Wicked: For Good ★★★★

Released: 21 November 2025

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater

It is strange to think that only a year ago, Jon M Chu brought Stephen Schwartz’s epic musical Wicked to the big screen. The dynamic between Ariana Grande-Butera and Cynthia Erivo captured the hearts of fans and audiences around the world, as it not only brought a magical on-screen friendship but formed a similar one off-screen too. 

Even the thought of not seeing these two performers together as these iconic characters brings a tear to the eye – but if there is one way to prove that they were born for their respective roles, it is with Wicked: For Good.

When audiences last left Oz, Elphaba (Erivo) had taken the Ozian spell book, the Grimmerie, and was deemed public enemy #1 by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), who took Glinda (Grande-Butera) under her wing. The sequel sees Elphaba, now a feared fugitive, determined to expose the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) as a fraud but is conflicted by her friendship with her former roommate, now known as Glinda the Good.

The film establishes a darker tone from the outset as Morrible’s fearmongering booms over ‘Every Day More Wicked’, with Oz becoming increasingly scared of ‘the Wicked Witch of the West’. Gone is the bubbly idealism of the first film, which saw Elphaba and Galinda put their differences aside to form a sisterhood. Now, their changes in attitude only push them further apart, driven by Morrible’s manipulations and a propaganda-filled agenda – a theme that resonates with the ongoing conflicts around the world. Elphaba is more confident and assured, emboldened by her magical powers and ‘free’ from the illusion of the Wizard. Meanwhile, Glinda is leaning on a new wave of popularity to hide the lack of magical skills and the truth about the Wizard. Seeing their relationship change from kindred spirits to frenemies brings a sense of maturity that reinforces the film’s darker tones and its ties to The Wizard of Oz narrative, which affirms the characters’ respective loyalties to Oz and each other.

Although Elphaba and Glinda take centre stage, the second half also sees the supporting characters take dark turns. Everyone, ranging from Glinda and Nessa (Marissa Bode), the newly appointed governor of Munkinland, is desperate not to be alone. However, they resort to varying degrees of misguided selfishness to ensure their own happy ending – only to blame Elphaba when things go wrong. Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox’s gutsy screenplay shows the characters’ true colours to stoke the sequel’s drama and keeps the pace consistent and the narrative moving.

The musical breaks help the narrative, as the songs evoke a ferocity that channels the characters’ inner emotions. Erivo belts out ‘No Good Deed’ like a battle cry as Elphaba comes to terms with her futile quest to do good, no longer denying the wickedness of her actions. In addition, Goldblum’s whimsical ‘Wonderful’ reflects on how he seemingly benefited from Oz’s gullibility. Meanwhile, the poignant new song ‘The Girl in the Bubble’ is a visual standout – it not only allows Grande-Butera to convey Glinda’s insecurities, but Alice Brooks’s cinematography and Chu’s camerawork hint at Glinda’s inner fears feeding her own fake persona. In a way, the music in this sequel sees the characters pour their hearts out while coming to terms with the fact that no matter how hard they try to be good, their wickedness will always prevail.

With the first part setting a certain level of hype, Erivo and Grande-Butera understood the assignment for the sequel: not just be good – be better. They channel poignancy and gusto to deliver powerful performances amid heartfelt moments, with the finale, ‘For Good’, delivering an emotion-filled climax. Both Marissa Bode and Jonathan Bailey also up their game with expressive performances that lift their characters to more than just acquaintances, but catalysts in the third act.

In this much-anticipated sequel, Chu reinforces the parallels between Elphaba and Glinda with the heavy use of green and pink visuals – no matter how well they go together. The dazzling special effects also bring a sense of vastness, bringing to life a bigger world that expands Oz past Shiz University, Munchkinland and the Emerald City. With the aesthetics complementing the fraught relationship between Elphaba and Glinda and the commanding musical numbers, there is a catharsis exuding from Wicked: For Good and the sequel benefits from the raw power of its cast.

With Wicked: For Good, Chu reaffirms himself as a master of musicals – this spectacular sequel brings the tale to a fitting end to a cinematic triumph, with Erivo and Grande-Butera surely securing nominations in the upcoming awards season.