Warning: This story contains spoilers from Wicked: For Good, Wicked: Part 1 and Wicked the Broadway musical.
Fans couldn’t be happier that Wicked: For Good is here.
The sequel to 2024’s Wicked has finally hit theaters, giving fans the conclusion to the story of Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba and Ariana Grande's Glinda with its adaptation of act two of the long-running Broadway musical.
While part one changed very little for its big screen adaptation, Wicked: For Good took more liberties with act two of the musical, adding three new songs—“Every Day More Wicked,” “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble”—and expanding much of the story fans first saw on stage.
Throughout the film, viewers see more of Elphaba and Glinda’s struggle to reconcile their friendship with Elphaba’s evil reputation—as the Wicked Witch of the West—among the citizens of Oz, while also getting more of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), Nessarose (Marissa Bode), Boq (Ethan Slater), Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).
And having more time with part two was one of the main reasons the musical was split into two parts, with director Jon M. Chu explaining the additional elements in Wicked: For Good help better tell the story of how Elphaba and Glinda, a.k.a. the good Witch of the North, “struggle to come back together.”
“We knew that Wicked: For Good was always going to be the bigger story,” he shared in a press release. “The kids we fell in love with in the first film now have to grow up, and they have to make choices that will last a lifetime. This isn’t school anymore.”
Wicked the musical—originally based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West—first hit the stage in 2003 starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, both of whom made cameos in the first film.
Now please take a few clock ticks and follow the Yellow Brick Road to find out what was changed in bringing the story of Wicked: For Good to the big screen.
Every Day, More Wicked
Wicked: For Good picks up “12 tide turns” after the end of the first movie saw Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) defy gravity and fly off in the hopes of using her magic to save the talking animals of Oz. In fact, as the movie begins we see Elphaba trying to stop the building of the Yellow Brick Road, freeing as many of the captive animals as she can.
We also get our first new song from the sequel, “Every Day More Wicked,” an expanded version of what is featured at the start of the musical. In it, the principal cast, including Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), recap how their characters have been trying to deal with the Wicked Witch of the West.
Becoming Glinda the Good
In the film, like the stage musical, Glinda is established as a spokesperson for the Wizard of Oz. And viewers even see her receive her traveling bubble as well as her wand, officially making her the Good Witch. The moment even includes a flashback of a younger Glinda trying to use her powers when she receives a magic wand for her birthday. The moment calls back to the flashback of a young Elphaba in part one, showing how those children were scared of Elphaba for using her powers, while Glinda’s friends are overjoyed when they think she has used hers.
Oh, What a Celebration
While the stage show’s second act begins with the number “Thank Goodness,” it doesn’t appear in the movie for some time. Instead, it is used to celebrate the completion of the Yellow Brick Road as well as Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey)—Captain of the Gale Force in the film—and Glinda's engagement. Unlike in the musical, Elphaba crashes this celebration and attempts to warn the citizens of Oz about the Wizard’s evil ways, using her broom to write in the sky—much like the character of the Wicked Witch does in the original Wizard of Oz film from 1939.
No Place Like Home
We see Elphaba reunite with Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke), as she tries to stop the talking animals from leaving Oz. It is here where she sings one of the movie’s new songs, “There’s No Place Like Home,” in which she attempts to remind them of how wonderful Oz could be if everyone cared about each other and worked together.
The King of the Forest Has No Nerve
While not present in the stage production—aside from the appearance of his tail—the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) has an expanded role in the film. Originally the lion cub that Elphaba and Fiyero rescued from Shiz, the now-grown lion tells Elphaba that he blames her for making him a coward as she took him from the life he knew.
The Wicked Witch of the East
Much like in the musical, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is now the governor of Munchkinland following the death of her and Elphaba’s father (Andy Nyman), which Elphaba is aware of in the film, but learns from her sister in the musical.
As such, she has made Boq (Ethan Slater) her servant because is still in love with him and hopes he will one day return her affections. In the movie, she tells Boq that he is free to leave and pursue Glinda—whom he is still in love with—although he quickly learns otherwise when he reaches the train station and finds out Munchkins now need a travel permit.
He then returns to Nessarose before Elphaba appears to ask for her sister’s help. In new lyrics added to “The Wicked Witch of the East,” Nessarose reminisces about their past at Shiz as she blames Elphaba for her misfortune. In the musical, Elphaba enchants her sister’s silver shoes which helps Nessarose get out of her wheelchair and begin walking. In the movie, however, Elphaba enchants the shoes to make Nessarose float, as she returns to her wheelchair.
The Wonderful Wedding in Oz
Unlike the musical, moviegoers are treated to a peek at Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding. It’s just before this celebration that Elphaba makes her way to the Emerald City where she’s discovered by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Glinda attempt to convince her to work with them as they sing “Wonderful,” which includes several new verses and is only sung by the Wizard in the musical.
Though the Wizard agrees to free the flying monkeys, they lead Elphaba to the Wizard’s underground where he is keeping talking animals captive, including Doctor Dillamond, who he also keeps captive in the musical. In a rage, Elphaba frees the animals, leading them to destroy the wedding before Glinda and Fiyero are able to say “I do.”
A Morrible Plan
The movie lets the audience see the moment Madame Morrible casts the spell to bring a cyclone to Oz as we see it ravaging its way throughout the land before a home ultimately falls on Nessarose who was out looking for Boq.
If He Only Had a Brain
Much like in the musical, Fiyero is turned into the Scarecrow by Elphaba, as she tries to save his life when he’s taken by the guards. However, this time, fans get a glimpse of what that transformation is like, with straw slowly appearing on Fiyero’s body.
