Wicked: Part 2 just got a title change, a solid year ahead of its release. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that instead of Wicked: Part 2, it’ll now be called Wicked: For Good. Fans of the Broadway musical know that the song “For Good” is the second to last song in the show, a duet between Elphaba and Glinda. In many ways, “For Good” encapsulates the premise of the whole play, as the two women sing “I know I’m who I am today because I knew you.” In the song, Elphaba tells Glinda “Whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend.”
Changing the name of the second chapter of Wicked makes sense, certainly from a marketing standpoint. Most fans of the Broadway show agree, the biggest banger numbers all occur during Act One. It was a no-brainer (but not in a Scarecrow way) to sell the first Wicked around “Defying Gravity” and “Popular.” Both are songs even people who’ve never seen the play know. Act Two of Wicked has some lovely songs too, but almost nothing as memorable as the ones just mentioned. The big exception to that however is “For Good.” Composer Stephen Schwartz knocked it out of the park with that one. There won’t be a dry eye in the house when Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sing that to each other.
Wicked is currently the highest-grossing film domestically based on a Broadway musical. Although, adjusted for ticket price inflation, that honor would still go to Grease and The Sound of Music. But Wicked wouldn’t be far behind them, even with all of that factored in. It’s a true cultural phenomenon, and that makes the sequel to the Wizard of Oz prequel one of the most anticipated movies of 2025 already. Wicked: For Good opens in theaters everywhere on November 21, 2025.
