you've never seen the stage musical and want to avoid these twists, just keep scrolling down to the next section.
Did you hear that? Spoilers are ahead. Scroll to the next section if you want to avoid them.
OK, we think they're gone. Let's proceed…
So, Elphaba inadvertently creates the Scarecrow when she casts a spell on Fiyero – played by Jonathan Bailey – in an attempt to save his life in No Good Deed.
The Tin Man, meanwhile, is created by Nessarose, who is played in the film by Marissa Bode. She attempts to use magic herself for the first time on Boq (Ethan Slater's character) to prevent her from leaving him, only for it to go awry, and turn him into the mechanic woodsman.
As you've probably guessed, the Cowardly Lion is that same cub who Elphaba and Fiyero rescue in the first movie.
Right here! Enjoy:
The film will hit cinemas on Friday 21 November, with the film expected to be re-released in selective cinemas before then, to allow everyone to revisit the events of the first film.
9 Things We Need To Talk About Immediately In The New Wicked For Good Trailer
22 Weird And Wonderful Behind-The-Scenes Secrets You Probably Never Knew About How Wicked Was Made
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