Wicked: For Good is the upcoming second a part of Jon M. Chu’s on-screen adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, set to cowl the complete second act of the stage manufacturing. As followers of the present will know, that is the place Wicked truly ties into The Wizard of Oz, and the shared timeline might trigger some hassle.
The recent teaser for Wicked: For Good has already previewed the arrival of some iconic Wizard of Oz characters, proving that the film will, at the very least partly, keep true to the supply materials and interweave Elphaba and Glinda’s narrative with that of the 1939 film. This will hopefully carry an entire new dimension to an already fascinating story, however there are some essential challenges it wants to beat.
Wicked 2 Needs To Accurately Recreate Some Wizard Of Oz Scenes
Wicked is commonly known as a “prequel” to The Wizard of Oz, however this evaluation isn’t fairly correct. While the musical’s first half does happen a number of years earlier than L. Frank Baum’s acclaimed fantasy story, the 2 tasks converge in Wicked’s second half, and most of the characters work together with one another.
The introduction of characters like Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion is a part of what makes Wicked such a beloved property, however it’s additionally going to trigger some main issues for Chu’s cinematic adaptation – as a result of a film model of The Wizard of Oz already exists, and it’s usually cited as one of many greatest movies of all time.
While the stage manufacturing usually will get a move for its artistic liberties, since there was by no means a Wizard of Oz play to match it to, Wicked: For Good will definitely face comparisons to Victor Fleming’s 1939 film as a consequence of a number of overlapping scenes. The sequel must strike the right stability between being source-accurate and adapting these scenes for the fashionable day.
When it involves Dorothy arriving within the Emerald City, or the Wizard sending them on a quest for the Wicked Witch’s broomstick, Wicked: For Good will actually must forge its personal id so as to keep away from the limitless Wizard of Oz comparisons. Thankfully, the Wicked films are instructed from the views of Elphaba and Glinda moderately than Dorothy, so it’s simple to clarify sure inconsistencies.
The means Wicked gradually leads into The Wizard of Oz is a part of the greatness of the unique Broadway manufacturing, but it surely’s but to be seen precisely how Chu will deal with this transition on-screen. He might both undertake the identical visible language as Fleming’s unique, staying as true to the supply materials as potential, or take some main artistic liberties to account for the shift in perspective.
Either means, the sequel will most likely face criticism from long-time Wizard of Oz followers who aren’t proud of the way in which this story bends and molds the unique narrative to suit the prequel’s function. In this regard, it might be safer if Chu ignores the supply materials completely, accepting that it could be unimaginable to duplicate it, and easily tries to serve Elphaba’s narrative as an alternative.
Wicked Is Best Understood As An Alternate Reality To The Wizard Of Oz
Thankfully, there’s a reasonably simple option to clarify a lot of the plot holes and logical inconsistencies that come up in Wicked’s second act. The musical was by no means strictly meant to be a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, however moderately a companion venture that pulls inspiration from the unique story and doesn’t essentially happen in the identical universe.
In reality, there are several versions of Wicked that every one happen in barely totally different universes; the film universe could not even be the identical because the musical universe, which actually isn’t the identical because the ebook universe. This makes it simpler to know why sure particulars are totally different in numerous Wicked diversifications.
If you perceive Wicked this fashion, there’s a lot much less strain using on the upcoming film to remain true to the supply materials, as a result of it’s not the identical world. This isn’t fairly the model of Dorothy that audiences know from Judy Garland’s acclaimed efficiency, so it doesn’t matter if she acts barely in another way or takes an unfamiliar path by the story.
There will certainly be some main source material changes in Wicked: For Good that differentiate the upcoming sequel from earlier Oz films, so taking this “alternate reality” strategy helps nullify the plot holes that come up because of this. Both the novels and the stage manufacturing have been clear that this can be a “reimagining,” so there’s no cause the films needs to be totally different.
While that is positively a extra opportune option to view the Wicked films, it does really feel barely awkward. The story is clearly attempting to be a Wizard of Oz prequel, even when the “alternate universe” notion is simpler to abdomen. There’s simply sufficient coherence with The Wizard of Oz to make audiences suppose it’s the identical world, and that might show complicated if Wicked: For Good’s scenes don’t add up completely.
Wicked: For Good
- Release Date
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November 21, 2025
- Director
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Jon M. Chu
- Writers
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Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire
- Producers
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Marc Platt
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