What Will Happen In Wicked Part 2?

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And when will it land in cinemas?

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So you’ve seen Wicked – and you’ve probably been streaming the soundtrack, too. But one key detail slyly skirted around during Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s infamous press tour is that Wicked is a two parter, and the just-released film is merely the beginning. The first part landed in cinemas last week (21 November), with Wicked Part 2 still yet to be released. Here’s what you need to know.

Wicked Part 2: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

What Will Happen In Wicked Part 2?

Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and Wicked Part 2 will bring us closer to the action of the 1939 film (and the 1900 book by L. Frank Baum it was based on). While Glinda (Grande) collaborates with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to turn Oz against Elphaba (Erivo), she transforms into the bubble-riding Good Witch we meet right at the beginning of Part 1 (as she and the citizens of Oz sing ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’).

However, things get complicated when Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) leaves Glinda for Elphaba, kicking off the tragic sequence of events that leave him as (spoiler) the Scarecrow we know from The Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile, Elphaba clashes with her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) – the Wicked Witch of the East – with Boq (Ethan Slater) being transformed into a heartless tin man in the hubbub. In an attempt to draw Elphaba from hiding, Glinda and Morrible target Nessarose, with the latter summoning a tornado that lands a house on Nessarose, killing her and accidentally bringing Dorothy Gale to Oz.

Fiyero in scarecrow form, Boq in tin man form and the Lion from Part 1 follow Dorothy on her yellow brick road adventures off screen – while on screen, Elphaba and Glinda will reunite, with the former recognising she must die for the sake of Oz’s people. The heartwarming reconciliation culminates with the duet ‘For Good’, before Glinda watches in horror as Dorothy throws water on Elphaba, which seems to kill her. But Elphaba isn’t dead: she just pretends to be so she can escape Oz and lead a life of freedom with Fiyero.

The Cast

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland
Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman
Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
Peter Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamond
Bowen Yang as Pfannee
Bronwyn James as ShenShen
Aaron Teoh as Averic
Grecia de la Paz as Gilligan
Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik
Adam James as Glinda’s father

Who Will Play Dorothy?

In the stage musical, Dorothy isn’t much more than a shadow – or plot device. But of course, her story is much richer than there is space to cover in the show, and audiences come to the story knowing the plot of The Wizard of Oz. But with much more time to explore and expand in this film duology, could Dorothy get more time in the spotlight in Wicked Part 2? ‘I won’t talk too much about what we show or don’t show in movie two,’ director Jon M. Chu tells Screen Rant. ‘But in movie one, it was important to let Dorothy be how you want her to be. I didn’t want to step on your images of whatever version of Dorothy you wanted her to be. But the presence is important because that plays a significant role in what will happen and how they intersect. That was sort of how we played with it. But you’ll have to see movie two to know how far we go with her.’

Intriguing… So who bagged the role of the Kansas girl? No one has been officially revealed. Perhaps we will find out more as the Part 1 conversations die down and audiences start looking forward to Part 2.

Wicked Ending Explained

Wicked Part 1 draws to a dramatic end, with Elpheba discovering the truth about the powerless Wizard of Oz and his oppression of animals throughout the kingdom. Seeing the truth, something changes within her and she resolves to resist him – even if it means being ostracised as a villain. (And Madame Morrible will ensure she is perceived as a villain.) Cue a dramatic rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ as the green witch dons her black hat and cloak and hops atop her enchanted broomstick, zooming off into the western skies.

Why Has Wicked Been Split Into Two Movies?

The film adaptation of seminal Broadway musical Wicked was split into two feature-length movies because ‘it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film,’ director Jon M. Chu wrote in 2022. ‘With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.’