For musical theater superfans and movie goers alike, the long wait for Wicked: For Good is almost over.
In November 2024, Wicked flew into theaters and became a cultural sensation, earning $112.5 million in the U.S. and Canada during opening weekend alone. While it is not the first musical to be adapted into film, it was uniquely successful in amassing new fans for a story that has been running on Broadway since 2003. Director Jon Chu announced in 2022 that the Wicked movie would be broken into two parts, with Wicked: For Good set to be released in theaters on Nov. 21, 2025.
Temple Now spoke with Peter Reynolds, assistant chair and associate professor in the Theater Department and head of musical theater in the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, about the upcoming installment to the Wicked franchise, exploring how this story has captivated hearts and minds for over 20 years.
Temple Now: Wicked, the stage musical, has been running on Broadway for over 20 years. How has this story managed to capture audiences for decades?
Peter Reynolds: The story grapples with themes of good and evil, featuring two lead characters—Galinda and Elphaba—who are in tremendous conflict yet ultimately grow to love each other, even when tragedy strikes. Their story seems to have resonated in people’s hearts.
TN: What was your reaction to Wicked (2024), the first movie in the two-part franchise from Universal?
PR: Initially, I waited and rented it at home. I watched it in the evening, and then I got up the next day and watched it again. That never happens to me. It’s such a moving story. One of the themes that seems to strike deeply with viewers is the “othering” of people, the repercussions of that and the pain of it. A lot of people can relate to that experience.
TN: You have seen and are familiar with the staged version of Wicked. Did you feel that Wicked (2024) was a faithful adaption to the Broadway show?
PR: It was smart. And very well directed by Jon Chu. And not all musicals that become movies work. They’re very different mediums. A director has to figure out how to tell that story for film and make it as powerfully resonant as the stage production. There’s not a lot of hits, there are a lot more misses in terms of the translation of musicals from the stage into film.
In Wicked [the film], we can see Shiz, we can see Oz, we can see her fly, we’re flying with her.
Galinda’s bubble is such an inventive visual and element, we’re completely in the world, even though it’s not live.
TN: Beyond the challenge of adapting a stage musical story to a movie screen, Wicked is well-known for the role-defining performances of Kristin Chenoweth as Galinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba. Those are tough acts to follow, and expectations were high for the film performance. Do you feel Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo met those expectations?
PR: In my opinion, perfect casting. For a film version. I believe that Cynthia Erivo will go down in history as one of the finest actors of this period. I was thrilled by both of their performances in the film. And how exciting when Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth showed up in cameos. Moments like that speak to how they are tying together the legacy of the stage musical, adapted for a film. The movie retains that acknowledgement of and respect for what has come before. Critical reception was mixed on Wicked (2003), but the audience, the musical theater lovers, just loved it and made it a colossal hit.
TN: Another element of Wicked’s success is Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist of the stage show who is now involved in the movie. What role has he had in the success of this franchise?
PR: Stephen Schwartz can write a tune! In the 1970s, he was the only composer who had three musicals that ran over 1,900 performances, i.e., Godspell, Pippin and The Magic Show. And like many composers, not every subsequent show was a success, so he started writing primarily for film. And then Wicked came along, and he fought to become the person who wrote the music for it. He writes the amazing tunes we know today, and he’s a Broadway superstar again, after decades in-between those hits in the 70s.
“Popular” is a brilliant song. “Defying Gravity” is a brilliant song.
TN: Do you have a favorite song from Wicked?
PR: I would say “For Good.” As I get older, that simple message really strikes me. “I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason.” That is so true, and it’s that profound and simple truth in Schwartz’s writing that gives Wicked its resonance and staying power.
TN: We are seeing an increase in the number of stage musicals adapted into movies, with other recent examples including In the Heights, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats and Les Mis. Are there advantages to adapting these stories into movies, rather than seeing them in a live theater?
PR: Accessibility. More people are able to experience the story in movie theaters, in terms of location access as well as financial access. And that’s a win-win, for the theater. We want to share these stories with the world, and only so many people can make it to Broadway. Another example of this is when Lin Manuel Miranda released the Hamilton film, which is not a narrative approach like Wicked and Wicked: For Good, but a recording of the stage production. It was tremendous, and such an important piece that countless people who couldn’t have made it to New York or afforded a ticket were able to see the show.
TN: What stage musical would you like to see adapted to a movie next?
PR: Hamilton, I think, a narrative version of the story, rather than the filmed stage performance that he did release. To see that story embodied, in the locations where it takes place. I would be very interested to see what a director like John Chu would do with that adaptation.
TN: What is it about musicals, as a genre, that is so compelling for fans?
PR: Nothing moves people more than music. The addition of a reality that is heightened enough that people burst into song, that’s not everyday life. It’s moving and exciting.