Dorothy Didn't Come to Play—Flying Monkeys, Wedding Bells, and a Green-Skinned Reckoning
When Oscar nominees Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo drop a trailer, you shut up and watch. The ‘Wicked: For Good' preview just shattered well-behaved musical fan Twitter—Dorothy is back, flying monkeys are everywhere, and the color grading looks like Snapchat got ahold of Oz. Seriously, just look at those blues.
And here's the sick twist: after last year's first ‘Wicked' film earned 10 Oscar noms and $750 million in box office wizardry, the sequel is rolling the dice, hard. Remember how the musical's Act II was always called “the weaker half”? Director Jon M. Chu clearly does. This time, he's playing with dynamite: Dorothy, once an afterthought, is the main course now, with Irish star Alisha Weir donning those legendary ruby slippers.
Countdown to Chaos
This isn't a movie drop—it's a late autumn showdown. Universal drops ‘Wicked: For Good' in theaters November 21st, 2025: Oscar season, right before Thanksgiving. You will see thinkpieces, TikTok theory spirals, and at least one Judy Garland meme by opening weekend.
Expect your aunt to text, “Are we Team Glinda or Elphaba now?” Spoiler: the right answer is both, but argue anyway.
The Big Bet: Upgrading Act II—and Dorothy
Let's not sugarcoat it. Every ‘Wicked' superfan knows Act I is untouchable. Act II? Historically “kind of a letdown” (a phrase heard so much backstage, it should be its own costume). Chu and his team have one job: Stick the landing. Boosting Dorothy could be Oz's narrative Red Bull—but it also risks fan-heresy.
Insane stat: Nearly $1.5 billion has ridden on this two-part ‘Wicked' event across box office, awards, and Broadway boosterism. Now, with the Oscar afterglow still warm, any stumble is going to feel like a flying monkey wing-cramp. Add in Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum (as a slightly unhinged Wizard), and it's Broadway glitz meets CinemaScope insanity. Would it be so deranged to say this is “Wicked meets Game of Thrones, minus the incest, with twice the emerald sequin budget”? Because that's the vibe, folks.
One More Final Showdown For… Everyone
Wildcard: The original ‘Wicked' musical left Dorothy basically a cameo—blink and you missed her. Chu is tossing that rulebook in a cultural woodchipper. Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion all storming the frame? It's a cinematic invite to compare, contrast, and maybe start a GoFundMe for the poor VFX artists.
And speaking of Hollywood's Greatest Hits: The last time a sequel flipped the focus this hard, it was ‘The Godfather Part II'—but at least that didn't have to resurrect flying monkeys or risk pissing off every high school theater kid with Opinions.
(Jeff Goldblum voice, probably in an interview coming soon: “You see, the thing about magic is… the monkeys always come home to roost.”)
Genius or Emerald Garbage? Place Your Bets
So, which side are you on? Is ‘Wicked: For Good' the festival finale Oz needed, or an overstuffed, color-corrected cash grab that should've stayed on Broadway? Would you rather buy a ticket or donate your popcorn money to an emerald fund for traumatized munchkins?
