First reactions crown WICKED: FOR GOOD a soaring, tear-stained finale

Industry audiences in New York have had the first look at WICKED: FOR GOOD, and the early verdict suggests a sequel that meets the moment, deepens the story, and leaves viewers reaching for tissues. Jon M. Chu’s follow up to last year’s WICKED screens as a continuation rather than a repeat, focusing on the second act of the Broadway musical with a sharper emotional lens and newly minted numbers by Stephen Schwartz, alongside a screenplay shaped by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

The film picks up as Elphaba and Glinda choose their paths, one branded as the Wicked Witch of the West, the other an ascendant Glinda the Good. Early viewers highlight a production that widens Oz without losing intimacy. World building feels more textured, costumes read as story, and Alice Brooks’s cinematography reportedly finds warmth and scale in the same breath.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are drawing praise for leveling up from the first film. Feedback from screenings points to vocal fireworks paired with character work that lands with force. Several trade outlets suggest the central friendship is rendered with fresh clarity, and that the final stretch lands with the ache audiences hope for.

The new material is getting attention in its own right. Early chatter singles out No Place Like Home, performed by Erivo, and The Girl in the Bubble, performed by Grande, as immediate standouts. Returning staples from Act Two, including For Good and No Good Deed, are said to be staged and performed with renewed dramatic intent.

Awards watchers are already gaming scenarios. If momentum holds, both leads could enter rare company as performers recognised twice for the same roles on screen. The first film delivered a strong season with multiple nominations and wins, and Universal appears positioned for another campaign with music, design, and craft categories in play.

WICKED: FOR GOOD is not framed as a victory lap. It arrives as a character study in consequence and loyalty, a showcase for two star turns, and a technical package that heightens what worked last time. For fans of the stage show, there are nods and surprises that respect the source while taking advantage of cinema’s scale. For newcomers, the story reportedly stands on its own, with a finale that feels earned.

WICKED: FOR GOOD opens in Australian cinemas on 21 November. If the first reactions are any guide, Oz is ready to cast another spell.