The conclusion of Wicked, the explanation behind it (and the date of publication)?

There will be spoilers for the Broadway musical, movie adaptation, and book adaptation of Wicked.

You can forgive yourself if you haven’t realized that the movie version of Wicked only tells half the story; the trailers have done a good job of concealing the fact that the film ends on a cliffhanger. The film, which lasts two hours and forty minutes, is based on the first act of the stage musical Wicked. The second act, Wicked: Part Two, will be released in theaters on November 21, 2025. That might make the upcoming 12 months the longest intermission ever recorded. Viewers have not been left in such suspense since the end of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1.

Despite having a lot of untold story, Wicked does a good job of feeling like a finished film. Because of the popular Broadway musical and the 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which serves as the basis for the show, we are also not exactly in the dark about what will happen next. We’ve analyzed the first film’s conclusion and what to anticipate from the next one to help you get through the arduous year ahead.

How does Wicked: Part Two conclude?

When Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her roommate, Glinda (Ariana Grande), arrive in the Emerald City, they find out that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) is just a guy. Elphaba has been waiting to meet him since birth, according to the song “The Wizard and I.”. Elphaba is persuaded to read from the Grimmerie, an old book of spells, by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the headmistress of Shiz University and the Wizard. However, her incantation unintentionally produces a horde of flying-monkey spies. She understands that she has been taken advantage of and that the Wizard is a fake with no actual authority.

The Wizard and Madame Morrible are spearheading the persecution of animals in an attempt to control the populace and seize power, but Elphaba declines to work with them. To apprehend Elphaba, the Wizard dispatches the palace guards after she flees with the Grimmerie. In the meantime, Morrible declares Elphaba a Wicked Witch and warns everyone in Oz that she is a dangerous foe who needs to be stopped.

After catching up with Elphaba, Glinda tries to persuade her to join the Wizard and apologize to him. After seeing too much, Elphaba no longer desires that. She is different! Elphaba tries to give herself wings with a spell, but all she manages to do is make a broomstick fly, which is enough to get her away. She almost persuades Glinda to accompany her, but Glinda is unable to do so and instead presents her old friend with a very attractive cape. In order to avoid the flying monkeys, Elphaba performs “Defying Gravity,” vows that “no Wizard that there is or was is ever going to bring me down,” and flies out the window as the palace guards arrive. “”.

The Ozians are profoundly impacted by Madame Morrible’s remarks, and they now perceive Elphaba as a terrifying threat. Elphaba’s father (Andy Nyman), who appears to be in complete shock, is more appalled than Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). After telling the palace guards to release Glinda, Morrible returns to the Wizard’s palace, where they embrace in spite of everything Glinda has witnessed. Elevated above them, Elphaba screams her battle cry and takes off.

Is There a Scene Following Credits?

No. Thankfully.

What will occur in Part Two of Wicked?

It is reasonable to assume that Wicked: Part Two will closely follow the musical’s second act. The first movie is a very accurate adaptation of the original work, despite being much longer and including some new characters. Act Two is shorter and probably requires more work, which could be why composer Stephen Schwartz previously stated that there would be at least two new songs in the second film. On the other hand, the musical’s plot can clearly outline what we can expect to see in a year.

For her transformation into the Wicked Witch of the East, Elphaba’s sister Nessa must make a rather sudden heel turn. Hopefully, Wicked: Part Two will provide some subtlety. She is now the governor of Munchkinland in the musical after her father passed away, and she has kept all Munchkins from emigrating so that she can retain Boq (Ethan Slater) as a servant by her side. After arriving with the Grimmerie, Elphaba uses magic on Nessa’s shoes to enable her to walk (this plot point may also need to be changed in the film). When Boq says he’s going to go tell Glinda that he loves her, Nessa tries to cast a spell of her own and breaks his heart, so Elphaba has to make him a tin man. It should come as no surprise that Boq is given the last name “Woodsman” in the first film. ().

