After Wicked: Part One was released in November 2024, not only being a major box office smash hit, but also receiving the award for highest grossing film based off a Broadway Musical ever, creating many new fans of the movie franchise. This success set the stage for the sequel, Wicked: For Good, set to come out in November 2025.
On opening weekend, Wicked: For Good was a major box office hit, matching Wicked: Part One’s box office debut, but many people had mixed reviews on the second film. Some saying it didn’t live up to part one, while others saying it was an amazing addition and finale to the franchise. As a lover of the first movie, I partially agreed with the first statement, that it wasn’t as good as part one, but on the other hand, I do believe it finished the franchise and storyline incredibly well. Since the day Wicked: For Good was announced, I have been looking forward to watching it in theatres with my closest friends, and the film definitely did not fail to deliver the fans the amazing ending and storyline they were looking forward to. The music catalog for the Wicked movie series and Broadway shows are one of the most enjoyable and sought after aspects of the franchise, and while Wicked: Part One had more songs and in my opinion, some are better songs, Wicked: For Good still managed to add amazing songs to the catalog.
The casting for both of the movies was impeccable, with new additions to the cast, they portrayed the original story, with slight changes, flawlessly. The main stars being Cynthia Erivo, as Elphaba, Ariana Grande, as Glinda, and Jonathan Bailey, as Fiyero. They made for a cast with amazing chemistry, so you could feel the emotion through the screen, which is one of the things fans adore about the Wicked franchise.
Critics are arguing that the plot was messy, and the ending was rushed, but I totally disagree. When comparing Wicked: Part One and Wicked: For Good, they are two totally different movies with different end goals and themes, Wicked: For Good being a continuation to Wicked: Part One, so it is hard to argue that one is better than the other. Prior to watching Wicked: Part One, I wasn’t as big of a musical fan as I am now, after watching both Wicked movies. I have been totally floored by both of the movies and have even found myself going out of my way to rewatch and listen to both of the Wicked soundtracks when opening Apple Music. For fans, following the Wicked journey has made them fall in love with all the characters, and has made an impact by setting a new bar that movies will have to fight to reach.
