The highly anticipated sequel to Jon M. Chu’s 2024 film “Wicked,” “Wicked: For Good,” was released on Nov. 21, finalizing the story of Glinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp with emotional musical numbers, beautiful visuals and a cast with strong chemistry.
The film is based on the second act of the Broadway musical of the same name, and follows main characters Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) and their lives in school, showing how the two girls began as enemies, then developed to become best friends – all while discovering the dark secrets of the kingdom of Oz. “Wicked: For Good” picks up after the girls have been separated, since Elphaba must flee due to becoming an enemy of Oz after going against the Wizard. Elphaba’s best friend Glinda decides to stay and choose being a public famous figure rather than fleeing with Elphaba, staying on the Wizard’s side. In this second film, fans watch the two unlikely friends reunite, their respective romances break apart and the dazzling two part movie series come to an end.
“Wicked: For Good” had a production budget of $165 million, which was well-reflected in the bright and intricate visuals of the movie. After watching, I wanted to be placed inside of the fairy tale land that is Oz.
“Wicked: For Good” also introduced two musical numbers that were not originally included in act two of the Wicked musical: “No Place Like Home,” sung by Elphaba as she convinces the endangered animals not to leave their home of Oz, and “The Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Glinda after being given her own bubble-like mode of transportation. Though not as catchy or iconic as songs like “Defying Gravity” or “For Good,” the new songs granted fans an unlikely surprise and actresses Grande and Erivo a chance to showcase their incredible vocals.
The vocals presented by actresses and musicians Erivo and Grande captivated audiences – myself included – and was a standout feature of the film. The film’s musical numbers were all performed live on set, a decision made by the creative leads of the movie, director Jon M. Chu and producer Mark Platt. This is unique to other musical movies, for which actors lip-sing during takes and vocal recordings are inserted into scenes post-edit.
Since the actresses were singing in real time, their motions presumably had to assist and not get in the way of that, which replicates how actors on Broadway perform. Whereas if it were prerecorded they would’ve had more space to be more dramatic in their movements but that would’ve lessened the emotional intimacy and realness of certain scenes like the “For Good” scene.
Playing the roles of Elphaba and Glinda was a dream role for actresses Erivo and Grande. They brought passion into their performance which musical theater fans and non fans like myself were captivated by. The original “Wicked” on Broadway was performed by Edina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda.
“Wicked: For Good” was a delightful sequel to the first film and did the original Broadway musical justice by honoring and implementing the songs and humor in the musical. Although the first “Wicked” film remains more iconic than the newly released second part and the original broadway version will always remain superior, “Wicked: For Good” is a beautiful adaptation that added to the already well known story.
A general limitation of theater performance is that fans can not be fully immersed in the story due to physical limitations, such as small sets and props. This applies to Wicked, as the magic in the plot simply cannot all come to fruition in a real, theatrical setting. Yet the movie created a world that I was able to visualize better than ever before, especially upon watching the film on the big screens. Fans can also make Oz home by streaming the iconic movie adaptation at home, enjoying its incredible creativity and satisfying vocal performances.
Even though it was emotional and twist ridden, I left the theater with a full heart. The film was a financial success, earning a record-breaking $226 million worldwide at box offices within opening weekend. It was also a creative success, empowering and pleasing millions of Broadway fans that have been following the story of Elphaba and Glinda from the very beginning.
