Glinda and Elphaba must navigate a fracture in their friendship when the evil Wizard and his sidekick try to pit Glinda against the now-fugitive justice seeker who is trying to save Oz’s terrorized animal population. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in this second part of the 2024 film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
Anyone fearing this second film’s darker tone would come at the expense of dazzling sets and costumes needn’t worry. Director Jon M. Chu again pulls out all the fantastic visuals while also showcasing the duo’s incredible singing voices. As a result, this more mature, multi-layered story carries a lot more emotional heft, as Elphaba tries to convince Glinda that the tyrannical Wizard’s disinformation campaign against her is a distraction to hide his evil deeds. Seeing the people of Oz so easily fooled by Jeff Goldblum as the authoritarian con man hits particularly hard in our current day and age.
The nods to The Wizard of Oz are nicely done and the entire cast does an incredible job, but Grande, with her impeccable comic timing and charisma, has the heavier and more impressive lift in this second installment as Glinda emotionally evolves… for good. Grande’s poignant performance of “The Girl in the Bubble,” one of two original songs in the film, should be a lock for an Oscar even if Grande doesn’t score the well-deserved win for her acting. Wicked: For Good is an outstanding musical film adaptation.
REEL FACTS
• The first installment of the two-part opus raked in more than $750 million and received 10 Oscar nominations (including acting nods for both Erivo and Grande), winning two, for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
• When Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast as the leads, they each reached out to their Broadway counterparts, Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel, who also ended up with cameo roles in the first installment. Erivo and Grande insisted on performing their songs live during filming to get their moments more authenticity. They have matching “for good” tattoos on their hands.
• Wicked star Jonathan Bailey was named People Magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, the first openly gay man to receive the title.
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