While Wicked established Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, the film’s second half will put their connection to the test.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as the witches of Oz in the first trailer for Wicked: For Good, released on Wednesday, June 4,. Now on opposite sides of a battle for justice in Oz., the teaser features Elphaba as she studies the sacred text known as the Grimmerie, while it’s revealed that Glinda has been taken under the wing of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).
Other parts of the trailer share glimpses into Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Glinda’s wedding, which seemingly doesn’t go well, considering he’s seen catching up with Elphaba later and returning her broomstic — “For awhile I thought you’d changed,” she tells him, to which he replies, “I have changed.”
Dorothy and her friends from The Wizard of Oz are also teased more heavily, as are a few new songs like title track “For Good,” a duet between the two lead women.
Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo Kick Off ‘Wicked 2’ Press in All-Black Looks
Despite Elphaba and Glinda being on separate sides of the battle, they end the trailer by reflecting on their bond. “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had,” Elphaba admits to Glinda. “And I’ve had so many friends,” Glinda she quips in response. “But you’re the only one that mattered.”
As a refresher, Wicked, which hit theaters in November 2024, ended with Elphaba choosing to flee the Emerald City after discovering The Wizard was a fraud who tricked her into creating the flying monkeys for his own nefarious purposes. Though Elphaba asks Glinda to join her, the latter chooses to stay behind, signifying the start of a rift in their friendship.
“Our heart was broken when Glinda can’t make the choice that we want her to so badly at the end of movie one, and it feels empowering for Elphaba to fly away from society,” director Jon M. Chu shared in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Wednesday. “In movie two, we get to see the consequences of those choices. The temperature is up.”
As fans of the original 2003 Broadway musical know, the story’s second half sees the best friends face the consequences — both good and bad — of the life paths they have chosen, with Glinda becoming a spokesperson for The Wizard and Elphaba embracing her title as The Wicked Witch of the West.
While the first Wicked film didn’t stray too far from the musical, For Good will add to the story by including two brand-new songs. “They’re great additions to this movie. They were necessary in this movie to help tell the story,” Chu, 45, told Vanity Fair. “To have [original Wicked composer] Stephen Schwartz back behind the keys — it’s pretty extraordinary to watch him work.”
Erivo, 38, revealed that she “collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me” on a December 2024 episode of Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast. She added, “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready — it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”
Glinda will sing the film’s second new track. “It’s a pivotal moment in Glinda’s journey,” Grande, 31, told the “Awards Circuit” podcast in January. “It shows a side of her we’ve never seen before. In the stage show, this transformation happens offstage. But in the movie, we get to see her make the decision that defines who she is. It’s a privilege to sing this song and be the first Glinda to bring it to life.”
Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, previously teased what fans can expect from For Good in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. “Wicked 2 is definitely a lot darker in a lot of ways. So, I’m excited for that aspect of it,” she shared earlier this year. “Here’s a time jump for sure, and I’m excited to see visually — because I haven’t really seen any of the footage yet – how the characters have changed for good or maybe not for good.”
Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21.
