Wicked: For Good first reactions are finally in – will it match success of first film?
The film's finale is earning all the praise.
The first reactions to Wicked: For Good have been shared online after its first ever screening in NYC on Monday (27th October).
The sequel to last year’s hit movie musical, Wicked, is adapted from the second half of the Broadway musical and will see Cynthia Erivo return as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
Also returning are Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose.
The new film will also introduce several new faces, including Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, whose character reveals are set to be "extraordinary", according to director Jon M Chu.
But will Wicked: For Good match the success of the first film?
Many critics seem to think so, with Variety's Jazz Tangcay declaring on X (formerly Twitter) that For Good "exceeds all expectations", is "sheer musical greatness", and that Chu is "a genius" for how he brings it to a close.
Meanwhile, Vanity Fair’s Rebecca Ford declared Chu has "done it again!".
"It's gorgeous, full of heart, and sticks the landing. A beautiful finale," she wrote.
Vanity Fair’s Chris Murphy also praised the film's ending, as well as Erivo and Grande's "jaw-dropping" performances, and added that the movie "expands and deepens the original source material in generally exciting and innovative ways".
Elsewhere, Deadline’s Destiny Jackson declared that the film is "an epic and heartbreakingly tender conclusion to one of the most dynamic friendships in pop culture history".
Wicked: Part One was a global success when it was released at the end of 2024, impressing critics and fans alike and breaking multiple box office records.
The film also emerged as a major contender on the awards circuit, bagging 10 Oscar nominations and taking home two of them for Costume Design and Production Design (awards it also won at the BAFTAs).
Wicked: For Good is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on 21st November 2025.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
