According to a rarely transparent Universal downstream revenues report (per Variety), the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway soar grossed $26 million in its first day alone and an eye-popping $70 million in its first week of release in both the United States and Canada.

The acclaimed musical was already a monster hit in the early aughts, but director Jon M. Chu created a mega-budget masterpiece that instantly smashed box office records, amassing a total of $722,747,200 worldwide (per Box Office Mojo).

Splitting the adaptation into two parts means double the fun. The decision served fans well and was unavoidable for the director. “As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of WICKED into a single film without doing some real damage to it,” Chu shared in a statement on X in April 2022.

With the final chapter fast approaching, anticipation is at an all-time high. Here’s everything you need to know before Wicked: For Good takes center stage.

Who Plays Who In Wicked: For Good

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba

Image credits: Wicked Movie

In Wicked: For Good, fans will witness the darkest side of Erivo’s Elphaba yet. While the first part explored her complex, frenemy-like bond with Grande’s Glinda, culminating in her soaring moment of self-acceptance, the sequel takes her transformation even further. This time, Elphaba steps fully into the legend of the Wicked Witch, embracing the power — and the peril — that comes with it.

The Grammy, Emmy, and Tony-winning Erivo delivers a show-stopping performance that redefines the musical in every sense. Erivo’s Elphaba did not just defy gravity in Wicked Part 1. It passed our highest expectations with vocals and visuals.

“She’s just a powerhouse, doing every single one of those stunts and singing live,” cinematographer Alice Brooks praised the multitalented actress and singer (per Deadline). “She’s on this big crazy ride around our sound stage, yet she’s singing live and in character. I don’t know how she did it.”

Image credits: Wicked Movie

“This is Elphaba the Wicked Witch. How she moves, how she battles, figuring out the darker side of her. It’s going to be interesting to see what the shift is,” Erivo teased in the special features of Wicked’s home video release.

Ariana Grande as Glinda

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Ariana Grande genuinely brings Glinda to life in Chu’s adaptation, and she continues to shine in the upcoming sequel.

Grande reacted tearfully to landing the role of Glinda the Good. “I don’t know what to say,” she sobbed in her viral reaction on TikTok. “Oh my God. I love her so much. I’m going to take such good care of her.”

She loved Glinda so much that she became the character herself, gifting fans an iconic princessy performance that earned her a coveted Oscar nomination for the first time in her career (per Deadline).

It seems like Grande — who pitched her voice up for the role and plans to keep it for good (per Variety) — is a comic actress by nature who was born to play Glinda.

Wicked: For Good is expected to pick up right where the first part left off. Thus, the upcoming sequel will, without much doubt, start with Elphaba earning the infamous Wicked Witch of the West nickname and Glinda earning her own moniker, Glinda the Good Witch.

Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Ladies will have more of the Wicked’s hugely attractive Prince Charming, Fiyero Tigelaar. Played by the Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey, the charismatic Prince has already won his way into our hearts and isn’t planning to stop throughout the second part.

The seemingly carefree and charming Prince had no trouble charming anyone on campus. First, he gets engaged, but then he reveals unexpected emotions for Elphaba as he helps her escape, only to find himself captured in the process.

 

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Caught in a love triangle and longing for Fiyero, Elphaba pours her emotions into “I’m Not That Girl.” But when she casts a spell to save him after his selfless sacrifice, it backfires in a shocking twist.

Spoiler alert: If The Wizard of Oz is anything to go by, we may witness Fiyero’s dramatic metamorphosis into the oddly haunting Scarecrow.

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz

Wicked: For Good will also see the pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum portraying the famous Wizard of Oz — a refreshingly new role compared to his other works in Hollywood hits like Jurassic Park (1993), Independence Day (1996), and The Fly (1986).

Strangely enough, Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard might have subtle parallels to a Trump-like figure — whether intentional or not. Adding to the curiosity, Wicked: Part 1 premiered just 18 days after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Director Jon M. Chu fueled this theory during an episode of IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, joking, “A charismatic leader who gaslights a community that this woman is wicked just because she’s standing up for a marginalized group of people in society — how could that be [political]?”

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible

Image credits: Wicked Movie

We don’t talk enough about the headmistress of Shiz University, Madame Morrible. Played by Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Morrible is essentially an influential woman and key antagonistic force in Wicked.

A regal lady at her best and a villain at her worst, Morrible’s character might be worth admiring than you might think. “I loved how Jon put it, was: ‘She’s not the villain. We don’t want you to watch Madame Morrible and think, ah, easy, villain,’” Yeoh shared with NBC Insider.

