Wicked: For Good | |
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Directed by | Jon M. Chu |
Screenplay by | |
Based on | |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Alice Brooks |
Edited by | Myron Kerstein |
Music by |
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Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Country |
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Language | English |
Budget | $150 million [2] |
Wicked: For Good [3] is an upcoming Americanmusical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The sequel to Wicked (2024), it is the second installment of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name loosely based on the 1995 novel, which in turn is based on the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz . The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum rounding out the principal cast. [4]
Set in the Land of Oz, before, during and after the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the plot will cover the events of the musical's second act, following Elphaba and Galinda's friendship being put to the test as they embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, and how the consequences of their actions will change all of Oz forever.
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who both produced the stage musical, announced the film adaptation in 2012. After a long development and multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in their respective roles in 2021, along with the decision to split the adaptation into two parts in order to meet the demands of the story's scope and to expand upon the journeys and relationships between characters without cutting any songs and major plot points. Principal photography on both films began in December 2022 in England, and was interrupted in July 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, eventually resuming then concluding in January 2024.
Wicked: For Good is set for release by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 21, 2025.
Additionally, Aaron Teoh will appear as Avaric, Fiyero's friend; Grecia de la Paz will appear as Gilligan; Colin Michael Carmichael will appear as Professor Nikidik, a professor at Shiz University; and Adam James will appear as Galinda's father. The character Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl who is accidentally transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado with her dog Toto, and the Cowardly Lion, who was saved by Elphaba and Fiyero from an in-class experiment at Shiz University when he was a Lion cub in the first film, will also be featured. [13]
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A film adaptation for the Broadway musical Wicked was announced in 2012, [14] with a scheduled release date of December 20, 2019. [15] After numerous delays, the film eventually secured a release date of November 27, 2024. [16] In April 2022, director Jon M. Chu announced that the adaptation would be split in two parts, saying:
As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of 'Wicked' into a single film without doing some real damage to it ... As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years. We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one 'Wicked' movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of 'Wicked' as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters. [17]
In June 2022, Stephen Schwartz added, while confirming that a new song will be written for one of the two films: [18]
We found it very difficult to get past 'Defying Gravity' without a break ... That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic ... Even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate. What we have discussed is that changes need to be 'additive,' to use (producer) Marc Platt's term. They need to add something to the story or the characters. They can't just be changes to do something different. I feel confident that by the time the movie is made, if we all continue to have the same degree of input, I could have a conversation with anyone who has a question about any of the changes made from the stage show and justify why I think it's better for the movie.
In November 2022, Schwartz revealed that the film will include two new songs "to meet the demands of the storytelling." [19]
Principal photography began alongside Part 1, and had nearly been completed by July 2023 before production was suspended due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [20] Both films resumed production on January 24, 2024, and concluded filming on January 26. [21] The vocals of the actors during the musical numbers were recorded live on set, particularly at the insistence of Erivo and Grande, with Academy Award-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes collaborating with Chu on the recordings of the actors' vocals, using a variation of the same recording techniques that were implemented on Les Misérables . [8] [21] [22] [23] Chu also cited Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook as a source of inspiration for the film's use of large-scale sets and practical effects to bring the many elements of the Land of Oz to life, including nine million colorful tulips planted on location to surround the Munchkinland set and an actual Yellow Brick Road paved on the ground with real mud. [24] [25] Chu also cited the 1998 films Pleasantville and The Truman Show as influences on how both films thematically portray the Land of Oz, saying "It helps create this idea of the rebelliousness that this new younger generation are discovering... How far will that take everybody in Oz throughout the course of the whole story of both movies? It's an awakening of a generation. You start to see the truth about things that maybe you were taught differently." [26]
On February 6, 2024, it was confirmed on Twitter that Industrial Light & Magic and Framestore [27] will provide the film's visual effects with Pablo Helman serving as visual effects supervisor, and that post-production work was in progress, with Chu working remotely with editor Myron Kerstein via communication through the newly released Apple Vision Pro. [28] [29] [30] Editing on the film was paused during most of 2024 in order for Chu to finish post-production on the first film so he can understand how the next film will continue the story. Post-production on Wicked: For Good resumed in November 2024, immediately following the press tour and release of the first film. [31]
On December 16, 2024, the film's official title was unveiled as Wicked: For Good, sharing its subtitle with the name of the penultimate musical number from the show. [3]
The soundtrack albums for both this film and Wicked will be released by Republic Records/Verve Label Group, Grande and Erivo's respective record labels. In July 2024, it was revealed that John Powell had composed the incidental underscore for the film, reprising his duties from the previous film. [32] Jeff Atmajian updated William David Brohn's original orchestrations for the songs and enlarged the orchestra from the stage version's original 23 musicians to 125 for the film. The musical's original music director Stephen Oremus will conduct the song cues, with Powell conducting the incidental score cues. Greg Wells, Oremus and Schwartz serve as music producers. [32] [33] [34] [35]
As previously reported, Stephen Schwartz revealed that two new songs were written for this film in order to meet the demands of the storytelling. [18] It has been reported that one song will be for Elphaba and one song will be for Glinda.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2024) |
Splitting the film adaptation into two parts gave the filmmakers the opportunity to dive deeper into the relationships between the characters. The films will delve deeper into the two main characters of Elphaba and Glinda, allowing movie audiences to understand them better. [36] Actor Marissa Bode, who uses a wheelchair in real life and plays Nessarose, revealed that the "Wicked Witch of the East" sequence will be different from how it is presented on stage, to prevent ableism. [37] The sexual content of the novel and the musical was toned down for the overall two-part adaptation in order for both films to reach a wider audience and attain a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association (MPA). [38]
Wicked: For Good is scheduled to be released theatrically, including engagements in RealD 3D, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX and D-Box on November 21, 2025, by Universal Pictures, [39] after previously being set for November 26, 2025, and December 25, 2025, before being moved up to avoid competition with Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash , respectively. [40]
Exclusive work-in-progress footage from both films in the two-part adaptation, including first listens to Grande and Erivo's respective renditions of "Popular" and "Defying Gravity", was presented at CinemaCon on April 26, 2023, introduced on stage by Universal Pictures chairwoman Donna Langley. [41] The first trailer for the first film, in the form of a 60-second "First Look," premiered during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, showing brief clips from For Good that confirmed that the film would contain new scenes to expand the plot of the musical's second act, including one involving Glinda's wedding and one of the Wizard ordering Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion to hunt down Elphaba, as depicted in the original The Wizard of Oz story. [42] [13]
In November 2024, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman stated they are talking about the possibility of "something" more associated with Wicked, but that it would not be titled Wicked Part Three or Four. They further stated their interest in expanding the wider Wicked film universe. [43]
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country South of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.
