As "Wicked" takes flight into theaters this weekend, eager fans may find themselves wondering when the sequel will descend upon the silver screen, continuing the mesmerizing saga. Here’s an exhaustive guide to "Wicked: Part Two," encompassing the release date, ensemble cast, plot synopsis, and much more.
"Wicked" serves as the inaugural installment of the cinematic adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, which itself draws inspiration from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel that reinvents the beloved characters from "The Wizard of Oz" books and films. Mirroring the original stage production's division into two acts, the movie version will similarly unfold in two parts.
Director Jon M. Chu elucidated his rationale for splitting "Wicked" into two films via a social media posting in April 2022. He stressed that this division was the optimal means to fully explore the intricate storyline, character developments, and musical numbers without the necessity of compressing them into a solitary film.
"As we prepared this production over the past year, it became increasingly evident that attempting to fit the narrative of 'Wicked' into a single film would involve inflicting genuine harm upon it," he articulated at that time. "Each attempt to axe songs or shorten character arcs began to feel like致命妥协 to the source material that has delighted us for countless years. Thus, we opted to afford ourselves a broader canvas and embark on crafting not merely one 'Wicked' film, but TWO!!!! With greater space, we can recount the tale of 'Wicked' as it was always meant to be shared, while adding even more profundity and astonishment to the odysseys of these endearing characters."
Scheduled to enchant theaters on November 21, 2025, almost a year to the precise day following the debut of its predecessor, "Wicked: Part Two" will seamlessly continue the saga from where Part One concluded, after the stunning revelation that the Wizard is a fraud and Elphaba's tragic branding as the newly emerged public enemy of the Ozian realm. The impending chapter dives deep into the events that preceded the classic tale of "The Wizard of Oz," unveiling the dramatic transformation of Elphaba into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda's evolution into the Good Witch.
"The initial installment traced Elphaba's journey as she metamorphosed into the Wicked Witch of the West, whereas the second part delves into how her closest confidante, Glinda, embraces her true self and the path of goodness," producer Marc Platt elaborated in the production notes, as reported by NBC.
Remarkably, "Wicked: Part Two" has already been captured on film. Both "Wicked" and its sequel were filmed consecutively, with the musical movie's production beginning in December 2022 and officially wrapping up in January 2024, after facing temporary disruptions due to the now-resolved Hollywood strikes.
The entire ensemble from "Wicked" is anticipated to reprise their roles in the second iteration, as the characters introduced in Act I also play pivotal parts in Act II of the original stage production.
