This was previously published in 2025 December issue.

A year after the premiere of “Wicked,” the highly anticipated “Wicked: For Good” was released in theaters on Nov. 21. Once again, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda Arduenna Upland, the sequel to “Wicked” brought audiences back into the magical Land of Oz, grossing over $147 million at the box office on its opening weekend alone. As of Dec. 9, “Wicked: For Good” grossed over $440 million at the box office, soaring its way into the top 5 highest- grossing movies of 2025 at the domestic box office.

 While “Wicked” was a faithful adaptation of the original Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz, “Wicked: For Good” made some serious alterations. The most notable being the two original songs composed by Schwartz specifically for the film: Erivo’s “No Place Like Home” and Grande’s “The Girl in the Bubble.” 

On their own, these songs are good, but storywise? They are a bit redundant. For Elphaba, the song didn’t introduce anything new. It’s simply a vague motivation plea that amounts to nothing. Still, it is a nice reference to Dorothy’s iconic line in “The Wicked of Oz.” For Glinda, she already has a song, “Thank Goodness,” that expresses the same feelings of having everything she’s ever wanted, yet still being unhappy.

 Another change in the film is the magical properties of the silver slippers. In the musical, Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba’s sister, begged for Elphaba to “fix her disability.” This resulted in the slippers giving her the ability to walk. However, in the film adaptation, Nessa simply asks to float in the air and returns to her

wheelchair afterwards. 

Admittedly, “Wicked: For Good” is a heart-wrenching watch, with several scenes bringing tears to my eyes, but the film’s timing felt off. While the first film carefully expanded upon “The Wizard of Oz,” the second film felt a lot more like catch-up. The story seemed to jerk around, trying to connect the dots between the world of “Wicked” and “The

Wizard of Oz.” 

For instance, the sequence from visiting Nessa, to the wedding, to Fiyero

running away with Elphaba, to Nessa’s death all happened in two to four days. In the book version, the events in “Wicked: For Good” occurred over 13 years, while in the musical adaptation, it is closer to a few months.

Despite the odd pacing, the film does a good job of grounding the audience in the

specific scene it wants to focus on. The scenes with Glinda and Elphaba were especially raw

and passionate, especially the heartfelt goodbye at the end, when the pair bid farewell by saying “I love you.” 

The pure emotion “Wicked: For Good” evoked was largely aided by the much

darker and more somber tone. While the first film framed Elphaba’s rebellion against the Wizard as a triumph, the second showed what rebellions truly look like. Elphaba becomes visibly aged

from her isolation, hated by all Ozians, in contrast to Glinda, who is glowing and loved. 

The sequel to “Wicked,” “Wicked: For Good,” does a fantastic job of reimmersing the audience back into the Land of Oz, especially with the characters of Glinda and Elphaba. Overall, it is a fantastic emotional journey that can enrapture any audience

4.5/5 stars.