On Sept. 24, the second and final trailer for the sequel to the 2024 adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked" dropped, and with it comes a whole new view of the wonderful world of Oz. The movie, titled “Wicked: For Good,” is named after the second act of the musical and arrives in theaters in November. Now, two months before the premiere, we’ve gotten a three-minute preview of what is in store.
The trailer quickly indicates that this movie does not immediately follow the events of the first movie. Fans of the musical know that roughly three to five years pass between the first and second acts of the Broadway show. With “Wicked: For Good” serving as the second act, it is safe to say that it will follow the same time jump.
Life in Oz is wildly different since the events of the first film. Glinda (Ariana Grande) has turned her life of privilege and high social standing into a new life as a public figure under the guidance of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Morrible’s propaganda has shaped public opinion of Glinda, creating her title “Glinda the Good,” with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) serving as her rival, now known to the public as the Wicked Witch of the West.
These opening scenes also give us the only song not included in the first trailer. Grande opens the trailer with vocals from the act two opener, “Thank Goodness.” We are also greeted with our first introduction of the new Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), now Captain of the Guard. The celebrations throughout Oz are interrupted by our first introduction of Elphaba, spelling out “OUR WIZARD LIES” in the clouds.
Elphaba’s life has been noticeably different from that of her counterpart, spending her days underground growing her powers with the help of the Grimmerie. She has also turned the winged monkeys to her side, despite the majority of the end of the first film being a battle between Elphaba and the Wizard-controlled flying monkeys. Elphaba’s main objective is to free animals like the flying monkeys from the wicked ways of the Wizard of Oz.
The first reunion between the main characters is not a pretty one. Conflict rises immediately and quickly turns violent. However, it does give us our fullest view of Glinda’s newest look, sporting a dress outside of her signature color from the first film, leaning much more into blue and purple than pink.
In the stage version of the musical, Glinda’s iconic bubble dress is actually blue, mostly due to copyright issues. The film may be paying homage to the stage production, following the iconic cameos of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the first film. Menzel and Chenoweth were the first to play Elphaba and Glinda.
The color change may also symbolize Glinda losing herself in the “Glinda the Good” persona. However, we saw Glinda back in her signature color at the very beginning of the first film, which takes place following the events of the sequel.
At this point in the trailer, we get to the storyline that we all recognize from the iconic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Elphaba’s visions see the infamous house of Dorothy Gale carried by a tornado created by Madame Morrible. We are reintroduced to the iconic cast of characters: the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. Differing from the original film, however, this Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) explicitly orders Dorothy and her friends to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, rather than tiptoeing around it.
The demise of the Wicked Witch of the West is well known, with Dorothy mistakenly pouring water on her when trying to douse the flames on the Scarecrow. Here, we see that the townspeople are “aware” of this fact, that water will kill the witch, as we see a person carrying a bucket of water with the words “melt her” written on it.
From this moment on, the trailer shifts in mood. Glinda witnesses the townspeople threatening the one friend who has truly mattered to her, and we see the beginning of the reconciliation of their beloved friendship. Birthing one of the most emotional and devastating lines that may define the film, “Just look at me … not with your eyes … with theirs.”
Our characters’ adventures are only just beginning, though, spanning from a reunification with the Wizard, a wedding, a battle, a betrayal and a significant amount of drama.
If the trailer is any indication, audiences can expect even more spectacle and drama than the first film. To see what is to come, fans will have to wait until Nov. 21 to see how the story unfolds when "Wicked: For Good” finally lands in theaters.
