Wicked: For Good, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, released in theaters on November 22nd, 2025. It was highly anticipated; Grace Yang (10), who hasn’t seen the movie or its first installment (Wicked) stated that she has “seen random videos of them [stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo] on social media”.

Wicked and Wicked: For Good has an interesting history. It’s adapted from “Wicked”, the Broadway musical, which is adapted from Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. That book is a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. It follows the story of the titular Wicked Witch, also known as Elphaba Thropp (played by Cynthia Erivo), a green-skinned witch who ends up attending Shiz University alongside the popular Good Witch, Glinda (played by Ariana Grande). As Grace Acevedo (10) said, referring to the roles of the two characters in relation to the dynamic of their actresses, “For enemies on screen, they [Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo] seem awfully close off-screen”.

The rest of this article will include spoilers for the entire Wicked franchise, since it’s a review of Wicked: For Good. If you’d still like to read the section about the potential third movie, please scroll down four paragraphs.

When I first watched Wicked, I was enthralled. I’d never watched the musical, nor read the book, but the hardships faced and overcome by Elphaba hooked me instantly. By the time the final note of “Defying Gravity” rang out in the theater, I had goosebumps running up and down my arms.

So when I walked into the cinema to see Wicked: For Good, I was understandably excited. And while the special effects, acting, and musical numbers remained up to par, I had a few concerns about the production. There were a multitude of moments that felt rushed or unexplained, such as Elphaba’s argument with her sister, Nessa. We didn’t spend enough time in Nessa’s perspective to see the resentment building up against her sister, nor did we see her father’s passing and the effect it had on her. Even a single scene of Nessa at her father’s funeral, clutching onto the arm of her support system Boq and remarking about Elphaba’s absence would have added more emotional weight to the confrontation.

Adding to that, context for many events during the movie was missing. For example, the first we hear of Governor Thropp’s death is during the argument. We also see nothing of Scarecrow-Fiyero until the very end of the movie. I would have liked to see him wake up as a scarecrow and join Dorothy’s band with the hope of finding Elphaba before they can kill her, adding tension to the story. I’m aware of the already incredibly long running time, though, and know that not everything could fit into the final movie.

With all of my criticisms in mind, I should also say that I did believe this was a good movie. Everything from the costumes to the setting looked very realistic. I just believe that the first Wicked movie was superior to Wicked: For Good.

Now, for a long time, fans of the franchise believed Wicked: For Good would be the last installment of the movies. But director Jon Chu has reportedly been “throwing around ideas” for a third movie (Town and Country Mag). Some of the actors, like Bowen Yang, have stated that they won’t participate in a third movie, if one comes (Out). But others, like main cast Ariana Grande, have mentioned that the world of Wicked feels incomplete, hinting at their willingness to reprise their characters in a potential third installment (People).

One of the popular theories for what this third movie might be drawn from is one of Gregory Maguire’s other books in the Wicked Years series.

Maguire wrote four books in the series, with two prequels. That leaves five total sources of story for a potential third movie. The first sequel, Son of a Witch, follows Elphaba’s son Liir as he struggles to survive and find his way in the new, Wizard-free Oz. The second sequel, A Lion Among Men, is told from the perspective of the Cowardly Lion, chronicling his childhood, his experiences during Elphaba’s time, and what happens after the Wicked Witch is gone. The final book, Out of Oz, details what happens when Dorothy comes back and faces Rain, Elphaba’s great granddaughter. The prequels follow the childhoods of Elphaba and Galinda (Glinda), respectively. All of these could make for intriguing, action-packed movies fleshing out the entire Wicked world.

All in all, whether you’ve watched the movies, seen the musical, or read the books, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked world–based on the world of Oz from L. Frank Baum–provides a compelling story with intriguing characters.