After the massive success of “Wicked: Part One” last November, audiences everywhere were left eagerly awaiting its sequel, “Wicked: For Good”. In theaters as of Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, the movie has quickly become one of the most talked about releases of Thanksgiving break. Grossing $150 million domestically and $226 million globally after less than a week, this is the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical movie adaptation.
The first film followed the story of Galinda, a popular “princess”, and Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman born with green skin and powerful magic. Though their relationship gets off to a rocky start, they slowly become the closest of friends. They venture to the Emerald City to talk to the legendary wizard but soon realize he is not who they thought he was. He manages to spin the story and pin the blame on Elphaba, which is where the first movie ends. For those who hadn’t seen the Broadway play or read the book, this cliffhanger made it almost impossible to not come back to the theaters for part two.
“Wicked: For Good” picks up with Elphaba’s journey to find justice for the animals and people of Oz, and free them from the Wizard’s lies. With mixed reviews circulating online, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were three main things that this movie succeeded in, and those were music, acting and costume design.
The Music
As a lover of musicals, I must say I think this was done very well. Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Galinda) and Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) have phenomenal voices, and it was even more impressive that they were singing in real time rather than using voiceovers. “As Long as You’re Mine” was a beautiful duet between Fiyero and Elphaba, and “No Good Deed” was such a powerful song that gave me chills.
Although controversial, I actually like the addition of the song, “The Girl in the Bubble”, because I believe it gave the audience more of a view into Galinda’s personal struggle, and it added an emotional dimension to her character. Overall, the music helped with transitions and was seamlessly blended into the movie.
The Acting
The acting overall in this film was very wonderful, and it was apparent that there was actual chemistry between actors. Although Erivo and Grande’s relationship comes off as a little weird in interviews, it absolutely works in the movie. They improvise a bit in the end when they say goodbye for the last time, and you could hear the audience sniffling in the theater; they truly connected with each other.
Another thing that was impressive is how much chemistry Erivo and Bailey had on screen. Despite both being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, you would have never known watching these two sing their love song to each other. Overall, through the comedic bits, to the romantic parts, and even the sentimental scenes, the acting was fantastic.
The Costume Design
After winning Best Costume Design at the Oscars last year, they didn’t hold back for this movie at all and came out with more insanely impressive costumes for extras, small characters and leads. There is a bit of controversy around the fact that Galinda did not wear the dress that was advertised, but in my opinion, they had so many other dresses that were so gorgeous, so I did not mind. The villagers, Nessa’s all black outfit that implied her evil, Galinda’s wedding dress and so much more was beautifully executed.
The only thing I didn’t love was the sweater they had Elphaba wear in her duet scene, which was a bit raggedy looking, and did not fit the vibe. Otherwise, it was a great design.
Wicked: For Good” is not just a worthy sequel, it’s a visual, emotional and triumphant finale that brings the beloved story to life. Whether you love music, Jonathan Bailey, or musicals, you should absolutely see this movie, because it was nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece.
