Film: Wicked: For Good [2025] – Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey

Wicked: For Good doesn’t have the power and momentum of its predecessor. A bit overdrawn, but still good. My friend was crying at the end.

Starring Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande, this sequel to last year‘s Wicked extends the second act of the Broadway musical into over 2 hours. Mixing Wicked with some elements from The Wizard of Oz, social commentary, contemporary themes, and good music, this film is nothing without its wickedly good cast.

While I wish it was shorter, skipped the extra song and a half compared to the Broadway version, this sequel takes one of the clearest stands against authoritarianism and White supremacy you’ll find in theaters. It couldn’t be timelier.

Erivo is even better as Elphaba than the previous movie, Grande is basically playing herself, a pop diva, and Jeff Goldblum proves once again that he’s the perfect wizard. In addition, Jonathan Bailey gives Fiyero a quiet smolder as he goes from dancing through life to thinking about choices to following his heart. His performance is subtle, not a term that comes to mind when considering the joyful maximalism of this world.

All in all, now complete, Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Universe is a spectacle that does feel like it defies gravity. Universal would be stupid not to capitalize on this franchise and open a “land” in one of its parks.

Should you watch it?

Wicked: For Good falls short of the last movie. Is it still very entertaining and worth it? Yes, it is.

Where can I watch it?

Wicked: For Good is now playing in theaters.