New Wicked Prequel Announced As For Good Smashes Box Office Records

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Just days after its release, Wicked: For Good is already a huge success, breaking box office records. The movie continues the story from the 2024 hit Wicked, completing the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical. It’s earned $150 million domestically and $226 million worldwide, making it the second-highest opening weekend of the year, behind A Minecraft Movie. Wicked: For Good also set a new Fandango record for the most pre-sale tickets for a PG-rated film, and exciting news for fans – a prequel is also in the works!

Despite a low score from film critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Wicked: For Good is still doing well with general audiences. This has led to speculation about the future of the Wicked franchise. While there’s no news about more movies yet, the publisher, HarperCollins, has announced a new prequel book by Gregory Maguire, the author who originally wrote the story the musical and films are based on. Maguire released one prequel, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, earlier this year, and this new book, Galinda: A Charmed Childhood, will be a companion to it.

According to BroadwayWorld, a new book called Galinda: A Charmed Childhood will be released on September 29, 2026, keeping the buzz around Wicked going. Similar to the story of Elphaba, this book delves into the early life of one of the main characters – this time focusing on Glinda. The book’s description suggests it will add depth to Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda, showing her struggling against her family’s expectations and privileged background.

Gregory Maguire Following Elphie With Galinda Perfectly Complements the Wicked Movies

The novel Elphie: A Wicked Childhood was released at just the right moment, in March 2025, connecting the two parts of the Wicked movie adaptation. Since the first film ends with Elphaba’s iconic “Defying Gravity” moment, it felt natural for author Gregory Maguire to further develop Cynthia Erivo’s character through this book, exploring the roots of her magical abilities and the experiences that shaped her. With the first movie ending with Glinda gaining strength, this book gives Maguire the opportunity to do the same for her story, and Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda makes that a particularly promising idea.

Wicked’s New Prequel Offers Hope for More On-Screen Stories in This World

While some fans were expecting news about another movie, the release of the novels featuring Elphie and Glinda suggests that more films set in the world of Wicked are still possible. These books demonstrate that there’s plenty of potential to further develop the characters and world created by Gregory Maguire. It’s difficult to imagine continuing the story of Elphaba and Glinda after the events of Wicked: For Good, but revisiting their earlier years in a future film or TV series could be a great way to expand the franchise.

As a critic, I’m really excited by what the Wicked prequels suggest. It’s clear there’s a whole universe beyond Glinda and Elphaba’s story, with plenty of other characters and plotlines ripe for exploration. While I doubt we’ll see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reprise their roles after Wicked: For Good – their character journeys feel beautifully complete – the franchise clearly has a lot more to offer fans who are eager to stay in this world.

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2025-11-25 02:43