Finally, Elphaba and Fiyero are reunited, but their sultry duet is cut short when Elphaba discovers that Nessa is in danger, thanks to a flying house. Madame Morrible has made a cyclone to bring Dorothy Gale to Oz in an attempt to use Nessa’s death to force Elphaba out of hiding. As you may know if you’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, you know how that ends for the Wicked Witch of the East. Elphaba and Glinda next cross paths when she gets to the location of her sister’s house crush. The two quarrel over Fiyero and the fact that Glinda gave Dorothy Nessa’s enchanted shoes before sending the girl off down the yellow brick road.

Elphaba is on the verge of being captured, but Fiyero reveals himself as a double agent and helps her escape, proving that the entire situation is a trap. After being taken away, Elphaba casts a spell to keep him safe while performing “No Good Deed,” a bitter “breaking bad” hit song that is one of Act Two’s main selling points. At the same time, a vengeful group of Ozians is eager to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West. Some of Dorothy’s friends harbor personal grudges against her. While the Cowardly Lion, who is an adult version of the Lion that Elphaba and Fiyero rescue in Wicked, somehow accuses Elphaba of being cowardly, the Tin Woodman, formerly known as Boq, wants retribution against Elphaba for what she made him into, even if it was to save his life.

After Glinda offers to tell everyone the truth about the alleged Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba and Glinda do end up reconciling. Elphaba warns her against it, claiming that doing so would only cause the Ozians to turn against Glinda as well. If you enjoy flawless harmonizing and sob about friendship, Act Two’s other main selling point is the former besties’ rendition of “For Good.”. Elphaba appears to melt when Dorothy throws her water, as Glinda watches in horror. However, Wicked has a happier ending, so we should anticipate the same from this film. The Wizard finally realizes that he has planned the death of his biological daughter after Glinda brings Morrible to justice and gives him Elphaba’s green glass bottle. Naturally, Elphaba has only pretended to die in order to live a free life with Fiyero, turning into the Scarecrow under her spell, and Glinda is unaware of their actual outcomes.

What else from the book could be included in Wicked: Part Two?

There are undoubtedly many chances for additional context, scenes, and new characters if the second Wicked film wishes to build on the content from Act Two of the musical. They need to find a place for the two new songs! Maguire’s original novel, which was a loose inspiration for the musical, could be one source for these additions. Winnie Holzman, the author of the Wicked musical’s book, worked with Dana Fox to write the screenplay for the movies. The problem is that Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is a far more complicated and dark adaptation of the tale, with more complicated politics, violent scenes, and kinky sex than could ever be found in a PG-rated movie or a family-friendly musical.

Wicked: Part Two would need to depart significantly from the musical in order to draw from the novel, aside from the fact that its content is appropriate. For instance, Fiyero is unlikely to have an affair with Elphaba and end up in an arranged marriage—not with Glinda. Liir, Elphaba’s son, is unlikely to be introduced to us because of this, unless the filmmakers are keen to adapt more of Maguire’s books. Son of a Witch, his first Wicked sequel, has Liir as its main character.

The majority of Wicked is set in Fiyero’s castle in Kiamo Ko, where Elphaba and Liir reside with Fiyero’s widow, Sarima. (Elphaba imagines that the Scarecrow is actually Fiyero in disguise, but in reality, he is dead. Though we probably won’t see her in Part Two, Sarima is an intriguing character. We also probably won’t see Elphaba accidentally killing a chef with bees (don’t ask) or bludgeoning an already-dead Madame Morrible, assuming the film aims to keep the PG rating of the first film and keep her less morally dubious than she is in the novel.

Scenes with Elphaba and Dorothy are the one where Part Two appears to most likely be influenced by Maguire’s book. Although Dorothy is only mentioned in passing in the musical (she is either off-stage or only seen in shadow), she has a significant part in the novel, particularly in a crucial scene where she confesses that she only wants Elphaba’s forgiveness for killing Nessarose. There were numerous Easter eggs and references to the 1939 film in the first Wicked movie, which heavily referenced The Wizard of Oz. As a result, the second Wicked movie might want to focus more on Dorothy and her friends. One of Wicked’s most significant themes—that good and evil depend on one’s point of view—might be further explored by including a few of Maguire’s Dorothy scenes.