Entertainment

Everything we know about Wicked For Good

By
Four scenes from a fantasy film. In the top left, a green woman with a serious look is in a flower field, while a blonde woman tenderly rests her head on her shoulder. In the top right, four characters — a girl in a blue dress, a metallic figure, a lion-like creature, and someone else — stand in front of a large, shiny golden face in a theatrical hall with high curtains. In the bottom left, an elegant woman in a large pink dress floats inside a shiny, bubble-like orb above a fairy-tale city. In the bottom right, the green woman with a pointed hat flies through the air, followed by flying creatures with wings.

A year ago, when we walked out of the cinema, we already knew we had to mark the end of this month in our calendar — and for one very good reason: Wicked For Good. Maybe your algorithm has managed to dodge it so far, but that won't last long. Wicked is back and the Emerald City promotion express is running at full speed again. Before you completely lose track amidst all the pink and green, we’ll lay everything out for you. What to expect from Wicked For Good: the grand finale of this magical journey.

Just a reminder: this is what happened at the end of Wicked part one

Okay, a year isn't mega long, but a refresher never hurts. This way, you'll be completely ready for part 2. At the end of ‘Wicked’ Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) discovers that The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is not a wizard at all, and thus has no powers. It turns out he did everything with tricks and manipulation to suppress the talking animals. Elphaba was lured into a trap by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to help The Wizard, but at the very last moment, she decides to follow her own path. And then, that finale! With the iconic ‘Defying Gravity’ she literally blasts into the air and escapes from Emerald City. Madame Morrible ensures that Elphaba is now known as The Wicked Witch of the West, a huge threat to Oz. And Glinda (Ariana Grande)? She is left behind, torn by the loss of her friend and the struggles with her own image. Is their bond forever destroyed?

What awaits us in Wicked For Good?

We now know where we left off, but what’s next? It’s not really a spoiler anymore; the films largely follow the storyline from the musical, which has since become a staple in theaters. But for those who don’t have a stack of playbills lying around, here’s a heads-up: this is what awaits us in ‘Wicked For Good’.

In this second part, we return to Oz a few years later. Elphaba is still living in hiding and leads a reclusive life. Glinda has since taken on the name ‘Glinda the Good’, is the poster girl for The Wizard, and the symbol of hope for the inhabitants of Oz. Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) has become the captain of The Wizard's guard; not because he is such a fan of him, but more because he wants to find Elphaba. He is also engaged to Glinda, but reluctantly. Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is the new governor of Munchkinland, and that proves to be the key to Elphaba. She seeks out her sister, but when Nessarose receives her visit with anger and envy, Elphaba’s bad reputation is once again confirmed. It seems there is no other choice but to fully embrace her image.

Castwicked

The Wicked For Good soundtrack that you won't get out of your head

After ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘Popular’ in part 1, which we couldn’t get out of our heads for weeks, we are again looking forward to musical gems. And of course, with those killer voices of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Thanks to the musical and the announced Spotify list, we already know a few titles. ‘I’m Not That Girl’ and ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ are getting a reprise, and the film title ‘For Good’ returns in a new song. Other titles include ‘Thank Goodness’, ‘The Wicked Witch of the East’, ‘Wonderful’, ‘As Long as You’re Mine’, ‘No Good Deed’, ‘March of the Witch Hunters’, and the ‘Finale’. But that’s not all: especially for the film, two new songs have been written; partly by Cynthia Erivo herself. These delve deeper into the characters, their choices, and their search for a home. The titles are now known: ‘No Place Like Home’ and ‘The Girl in the Bubble’; the stars of the film will each get their own solo. And that is more than deserved, of course. So warm up those vocal cords.

The stars of Oz: who is returning in the Wicked For Good cast?

Director Jon M. Chu has played it very smart: the second film was shot immediately after the first, so the cast had little room to say their schedule was already full. This means we will see all the familiar faces from ‘Wicked’ again. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are of course returning as Glinda and Elphaba. The actresses have promised to cry a little less during this press tour than the previous series, but whether that will succeed… Their special bond has already been immortalized with a For Good tattoo.

Also, Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Ethan Slater (Boq), and Marissa Bode (Nessarose) are picking up their roles again, although the dynamics between them and the importance of their characters will change significantly. Whether many new faces will join is still a bit exciting. Colman Domingo has at least been confirmed as the Cowardly Lion. We won’t really see him, but his amazing voice makes it all worthwhile. Whether we will spot Dorothy remains a question. She made a small cameo in part 1 and would now get a larger role. According to rumors, Alisha Weir (from Matilda the Musical) has been given the honor of this role, but whether that is really the case, we will have to wait until the release. It should remain a bit exciting, of course.

Are there already images of Wicked For Good?

So, now you are really completely up-to-date. The only thing left to do is wait and count down the last days until the big premiere. For now, we can already warm up nicely with the trailer; and believe me, just that is already a joy. On November 21, we can finally go wild, and then it will be a rush to the cinema for ‘Wicked For Good’. I can’t wait anymore… and you?

Image: Universal Pictures