They’re Off to See the Wizard
Dorothy (Bethany Weaver) and Toto have arrived. Although they’re never explicitly seen in the stage show, the movie offers a vague glimpse of them. Fans never see Dorothy’s face but do get a peek at her and her crew of Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they make their way to the Emerald City and receive their assignment from the Wizard: Bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie also gives the Kansas Girl a line as she runs towards the Wizard near the end of the film, asking him to wait for her so she can return home.
The Girl in the Bubble
Elphaba isn’t the only witch with a new song, as Glinda laments how her life has turned out with “The Girl in the Bubble.” The song leads her to the realization that “it’s time for her bubble to pop,” as she leaves the Emerald City and tracks down Elphaba to warn her of what the Wizard has planned for her.
For Good
As they do in the musical, Elphaba and Fiyero fake her death, allowing the two of them to be together. But the movie gives us more of what happens to everyone: Doctor Dillamond returns to Shiz, Glinda starts practicing with the Grimmerie and Elphaba and Fiyero walk off to the place beyond Oz. The movie even pays homage to the musical with its final shot, as Glinda and Elphaba are seen in a flashback recreating the musical’s iconic poster.
The Time Dragon Clock
Originally an important part of the book Wicked, a traveling puppet show called the Clock of the Time Dragon makes an appearance at the start of the Broadway show under the name the Time Dragon Clock. However, in the film, it is only briefly mentioned when Glinda confirms Elphaba's death to the citizens of Oz.
Elphaba's Childhood
While the stage version does touch on Elphaba's conception and birth, there is no flashback showing her as a young child. However, the film shows viewers what her life was like growing up, and even gives a glimpse at her powers from a young age. The movie also introduces the character of Dulcibear, a talking bear who is present when Elphaba is born and takes responsibility for raising her after her father, the governor of Munchkinland, is horrified that she's green. Dulcibear also provides a backstory for why Elphaba is so concerned about animals being removed from society and losing the ability to speak, a major plot point in the film and the musical.
Elphaba's Introduction to Shiz University
In the Broadway musical, Elphaba is already enrolled at Shiz University as a way to help take care of her sister Nessarose. In the film, she is merely there to drop her off, but when Madame Morrible sees her display of power, she insists that Elphaba enroll. The rest unfolds much the same, with Glinda accidentally volunteering to be Elphaba's roommate, with the musical version explaining that Elphaba's room assignment must have fallen through the cracks.
Doctor Dillamond and the Animal Freedom Fighters
In both the musical and the movie, Doctor Dillamond is a talking goat and the history professor at Shiz who makes the students aware of the ongoing plot against animals throughout Oz. While the film introduces audiences to several other talking animals who appear to be part of an animal resistance movement, they do not appear in the musical. On stage, the song "Something Bad" takes place in Doctor Dillamond's classroom, while on screen it's sung by him and Elphaba in his private quarters.
Elphaba and Fiyero's Meet Cute
Both the musical and the movie include a love triangle between Glinda, Elphaba and Fiyero. However, Fiyero's introduction and how he meets Elphaba do differ from stage to screen. In the show, his carriage almost runs her over when he is dropped off at Shiz by his servant. In the movie, he almost tramples over Elphaba in the woods while riding his horse near the university, with Fiyero joking that they didn't see her as she blended in with the greenery.
The Little Lion Cub
After Doctor Dillamond announces that he is being let go from Shiz, a new professor takes over and shows off new cages that have been designed to hold animals—with his example housing a sad lion cub. Elphaba is furious and, in the stage show, causes the students and professor to start moving uncontrollably as she and Fiyero rescue the cub and take him to safety. In the movie, she ends up putting all of them to sleep instead by using poppies (an Easter Egg for the original 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in which she puts Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion to sleep in a field of poppies).
Off to the Emerald City
There's one small change as Elphaba heads off to meet the Wizard in the film: Her father comes to the train station, where Nessarose introduces him to Boq. However, her father does not come to say goodbye in the musical.
The Tale of the Grimmerie
The movie provides more information on the Grimmerie, an ancient book of spells written in a language that is lost to modern-day Ozians. So, while the movie version does not feature any full new songs, it does feature a new section added to "One Short Day. The movie's extended version adds to the legend of the Wizard, and claims that he is the only person who has been able to read the Grimmerie, fulfilling an Ozian prophecy many had been waiting for (which we later learn is not true as he cannot read it, but Elphaba can.)
The Original Witches Return as New Characters
Not only is "One Short Day" the song that was changed the most from the stage to the screen, but it offers another surprise as well. The new section in the movie is sung by special guest stars: Broadway's original Elphaba and Glinda, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. The duo are credited as Wiz-O-Mania Super Stars, playing characters that do not appear in the stage version, but provide fans of the musical a double dose of nostalgia as they interact with Erivo and Grande in the Emerald City.
The Not-So-Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In both versions of Wicked, the Wizard starts off by charming both Elphaba and Glinda. However in the movie he does it with the aid of a giant model of Oz, saying he plans to build a road that will lead its citizens to the Emerald City. He even lets Elphaba and Glinda pick the color of said road, leading to the creation of the famed Yellow Brick Road.
Elphaba Defies Gravity
While there are no huge changes to the act one climax (and ultimately the film's ending), Elphaba's big musical number does get stretched out in the film, and includes a moment where she sees a vision of a younger version of herself, which spurs her on to fly away and leave the Wizard and Glinda as she makes a new name for herself. The stage play doesn't include such a flashback.