Wicked Sequels & Franchise Expansion Being Worked On by Universal, and Fans Are All Saying the Same Thing

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The movie Wicked: For Good is proving to be a big hit. It earned over $200 million worldwide in its opening weekend (more than $150 million in the US), and even though reviews weren’t as positive as the first film, audiences are still captivated. Considering the original Wicked movie made $759 million and received ten Oscar nominations (winning two awards), Universal Pictures now views the Wicked series as a valuable and successful franchise with a lot of potential for future projects.

Michael Moses, the head of marketing at Universal Pictures, has been talking to the media about the successful release of Wicked: For Good, and he’s strongly hinting that the studio wants to expand the film into a larger franchise with more stories and films.

Wicked Sequels & Spinoff Plans Revealed

As a big fan of Wicked, and seeing how much everyone loves it, I get the feeling the people behind the show feel like they have to find a way to keep this world alive. They haven’t announced anything concrete yet, but they’ve hinted that they’re definitely exploring options and working on things behind the scenes. It feels like a responsibility to them, given how popular it is!

Stephen Schwartz, the writer and composer of the musical Wicked, has hinted at potentially working on future Wicked movies. While he feels the story of Glinda and Elphaba is finished, he suggests there’s room to explore other parts of the Wicked world. He mentioned that there are other books by Gregory Maguire, who wrote the original Wicked novel, that could be adapted. He and a colleague, Winnie, are also considering a related story that isn’t a direct sequel, but rather expands on the existing universe.

Stephen Schwartz, who created the musical Wicked with Winnie Holzman, seems to have a promising idea for a follow-up story. This would likely be very popular with fans, as it would feel true to the original. As Schwartz noted, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. That novel is part of a larger nine-book series called The Wicked Years, so Universal has plenty of material if they want to continue the story with sequels.

Interestingly, some of the recent criticism of Wicked: For Good – particularly how it connects to the original Wizard of Oz movie – has reminded people of some of the more unusual and imaginative works set in Oz, like the 1985 sequel Return to Oz. That film is now famous for being surprisingly scary and unsettling for many viewers, with its strange characters and dark, dreamlike atmosphere. A new project that looked back at Return to Oz with a knowing, self-aware approach could be really interesting.

Wicked Fans Aren’t Thrilled About A Franchise Universe

Some fans aren’t happy about the possibility of extending the Wicked movie into a trilogy. They’re arguing that Universal should prioritize the artistic success of the already planned two-part film over potential profits. However, it’s rare for studios to pass up opportunities to make more money.

Roberto Blake believes the creators initially achieved something truly special, but continuing with sequels isn’t the way to maintain that success. He suggests they should use what they learned to create entirely new and original stories, rather than trying to build a sprawling cinematic universe. He feels not every story needs to be part of a larger, interconnected franchise.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/86-years-later-wizard-of-oz-fans-are-turning-against-dorothy-after-wicked-for-good/embed/#

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2025-11-25 23:45