“Wicked: For Good,” the movie adaptation of Act Two of the Broadway musical “Wicked,” came to theaters Nov. 21. It was the exciting ending to the movie adaptation of Act One, “Wicked,” which was released Nov. 22, 2024.
The movie, directed by Jon M. Chu, captivated audiences with thrills, adventure, deception, and an unexpected sense of helplessness that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. With love and friendship, pain and loss, “Wicked: For Good” had something for everyone.
The movie got its name “For Good” from the musical’s famous duet between Elphaba and Glinda, “For Good.” The song portrays the friendship between the two girls and how they don’t know if it has changed them “for the better,” but because they knew each other, they have “been changed for good.” It is a very fitting name for the end of their heartwarming story of friendship.
“Wicked: For Good” evoked a range of emotions from the audience. It was immersive. For two hours and 17 minutes, the audience could live in Oz and experience great joy, fuming anger, warm passion and overwhelming sadness.
Stars Ariana GrandeGlinda) and Cynthia ErivoElphaba) portrayed their characters’ behind-the-scenes friendship as all of Oz makes an enemy of The Wicked Witch of the West, extremely well. The movie also starred Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, bringing his comedic talents to the screen yet again, even as the villain.
The budget for the movie was about $165 million. That included the salaries for the cast and crew, as well as sets and costumes, production costs, promotional content and distribution to theaters.
The movie’s costumes and sets amplified the otherworldly essence of Oz. The use of the entire color spectrum in Munchkinland, as opposed to the use of only green in Emerald City, was breathtaking, as well as the tulip fields around Munchkinland, which were made of over nine million real tulips grown specifically for the movie. The scenery in the film was incredible.
The dresses Glinda wore in the movie did not disappoint, adding to the sense of polished elegance for her character. This contrasted greatly with Elphaba's dark outfits, adding to the earthly look associated with the character and showing that, just like in the first movie, the two friends took different paths.
The silver slippers in the Wicked movies were a nod to the book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” In the book, the slippers were silver; however, in “The Wizard of Oz” movie adaptation, they were changed to ruby slippers due to the use of Technicolor in the film. The studio wanted to use a variety of colors. The “Wicked” movies did not stray from the book, though at one point in the second movie, the shoes changed color to red, which was a nod to the movie.
Audiences also got to see the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion in “Wicked: For Good.” They also learned how those characters came to be and what motivated them to want to go to the Emerald City.
Also explained is the Yellow Brick Road and what caused the tornado that swept Dorothy and Toto out of Kansas. Many aspects of the original movie were explained further in the two “Wicked” movies, which gave a dark history to the lighthearted story.
The story in “For Good” was full of twists and turns, featuring a love story between the unexpected, a story of friendship that ended in tragedy, and a story of justice for the oppressed.
It was a deeper dive into the world of Oz than ever before.
