We’ve reached the point on the 2025 movie schedule where it’s time to return to Oz. The release of Wicked: For Good is right around the corner, and in preparation for that, I’m considering just how different this movie will be from last year’s Wicked. That’s because Act II of this musical takes a dark turn, and director Jon M. Chu opened up about why he thinks this part of the story is “the most compelling.”
When we met Elphaba and Glinda at Shiz in Wicked, the world was bright and bubbly. And for the most part, the first movie – which you can stream with a Peacock subscription – maintains that tone. However, in the final moments, as “Defying Gravity” plays, Cynthia Erivo’s witch leaves Ariana Grande’s Glinda and the characters who are going after her behind, leaving us on a cliffhanger that promises to be intense and dark.
Chu addressed what’s to come after that during an interview with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend, and noted that he loves this upcoming act of the musical, saying:
I always thought the second act of the show was the most compelling side of the story, because it’s the adult side.
There’s no doubt, Act II of Wicked is far more mature than Act I. Time has passed between the two parts, and when we return, Elphaba and Glinda have grown up and are in very different places. As the director explained, we’re not in school anymore:
They’re no longer students. The stakes are much higher and this friendship is tested because of that. The world is between these two women. Their philosophies and how they see the world are different, and how the world moves forward is different.
While Wicked was about the formation of Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, For Good will address how their relationship is impacted by the evil that is overtaking their world. It will be especially challenging as Glinda works with Madame Morrible and the bad side, if you will, while Elphaba figures out her next move.
In the trailers for Wicked: For Good, you can see all of that on display, and it’s clear that what we’re about to get will be darker, more intense and more emotional than Wicked. All of that really excited Jon M. Chu, too, as he explained:
I always thought that this was the meat of the story. This forces us as an audience to look back at our childhood stories to see if they’re still worth believing in, or if they’re shattered completely. That’s what I always really wanted to make sure we had the time and room for.
Well, I can’t wait to see all this play out on screen. I desperately hope the people of Oz are able to overcome their biases and see the issues in their land that are hurting so many of them, especially the animals.
On top of the important lessons For Good holds, it will also continue this compelling story of friendship between Glinda and Elphaba, which I’m dying to see. Oh, and we’ll get the strongest Wizard of Oz connections yet, as we know Dorothy will appear (though we won’t see her face) alongside Colman Domingo’s Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man.
So, like Jon M. Chu, I’ve found a bunch of reasons to be stoked for Wicked: For Good. And his comments about why he thinks it’s the most compelling part certainly help that enthusiasm, too. Now, to see exactly what he’s talking about, you can catch the highly anticipated second act of Wicked in theaters starting November 21.
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