On November 21, 2025, after a year of waiting, fans rushed to theaters to finally see “Wicked: For Good.” This is the second part of the 2024 hit, “Wicked,” a story about what really happened behind the scenes of “The Wizard of Oz,” showing that the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch were actually friends.
The film follows Elphaba and Glinda about 1-5 years after “Wicked.” Despite being known as “The Wicked Witch of the West” and hunted by everyone in Oz, Elphaba remains resilient in her efforts to expose the wizard and help the animals. Meanwhile, Glinda enjoys a luxurious life in the Wizard’s palace, loved by everyone. While the story is focused on Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, Fiyero also plays a huge role in the plot, making decisions that change the course of everything.
The film also includes shots of Dorothy and her friends, highlighting how Wicked connects to The Wizard of Oz. It shows the backstories of her friends: The Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow, and how they came to be who they are.
The story includes themes about animal protection, government influence, friendship, and loyalty. Every character must make important decisions about what side they’re on and how much they’re willing to sacrifice for what’s right.
The cast of “Wicked” returns. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Glinda. respectively. Jonathan Bailey also plays a big role as Prince Fiyero. Wicked was a great experience for all of them, according to him. “For me, it’s being sort of about community … It’s about bringing people together … looking back, seeing how far things are moving … and … those long-term friendships and creative collaborations,” he says.
Director Jon M. Chu was also a vital part of the production. “The challenge is to stay true to the heart of the musical while taking full advantage of what film can offer. There’s an expansive visual language in cinema that allows us to show Oz in a way that Broadway simply can’t,” he says. His actors have spoken about what a great director he is, saying that he makes sure that everyone’s needs are taken care of.
Filming the movie wasn’t easy. It required a lot of hard work and resilience. For example, Cynthia Erivo’s makeup had to be done before every time they filmed to make her green skin realistic. They also shot both movies back to back, which was a challenge as there was so much to do.
The movie has already made over 400 million at the time this article was written, and is expected to make much more. People online have had mixed reviews. Some say that the sequel doesn’t live up to the original; some say it exceeds it. It has mostly positive reviews online. The movie is a heartwarming story of friendship that prevails over challenges. Many viewers say that, like the characters, they have been changed for good.