After nearly a year of anticipation, *Wicked: For Good* will finally arrive in theaters in 2025, concluding the story of Elphaba and Glinda. Because the musical has been adapted into two films, viewers will be able to fully experience the rich friendship between the two witches, the intricate world of the Emerald City, and all of the beloved songs without losing any of the show’s charm. Director Jon M. Chu recently shared that he initially struggled with the script and that deciding to split the story into two movies was a risky but ultimately rewarding decision.
I was really interested to hear Jon M. Chu, the director, talk about *Wicked: For Good* at the London Film Festival (according to Deadline). He explained how they decided to split the Broadway musical into two movies. Honestly, hearing him describe the original script – which was meant to be *one* film – made me think they definitely made the right decision to split it up!
When I first read the script, it felt like a rough draft – over two hundred pages long and thrown together without a clear vision. It didn’t read like a polished, finished movie at all.
It makes sense why Jon M. Chu made that decision. The stage musical already had a break at the same point where the 2024 movie ends. Because the musical is so rich and moving, it would have been a shame for the film version to cut too much of what fans enjoyed or leave out key elements.
As a huge movie fan, I’ve always been a bit wary when studios decide to split the final book or story of a franchise into two films. It *can* work and give the ending the epic scale it deserves, but it’s a risky move. I remember reading about the challenges David Heyman, the director of the *Harry Potter* films, faced when making *Deathly Hallows – Part 1*. He described it as essentially a long setup, a ‘road movie’ leading to the big showdown in *Part 2*. And Francis Lawrence, who directed *The Hunger Games*, actually admitted he regretted splitting *Mockingjay*! He felt leaving fans on a cliffhanger for a whole year until *Part 2* wasn’t the best approach.
Chu explained that Universal had been discussing whether to divide *Wicked* into two movies for years. He admitted he wasn’t initially sure if making it two parts was the best approach.
When I first heard they were making a movie, I was curious but also a little skeptical – it’s tough to pull off *two* amazing Wicked films, you know? The biggest challenge, as I saw it, was making “Defying Gravity” feel truly impactful at the end. It can’t just be a big song; it needs to be the emotional heart of the story. And it’s not about battling wizards! The first movie wasn’t about that, so the second one shouldn’t be either. It felt clear to me that Glinda shouldn’t be the one making the final, crucial decision. It *has* to be Elphaba’s story, and to really understand her, we needed to see her whole journey – her childhood, everything that made her who she is.
It’s true that the popular movie showed us Elphaba was born with green skin and faced rejection because of it. This makes the first part of her story so compelling. Her journey to become the “Wicked Witch of the West” felt complete when she chose to fight for what she believed in, even though it meant being seen as an outcast.
Meanwhile, the new musical *For Good* delves deeper into Glinda’s character. Even though she holds a prominent role in the Emerald City, the show will reveal the internal conflict of a woman dedicated to spreading kindness while working for a corrupt government. The song “The Girl in the Bubble” promises to offer audiences a better understanding of the contrast between Glinda’s public persona and her true self.
According to Stephen Schwartz, the songwriter for the original musical, the film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu needed to be divided into two parts to ensure no scenes were removed. This was especially important for the powerful finale of “Defying Gravity,” which Chu wanted to mirror the impact of the stage version. He explained that the first film would set the stage for the highly anticipated second half, delivering what fans of both the movie and musical had been waiting for.
It was essential to develop those elements within the film itself. Otherwise, we’d be stuck after the first movie appealing only to existing fans of the stage show, and we needed to reach a broader audience.
The movie adaptation of *Wicked* successfully pleased fans of the stage show while also introducing a new audience to the world of Oz and the complicated relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. Director Jon M. Chu captured the story’s emotional core and wonder, expanding the fanbase to a global scale.
Director Jon M. Chu was aware that splitting a story into two movies is often risky, but he took the chance with *Wicked*. It paid off! The film received excellent reviews, had a fantastic opening weekend before Thanksgiving, and earned ten nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards. It successfully expanded the story while staying true to what fans love about *Wicked*. The conclusion of this magical tale, *Wicked: For Good*, arrives in theaters November 21st.
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2025-10-11 01:09