“Wicked” was released in theaters on Nov. 21, 2024, with the second film, “Wicked: For Good,” set to release on Nov. 21. The first movie was a hit, making over $200 million in ticket sales in the United States alone and over $700 million in ticket sales worldwide. The films were based on the 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz, the first movie corresponding to the first act of the show, and the second movie corresponding to the second act. “Wicked” also happens to be one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows to this day. The musical was created as an adaptation of the original 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which is a prequel to the original tale of “The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, which was published in 1900. Needless to say, “Wicked” is an incredibly well-known story that can be enjoyed by all generations, whether they prefer reading books, seeing Broadway productions or going to the movies.
Because the first “Wicked” film was so popular, there has been much anticipation for “Wicked: For Good.” I saw the first “Wicked” the weekend it was released with one of my friends. I had been a fan of the Broadway version for a very long time, so I was ecstatic to see one of my favorite musicals come to life on the screen. I dressed up as Galinda (or Glinda), wearing pink and sparkles, and my friend was dressed in green and black as Elphaba, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie theater was a sea of pink and green, and everyone was dressed up as their favorite characters. Watching the film was a euphoric experience, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. It was a fabulous movie, the music was fantastic and the production quality was incredible. I also was (and still am) a huge fan of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Johnathan Bailey, as I had seen and loved a lot of their previous works and performances. I walked out of the theater crying because the movie was phenomenal and I could not wait to watch the second one.
“Wicked” was a great success: numerous brands created pink and green Wicked merchandise, millions listened to the movie’s soundtrack on Spotify and other streaming platforms, the cast and directors gained lots of social media followers and the film became a global phenomenon. I predict “Wicked: For Good” will do the same.
Since it is the grand finale to the story, many will be curious to see how it ends, myself included. The first film left off on a cliffhanger, making moviegoers eager to return for the next one. Also, unlike the first movie, the second will include not only the songs from the stage musical, but also two new original songs made specifically for the film. They have also added scenes and elongated some songs to give the movie more depth, and I am extremely excited to see how it turns out.
Various trailers and song teasers have been released and the production quality already looks outstanding. The “Wicked: For Good” press tour has also begun, and the cast has made stops in São Paulo, Paris and London with upcoming events in Singapore and New York City to promote their movie all over the world. With the success of the first film, the amount of promotion for the second and the extraordinary acting, music and overall quality, it is clear that “Wicked: For Good” should top this year’s charts, changing the film scene for good.