The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely naïve. Throughout the course of the novel, he proves to have the brains he seeks and is later recognized as "the wisest man in all of Oz," although he continues to credit the Wizard for them. He is, however, wise enough to know his own limitations and all too happy to hand the rulership of Oz to Princess Ozma and become one of her trusted advisors, though he typically spends more time having fun than advising.
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is killed by Dorothy; in Baum's subsequent Oz novels, the Wicked Witch of the West is occasionally referred to.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is an American novel published in 1995, written by Gregory Maguire with illustrations by Douglas Smith. It is the first in The Wicked Years series, and was followed by Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz.
Elphaba Thropp is the protagonist in the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked, and in the musical's two-part film adaptation. The character is a reimagining of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Son of a Witch (2005) is a fantasy novel by American writer Gregory Maguire. The book is Maguire’s fifth revisionist story and the second set in the land of Oz conceived by L. Frank Baum. Son of a Witch continues the story after the fall from power of the Wizard of Oz and the death of Elphaba by recounting the life of Elphaba’s son, Liir. The book is dedicated to the cast of the Broadway musical version of Wicked.
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, before and after Dorothy's arrival in Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba and Galinda. Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wonderful Wizard, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall.
"Popular" is a song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz. It was originally recorded on November 10, 2003 by American actress Kristin Chenoweth, who portrayed Glinda in the musical. The song was released as part of the accompanying cast recording on December 16, 2003. The song is about Glinda trying to help her roommate Elphaba become more popular. American singer Ariana Grande performed a version of "Popular" for the 2024 film adaptation of the musical, which was released as a single.
"Defying Gravity" is a song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz. It was originally recorded on November 10, 2003, by American actresses Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who portrayed Elphaba and Glinda in the musical respectively. The song was released as part of the accompanying cast recording on December 16, 2003. It is mostly a solo sung by the main character of the show, Elphaba, with two small duets at the beginning and the middle of the song between Elphaba and her friend Glinda, and a chorus part at the end in which the citizens of Oz sing.
"For Good" is a musical number from the hit musical Wicked. It is sung as a duet between Elphaba and Glinda as a farewell. The song's score and lyrics were written by composer Stephen Schwartz.
"No Good Deed" is a musical number from the hit Broadway musical Wicked. It is sung by Elphaba, the main character of the show.
Wicked is a cast recording containing the majority of the songs from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked, with music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz and a book by writer Winnie Holzman. Released on December 16, 2003 by Decca Broadway both in physical and digital releases. The former contains a foreword and a short synopsis, provided by Gregory Maguire, who wrote the 1995 novel on which the musical is based, in addition to lyrics to those songs included.
"As Long as You're Mine" is a song from the second-act of the Grammy Award-winning musical Wicked by Stephen Schwartz. It is a duet between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Fiyero, with whom she is in love. It was originally performed by Idina Menzel and Norbert Leo Butz, who played the roles of Elphaba and Fiyero, respectively, in the original Broadway cast.
The Wicked Years is a series of novels by Gregory Maguire that present a revisionist take on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its 1939 film adaptation, and related books.
"The Wizard and I" is a musical number from the hit musical Wicked. It is primarily a solo number for the character of Elphaba, serving as her "I Want" song, though the character Madame Morrible also sings in the introduction to the song.
A Very Wicked Halloween: Celebrating 15 Years on Broadway is a Halloween television special commemorating fifteen years since the premiere of the musical Wicked on Broadway. The concert special aired on NBC on October 29, 2018, and was hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, and featured performances by Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert, Ledisi and Pentatonix.
Wicked is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu, and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with songs by Stephen Schwartz. It is the first installment of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name based on the 1995 novel, which in turn is based on the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Bronwyn James is a British actress. She has appeared in television shows such as Wild Bill, Ghosts, Outlander, and Harlots. She portrayed Shenshen in the musical film Wicked (2024).
Wicked: The Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2024 epic musical fantasy film Wicked by Jon M. Chu, the first of the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. It was released by Republic Records and Verve Records on November 22, 2024, the same date as the film's theatrical release in the United States. Along with the film cast, the soundtrack is billed to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film's two main stars, who each appear on seven tracks out of eleven on the standard release.