“She’s an educator, but she also has ambitions and dreams, and how it leads you sometimes up the right path, and sometimes it leads you astray. As an actor I was given such a nice platform to maneuver around.”

Supporting Cast

Ethan Slater as Boq

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants Ethan Slater is the rightful actor for Wicked’s altruistic Munchkin student, Boq. The Tony Award nominee, who has a special type of romance with Grande, continues his exceptional performance as Boq in the second half of the hit musical film… but with a plot twist.

Spoiler alert: Boq has one of the most tragic character stories in Wicked, one of one-sided love, feelings of inadequacy, and resentment. In a desperate attempt to save Boq from Nessarose’s love spell, Elphaba ends up transforming him into the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

This turn of events likely serves Boq well after he lies to Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode), to spare her feelings while he actually likes Glinda.

However, Chu’s Wicked injects more tragedy into the original musical. In the film, Boq seems to genuinely like Nessa (as a friend), unlike in the Broadway production, where he seems to use her as a mere pawn.

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Boq’s disastrous transformation shatters Nessa’s heart. She grows more isolated and gets used by Madame Morrible to control her sister and lure her out of hiding. Nessa, who who’s born with physical disabilities, eventually meets her demise after Dorothy’s house falls on her body.

The tragic death ​jump-starts intense conflicts between the Wicked Witch of the West and other characters, deepened by the fury over using her sister as a manipulation tool.

Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp

Marissa Bode, who is notably the first wheelchair user and actress to portray Wicked Nessarose, reveals to Teen Vogue that her character will get some refreshing changes in the upcoming sequel. “There will be movie magic and just magic in general, but just not in the way that I think a lot of people think it might be. There have been changes that I think are great in terms of representation in a healthy way,” the 24-year-old teased. “But I don’t think I can say more than that.”

Bowen Yang as Pfannee

Image credits: Universal Pictures

Wicked: For Good’s star-studded cast also features The Saturday Night Live performer and comedian Bowen Yang, who portrays Glinda’s supportive friend on Campus, Pfannee. The nearly cast member of Barbie finally compensates for absence.

Yang, 34, puts his own spin on Pfannee, originally a female in the books and the musical. Chu’s adaptation transforms Pfannee into a flamboyant (“girl’s girl,” if you will) male who showers his friend with a little too many compliments.

He is notably seen shoulder to shoulder with Shenshen (played by Bronwyn James) as they both humiliate Elphaba and give Glinda much-deserved compliments.

The hilarious TV personality shared his “special” experience of introducing the film to his SNL family when speaking with PEOPLE: “All of us were in shambles by the end,” he recalled.

Will Dorothy Gale Be in Wicked: For Good?

Image credits: Warner Bros. Entertainment

Fans are in for major story twists in the Wicked’s finale. The main antagonists pretty much remain unchanged — the legendary Wizard of Oz and the influential Madame Morrible continue their allyship and carry out their wicked plans. Meanwhile, the drama between Boq and Nessarose intensifies as they make horribly bad decisions that shape their destinies.

Part two sees Glinda the Good becoming as good as she possibly can while her rebellious friend earns the infamous moniker Wicked Witch of the West.

What about Dorothy Gale? Director Chu gives us the scoop: “In the show, Dorothy is around. They have to intersect, and you can only tease it so much. I won’t say whether she’s a character, necessarily, in movie two,” he shared with Variety.

“There’s a part of me that wants everyone’s Dorothy to be the whatever Dorothy they want. And yet, there is interaction and some crossover. So I’ll leave that up to ‘Part Two.’”

The Sequel Takes a Darker, Deeper Turn — Here’s What to Expect

 

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In a word, brilliance!

Director Chu has already outdone himself by staying true to the original musical while sprinkling some sort of sorcery in his record-breaking adaptation. Fans can expect something different in the second half of Wicked. “If Part 1 is about choices, Part 2 is about consequences,“ Chu tells Entertainment Weekly.

“Choices are difficult to make, but when you do make those choices, sometimes the result isn’t what you expect it to be. It can be lonely, it can be hard.”

Erivo confirmed the director’s vision to Variety: “We’re diving deeper into the consequences of the characters’ choices. The story is richer, and the stakes are higher. It’s not just a continuation; it’s a transformation.”

She also shared with fans an eye-opening perspective to keep in mind before watching Wicked: For Good: “Elphaba isn’t wicked. None of the characters are purely good or bad. They’re flawed, complex, and human.”

Originally titled Wicked Part 2, the film was later renamed Wicked: For Good—a nod to the iconic duet between Glinda and Elphaba, in which they reflect on how their complicated journey shaped them forever. Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, called the change fitting, telling Variety, “It’s just the perfect title because this project really has changed us for good.”

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