Ariana Grande-Butera has shared her thoughts on the divisive title of the movie musical sequelWicked: For Good. TheupcomingWicked: For Goodwill adapt the second half of the iconic Broadway musical prequel toThe Wizard of Oz, directly following the events of 2024’sWicked: Part One. The sequel’s official title was not announced until December 16. TheFor Goodsubtitle, which references a key song from Act 2, was criticized on social media for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it doesn’t match the naming convention ofPart One.
Grande-Butera recently spoke withVarietyat the Golden Globes First-Time Nominees luncheon, where she was being celebrated for her nomination for her performance as Galinda (later Glinda the Good Witch) inWicked: Part One. While discussing the title of the upcoming movie, she revealed thatthe cast knew it would probably be calledWicked: For Goodbefore they began filming, as the title was “printed on our original scripts.”
She reflected thatthey became “rather attached” to the titleand that she thinks it is a solid choice because it fits her feelings about the movie. Referencing the lyrics of the song, she shared that “this project really has changed us for good.” Read Grande-Butera’s full quote below:
We had [‘For Good’] printed on our original scripts, the hard copies that we were originally given. We were floating around different ideas, but the scripts were printed with it since day one. I’m glad it’s official now because we grew rather attached to it. It’s just the perfect title because this project really has changed us for good.
What This Means For Wicked: For Good
The Path Is Paved For The Franchise’s Future
Although Grande-Butera’s comments indicate that the title was not necessarily set in stone at the time of filming, the idea of thetitleWicked: For Goodhas been in the conversation for quite some time. However, she does not give an indication as to why the title ofPart Onewasn’t retrofitted to include a matching subtitle referencing another iconic song, such as the showstopping Act 1 closer “Defying Gravity.” Regardless, the fact that the official title has been considered since the beginning mayoffer some key insights into the overall franchise.
It was announced thatWickedwould be split into two movies on August 23, 2025, several months before principal photography began.
While using the subtitlePart Twodoes not necessarily limit the production of future installments,using the subtitleFor Goodseparates the upcoming movie from the idea of a two-act Broadway musical structureeven further. This may indicate that the filmmakers are hopeful that thetwoWickedmovieswill not be the end of the new smash hit franchise. This is in keeping with previous comments made by the stage show’s co-writers Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, who have already indicated their interest in exploring more elements of the universe.
Our Take On Ariana Grande-Butera’s Wicked: For Good Comments
Wicked’s Future Could Rely On Other Characters
While the titleWicked: For Goodmay resonate with the cast, it also leaves the door open for future installments that would not have to be limited to being direct sequels with titles such asPart Threeand so on. Potential future installments could feature other subtitles that indicate focuses on specific characters or regions. Thiswould be in keeping with the original novel series by Gregory Maguire, who penned follow-ups focusing on the stories of The Cowardly Lion and Elphaba’s son Liir.
Son of a Witch(2005)
Rain (Liir’s daughter)
Elphie(2025)
Young Elphaba
While the musical is a loose adaptation of the original novel, which features much darker themes, it is possible that future adaptations could take on the basic shape of any of Maguire’s follow-up novels. Should that be the case,Glinda will be a much more prominent character than Elphaba in any future movies, considering where the ending ofWicked: For Goodwill likely leave the two of them both geographically and in their relative social positions in the land of Oz. Given Grande-Butera’s comments, it seems possible that she may be willing to reprise the role should the opportunity arise.
Learn more about theWickedcasthere, which also includes Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard of Oz.Many of these characters have futures in theWizard of Ozuniverse, including becoming the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Wicked Witch of the East.
Readers can also learn more about theWicked: For Goodstory. Although the movie is not due for another year, it seemshighly likely that it will be a faithful adaptation of the musical, which has been running on stages around the world for more than 20 years. While certain details of the storyline and the characters may be changed, the general shape of the ending and the events leading up to it will likely remain the same.
Story details fromWicked: For Goodmay include the reveal of the trueidentity of Elphaba’s father. Whilehis identity was heavily implied by the opening sequence ofPart One, it was not explicitly revealed over the course of the 2024 movie.
Wicked: For Good
Cast
Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical.
