When Universal Pictures first brought Wicked to the big screen in November 2024, audiences flocked to theaters in droves. The film, a vibrant adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, quickly soared to box office heights, grossing over $756 million worldwide on a $150 million budget. Not only did it become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever, but it also earned ten Academy Award nominations, nabbing wins for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Critics and fans alike were enchanted, awarding it an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 95% Popcornmeter score. The consensus was clear: Wicked was a dazzling, heartfelt movie musical, powered by the dynamic leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Yet, as the curtain rose on its highly anticipated sequel, Wicked: For Good, the mood shifted. Released just before the 2025 Thanksgiving holiday, the film stormed the domestic box office with a $151.5 million opening weekend, according to Deadline. That figure—buoyed by $68.6 million from Friday and preview showings—marked the biggest opening weekend ever for a Broadway adaptation, outpacing the first film’s $112.5 million debut. The sequel also claimed the year’s second-highest domestic opening, trailing only A Minecraft Movie ($162.7 million), and became the second-highest opener for Universal Pictures in history, behind 2015’s Jurassic World.
But while the financial success was undeniable, critical and fan reactions painted a more complicated picture. The film, again helmed by director Jon M. Chu, received an enthusiastic A CinemaScore from audiences, and Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak reported an 83% definite recommend rate—slightly higher than the first film’s 80%. Social media was ablaze: RelishMix noted a remarkable 1.33 billion social media impressions, with Ariana Grande’s Glinda drawing praise as “scene-stealing” and “Oscar-worthy.” Fans gushed over the chemistry between Grande and Erivo, the costumes, and the film’s attention to detail.
Yet, beneath the surface, some familiar concerns bubbled up. Many fans and critics had worried from the start about Universal’s decision to split the musical into two films. With Wicked: For Good, those fears seemed justified. The sequel, running 23 minutes shorter than its predecessor, was widely criticized for its pacing. According to Collider, the film felt both “overly long and wildly rushed,” with a first half that dragged and a second that barreled toward its conclusion with little room for character development or emotional payoff. The structure, which stretched a 45-minute act from the stage musical into a two-hour film, left plot holes more glaring than ever and character motivations confusing or underexplained.
One of the most persistent critiques was the film’s somber tone. Where the original movie sparkled with color, wit, and whimsy—even in its darker moments—Wicked: For Good leaned heavily into bleakness. Scenes that had been played for laughs on stage were reimagined with a somber edge, and the few attempts at comic relief, such as a slap fight between Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande), came off as oddly macabre given the surrounding tragedy. The film’s emotional weight, rather than elevating the story, left some viewers feeling drained.
Plot inconsistencies further hampered the experience. For example, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) urges Elphaba to escape on her broom, but the film never explains why he doesn’t join her—a detail that might have been glossed over in a brisk stage production but felt jarring in a feature-length film. Similarly, the touching duet “For Good” loses some of its power when viewers realize Dorothy is being held captive offscreen, a subplot that’s never fully reconciled. Even the transformation of Fiyero into the Scarecrow, and his subsequent decision to join Dorothy, Boq (Ethan Slater), and the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) on their quest, is left murky and unexplained.
Visually, the sequel struggled to match its predecessor’s flair. While the first film was lauded for its choreography and set design, Wicked: For Good was dinged for lackluster lighting and less inspired musical sequences. The romantic duet “As Long as You’re Mine” was criticized for awkward staging and dim lighting, and the two new songs by Stephen Schwartz failed to leave much of an impression. Even the costumes, a highlight of the original, seemed to take a step back—most notably with the Scarecrow’s appearance, which drew unintentional comparisons to comic book antiheroes rather than classic storybook figures.
Despite these creative stumbles, the film’s commercial performance was nothing short of remarkable. With Imax and premium large formats accounting for 40% of the weekend’s gross—12% from Imax alone—the film’s reach was broad and deep. The audience skewed heavily female (70%) and young (61% in the 18-34 demographic), with women over 25 leading attendance. Diversity was notable, with 52% Caucasian, 22% Latino and Hispanic, 13% Black, and 9% Asian American moviegoers. The film played everywhere from Canada to Kansas, with the AMC Empire in New York City leading individual theater grosses at $285,000.
Universal’s gamble on the Wicked franchise has paid off handsomely. The first film delivered $230 million in profit on a $320 million combined production and marketing spend, and Wicked: For Good looks poised for a similar trajectory. Advance ticket sales set records for a PG-rated movie, and the film’s opening helped boost the overall weekend box office to $188.2 million, just 7% shy of the previous year’s pre-Thanksgiving frame—even without a male-skewing blockbuster like Gladiator II in the mix.
Still, the decision to split the story into two films remains contentious. As Collider put it, “Taking a two-and-a-half hour stage show and nearly doubling the runtime ultimately killed the first film’s momentum, leaving the sequel feeling as hollow as the heartless Tin Man.” The talented cast, including Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, do their best to elevate the material, but the weight of a meandering script and weaker source material is evident. Many fans and critics agree: what could have been one great movie is now two, with the second struggling to justify its existence.
In the end, Wicked: For Good stands as a testament to both the enduring appeal of Broadway adaptations and the perils of stretching a beloved story too thin. The box office numbers are dazzling, but the magic, for some, feels a little less potent the second time around.
