Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she'll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Genre: Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance
Rated PG for action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.
Runtime: 2h 17m
Review:
Wicked: For Good concludes the story started in last year's Wicked with a return to the vibrant world of Oz with a more pensive, thoughtful and darker story carried by another pair of stellar performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Jon M. Chu displays confidence behind the camera as he delivers a series of visually engaging set pieces that provide the same kind of spectacle from the first film even though this entry lacks the number of memorable songs from that film. "Wonderful" and "No Good Deed" leave the biggest impression once it’s all said and done with Erivo bringing the house down during the latter's performance. The rest of the songs are all well staged and performed but there's nothing as catchy as "Wonderful" or "No Good Deed" and definitely nothing coming close to the songs in the first film. It’s mainly due to the subject matter getting more contemplative with plenty of introspection from our central characters about their decisions and repercussions. While this entry might not be as bubbly and fun as the first half it does offer a lot more emotional "meat" for Erivo and Grande to work with. Cynthia Erivo continues her strong work from the first film as she continues her battle against Jeff Goldblum's Wizard after being made the villain by Michelle Yeoh's Madame Morrible who is now his propaganda chief. Erivo brings a sense of self-determination to the role that just shines offscreen even when her character faces doubt about her mission. The character's story arc is peppered with subtext that adds to the overall resonance of the film especially if you choose to read it allegorically as a mirror to the real world. Through it all she's effortlessly engaging in the role although this entry gives Ariana Grande's character more depth and pathos. Grande proves to be more than up to the task by giving a more nuanced, layered performance than her first go around. She's able to convey so much emotional turmoil as she struggles with her personal battle with imposter syndrome and being a figurehead puppet against her best friend. Her and Erivo scenes together, especially in the final act, carry so much emotional weight thanks to their natural chemistry together which serves as the lifeblood of this entry. This entry is much more laser focused on them with the supporting cast mostly relegated to smaller roles with Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum doing the most with their limited screen. There's plenty to appreciate about Wicked: For Good but it does lag in spots which leaves you with the feeling that with some judicious edits on both films this whole story could have been fit into a single film especially since original stage production was a little under 3 hours long to begin with.
A-
