Verdict: 4/5. Wicked: For Good brings the story of Elphaba and Glinda home in rousing, tear-stained fashion — a dazzling, darker and sometimes overlong finale that lands its emotional punches even when its pacing wobbles. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are magnificent, the songs soar, and the final stretch is among the most affecting blockbuster endings of the year.
Picking up where the first film ended — with Elphaba’s defiant flight from Oz on “Defying Gravity” — Jon M. Chu’s sequel covers the stage musical’s second act: a story of estrangement, propaganda and two friends on opposite sides of a regime. It is less consistently thrilling than its predecessor, but its ending earns every tear it is chasing.
| Director | Jon M. Chu |
| Cast | Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage |
| Release date | 21 November 2025 (US cinemas) |
| Runtime | 137 minutes |
| Genre | Musical fantasy |
| Rotten Tomatoes | High 60s to low 70s critics; mid-90s audience |
| Box office | Around $540 million worldwide on a $150 million budget |
| Verdict | 4/5 — dazzling, emotional, slightly overlong |
The Story: Oz After “Defying Gravity”
Elphaba (Erivo), now demonised as the Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile in the Ozian forest, fighting for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and trying to expose the truth about the Wizard (Goldblum). Glinda (Grande), meanwhile, has become the public face of the regime — beloved, bejewelled and increasingly trapped by the propaganda machine run by Madame Morrible (Yeoh).
The film follows their parallel lives as the Wizard’s Oz tightens its grip: Fiyero (Bailey) torn between duty and love, the arrival of Dorothy and her companions from Kansas, and the two witches’ slow, painful journey back toward each other. Anyone who knows the stage show will recognise the shape of the story; the pleasure here is in how fully Chu commits to its emotional stakes, including two brand-new songs written by Stephen Schwartz for the film.
Performances: Erivo and Grande at Full Power
Erivo is the film’s blazing centre. Her Elphaba is furious, tender and exhausted by turns, and her voice — never more powerful than in the film’s climactic numbers — carries the whole enterprise. Grande, meanwhile, gives the film’s most delicate performance: her Glinda is all surface sparkle wrapped around a growing, quietly devastating awareness of what she has become complicit in. The film’s best scenes are the ones that let the two women simply look at each other.
Jonathan Bailey brings charm and ache to Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh is deliciously steely as Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard remains a masterclass in affable menace. The supporting cast, including Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang, keep the film’s comic energy alive even as the story darkens.
Direction, Music and Spectacle
Chu directs with the same maximalist confidence as the first film: vast sets, sweeping camera moves, and musical numbers staged as full-scale events. The production design and costumes are again superb — the first film won Oscars in both categories, and this sequel maintains that standard. Schwartz’s two new songs slot into the score more naturally than many feared, and the returning numbers, including the finale’s reprise of “For Good”, are staged to wring out maximum emotion.
Commercially, the film was a hit: a global opening of around $226 million, including about $150 million in North America, on its way to roughly $540 million worldwide. Audiences loved it far more than critics did, awarding it an A CinemaScore and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score in the mid-90s, against a critics’ score in the high 60s to low 70s.
What Works
- The two leads: Erivo and Grande are extraordinary, separately and together.
- The finale: the last twenty minutes are genuinely moving and beautifully staged.
- The new songs: Schwartz’s additions deepen rather than dilute the story.
- The craft: production design, costumes and choreography are best-in-class.
- The themes: propaganda, scapegoating and friendship under pressure feel pointed and timely.
What Doesn’t
- Pacing: at 137 minutes, the middle act drags, with too much yearning and too little forward motion.
- The darker tone: the sequel’s heavier mood makes it less purely joyful than the first film.
- Uneven middle: some sequences feel stretched to justify the two-film split.
Verdict
Wicked: For Good is not quite the equal of its predecessor, but it is a worthy, often beautiful conclusion. It is long and baggy in the middle, yet the central friendship, the two towering performances and a finale that genuinely earns its tears make it essential viewing for anyone who loved the first film. Bring tissues; the last song will get you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wicked: For Good streaming?
The film began streaming on 30 December 2025, following its 21 November 2025 cinema release.
Do I need to watch the first Wicked film first?
Yes — For Good is a direct continuation that picks up immediately after the first film’s ending, and it assumes you know the characters and their story.
What is Wicked: For Good‘s Rotten Tomatoes score?
At the time of writing, critics score it in the high 60s to low 70s on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences rate it in the mid-90s. It also earned an A CinemaScore.
How much did Wicked: For Good make at the box office?
Around $540 million worldwide on a reported $150 million budget, after a global opening weekend of roughly $226 million — one of the biggest openings ever for a film musical.