Arguably the year’s biggest cinematic event, the highly anticipated big-screen adaptation of Broadway’s Wicked, directed by John M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has finally been released in theaters.
Set in the mystical world of Oz, the film tells the story of Elphaba (Erivo), a young, promising witch who’s perpetually misunderstood because of her power and green skin, who forges an unlikely friendship with Glinda (Grande), a witch-hopeful with undeniable popularity and influence. After a visit with a deity-like figure who is not as powerful as he claims to be, the two friends are changed forever.
Here’s what you need to know about Wicked and its cliffhanger ending. Spoilers ahead!
Does the film remain faithful to the original theatrical production of ‘Wicked’?
The answer is yes. Wicked, the film, follows the theater adaptation of the story directed by Joe Mantello almost to the T.
No stranger to adapting popular musicals for the big screen, Chu brought his longtime friend Christopher Scott along for the ride, handing him a hat decorated with the Wicked logo and posing the question, “Are you ready?”
According to Scott, Wicked’s journey began when the pair worked together on Step Up 2: The Streets 16 years ago.
Why is the film split into two parts?
Schwartz, the composer of the beloved musical and original play production, says the film is split into two movies to avoid cutting out any of the songs or significant plot points
“The truth is we tried for some time to make it one movie, even if it had to be one very long movie,” he explained to the fan newsletter The Schwartz Scene. “But we kept running into two problems. The first is that even a very long single movie required us to cut or omit things we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate.”
Secondly, he shared that the showstopping number, “Defying Gravity,” played another factor in making this a two-part film.
The history of ‘Wicked‘
Chu’s Wicked is primarily inspired by the popular Broadway show of the same name based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Like the Broadway play and film, the novel explores the characters and settings of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, taking inspiration from L. Frank Baum’s Oz series telling the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (Erivo’s Elphaba) and the Good Witch of the North (Grande’s Glinda). Chu’s Wicked more closely follows the Broadway play — like the play, the movie is split into two parts. The first part, which was released on Friday, follows Glinda and Elphaba during their time as students at Shiz University, where they’re roommates and enemies-turned-pals. Their friendship is complicated when Elphaba receives an invitation from the idolized Wizard of Oz (played by Jeff Goldblum), travels to Emerald City with Glinda, and both women learn the truth of what’s happening in Oz. Their reactions to that truth are very different, and the first film’s cliffhanger ending leaves the future of their relationship unknown.
But before we break down the ending, read on for a deeper dive into Elphaba and Glinda’s journeys in the first installment of Chu’s Wicked.
The story of Galinda/Glinda in ‘Wicked’
Before she was known as Glinda, The Good Witch of the North, Wicked’s pink-loving protagonist was Galinda, an aspiring witch and the most popular student at the prestigious Shiz University. The film opens with Glinda informing the Ozians that The Wicked Witch of the West is dead, prompting a celebration among her adoring subjects. It’s clear Glinda is conflicted about the public’s reaction to the witch’s death, and when one Ozian probes her about her relationship with the evil sorceress, she tells the real story of the Wicked Witch of the West, whose name is Elphaba Thropp. And the events of Wicked begin.
Upon arriving at Shiz, Glinda, then known as Galinda, is shocked when she meets Elphaba, a green-colored escort to Nessarose, another new student. Galinda is even more stunned when Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) announces Elphaba will attend Shiz and live with Galinda. Elphaba initially repels Galinda, who is jealous of her private lessons with Morrible. Their relationship evolves when Galinda, who feels terrible about gifting Elphaba a black hat that makes her the laughingstock of the Ozdust Ballroom, a local club, dances with Elphaba, ushering her into the Shiz community and Galinda’s heart. At Elphaba’s behest, Galinda joins Morrible’s exclusive sorcery seminar.
As Elphaba and Galinda grow closer, the latter cozies up to Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey), a dashing student at Shiz, much to the disappointment of Boq Woodman (Ethan Slater), a cheery munchkin who’s not-so-secretly in love with Galinda.
Elphaba invites Galinda — who changes her name to Glinda in faux-solidarity with university professor Dr. Dillamond, who’s forced to retire amid Oz’s oppression of talking animals — to go to Oz’s capital, The Emerald City, with her to see the beloved Wizard. During their visit, which Morrible crashes, the two learn that The Wizard has no powers and is behind the animal injustices raging in Oz. Elphaba revolts, and Glinda begs her to comply with The Wizard and Morrible. The first film ends with Glinda opting to side with Morrible and The Wizard, and she bids Elphaba farewell.
The story of Elphaba in ‘Wicked’ and how the film ends
The first part of Wicked focuses on Elphaba, her backstory and how she becomes The Wicked Witch of the West. Like Broadway’s Wicked, we learn that Elphaba was a product of an affair, resulting in a distant relationship with her father, Governor Thropp (Andy Nyman). Elphaba initially goes to Shiz University to send off her younger paraplegic sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), but the Governor insists that she stay with her to make sure she adjusts. After causing a spectacle in front of Shiz’s student body, Morrible takes an interest in Elphaba, insisting she become a student and study directly under her. Elphaba moves into Galinda’s suite, and the two clash until a night at the Ozdust Ballroom brings them together. As Elphaba and Galinda grow closer, Elphaba struggles to harness her power and feelings for Tigelaar, Galinda’s beau. Elphaba also forges a bond with Dr. Dillamond, a talking goat and professor at Shiz, who opens her eyes to the injustices the talking animals in Oz face.
Elphaha receives an invitation to visit The Wizard in The Emerald City, her lifelong dream. She asks Galinda, now Glinda, to tag along. The visit is eye-opening: the two learn that The Wizard has no powers, and he needs Elphaba to continue to oppress the talking animals in Oz, as she’s the only one who can read the Grimmerie, a hallowed spellbook. A horrified Elphaba takes the Grimmerie and escapes Oz, vowing to save the animals. She invites Glinda on her mission, and while she declines, the duo parts on loving terms.
The film wraps with the showstopper mentioned above, “Defying Gravity,” delivered by Grande and Erivo as the characters meet the climax, which will continue in Wicked Part Two.
What to expect from ‘Wicked Part Two‘
In Broadway’s Wicked, Act One follows events before The Wizard of Oz, culminating in Elphaba’s escape and Glinda’s new role in the Wizard’s administration. The second act jumps a few years, connecting Elphaba and Glinda’s story with The Wizard of Oz.
Chu will likely cover similar ground in the second installment of Wicked. Erivo told Entertainment Tonight in February that the decision to split the story into two films was to allow for a deeper exploration of Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship, so it’s likely Wicked: Part Two will expand on the two characters, and perhaps others, like Bode’s Nessarose, Bailey’s Fiyero and Slater’s Boq.
Wicked Part Two is set to release on Nov. 21, 2025.
Shanique Yates also contributed to this article
The post ‘Wicked’ Ending, Explained: That Jaw-Dropping ‘Defying Gravity’ Climax And What To Expect In Part Two appeared first on Blavity.
