Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Splitting Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s treasured two-act musical into two feature films was so the right move, because this second chapter gives us double the fun and double the emotional punch. Jon M. Chu, King of Glamour, Maestro of Sparkle, takes the reins once more, and wow, does he use that bigger canvas to paint a richer, deeper, more emotionally charged story.

This time, the stakes are higher, the emotions sharper, and the bond between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) more intense than ever. Chu lets their sisterhood simmer, expand, and combust in the most captivating ways, bringing a darker, more intimate tone to Oz that will have you clutching your bestie’s arm for emotional support. The tension between them? Honey. It’s chef’s kiss. And watching their bond evolve, both fractured and fiercely loyal, is one of the most rewarding parts of this film.

Yes, the film goes deeper and a little darker than the first. This is a story about outsiders, about injustice, about finding your power even when the world tells you not to shine. There are moments that genuinely sting, moments that feel unfair and frightening, and you’ll absolutely want justice for our poor misunderstood Elphie.

But even with these heavier notes, Wicked: For Good is still an enchanting sugar-rush of colour, warmth, romance, sparkle and pure musical ecstasy. Chu’s direction is exquisite, every moment crafted with utter precision, and do not get me started on the fashion. Honey. The fashion. Haute couture enchantment. Gowns that shimmer, swirl, float and glow. Looks that belong in Vogue: Oz Edition. And the sets? A rainbow symphony of bubbles, flowers, glitter, sparkle and joy.

This film is delicious for the eyes. And yes, girl, you will fall in love. Hard.

From the swooping crane shots to the spellbinding effects, every single cinematic tool is firing on full glamour-mode. The animation and special effects breathe new life into Oz with extravagant detail and colour, making this magical world shimmer brighter than ever.

And musically? Oh my god. John Powell and Stephen Schwartz deliver a soaring, heart-thumping score that will have you tapping your toes, swaying your shoulders, maybe even belting out the final notes as you leave the theatre (no shame, babe). Ariana Grande absolutely stuns; her vocals are powerful, angelic, and playful all at once. Cynthia Erivo brings soul-deep emotion that could melt the Emerald City itself.

Plus, the supporting cast shines like sequins on Glinda’s gown: Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, who once again brings that deliciously sinister flair as the Wizard.

One of the absolute cutest and most magical elements of Wicked: For Good is how it seamlessly bridges Wicked, this sequel, and The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion… and yes, those legendary ruby slippers… all make their appearance in the most charming, sparkling way. It’s like a warm hug from your childhood. Chu’s integration of the Oz mythology is clever, enchanting and packed with nostalgia. It’s the perfect cherry-on-top moment that gives the whole journey a sense of destiny, wonder and girl-power joy.

If you’re looking for a film that celebrates eternal girlhood, that feeds your inner sparkle princess, that mixes heart, glamour, music, fashion and friendship into one exquisite cinematic cocktail… this is the movie for you.

The story is powerful. The costumes are gorgeous. The music is phenomenal. And the vibes? Pure magic. So text the group chat. Grab your besties. Hit the yellow brick road. And get ready for two hours of pure, beautiful, heart-bursting escapism. Because Wicked: For Good is absolutely the girls’ night out cinema event of the year.

Image: Universal Pictures

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2024’s Wicked was a bonafide cultural moment with both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lauded for their performances as Elphaba and Glinda, and now after much patience and a whole heap of fanfare, audiences are preparing themselves for the all-new chapter of Wicked, with Wicked: For Good.

Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.

Watch the all-new super spectacular trailer for Wicked: For Good Below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Glinda (Ariana Grande), meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.

As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

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This new trailer, which comes in at a whopping three minutes, promises an experience of absolute pure cinema for audiences, and fans of the original Wicked will be over the moon with what is delivered to them here. The size and scope of the picture is utterly enormous, and audiences will firmly be entranced in Oz, and with its rousing musical numbers and sparkling production, this is going to be a film you have to see in pure technicolour glory.

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Get ready for the magic when Wicked: For Good arrives in cinemas on November 20.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Misunderstood because of her green skin, a young woman named Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) forges an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda (Ariana Grande), a student with an unflinching desire for popularity. Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroad as their lives begin to take very different paths.

There’s something truly spellbinding about stepping back into the world of Oz, and director Jon M. Chu’s vision for Wicked: Part One is a technicolour dream that soars as high as its title suggests. This first instalment dives deep into the origin of the Wicked Witch of the West, pulling back the curtain on whether she’s truly a villain—or if there’s something darker lurking beneath Oz’s shimmering surface.

First things first: Wicked: Part One boasts a cast that is so phenomenal that it feels like magic was genuinely cast to bring it together. Ariana Grande dazzles as Galinda, the magic school’s ultimate it-girl, whose sugary-sweet exterior conceals an Elle Woods-meets-Regina George narcissism. Grande embodies the glamour queen perfectly, her every move dripping with calculated charm. She’s greedy, desperate for adoration, and impossible to look away from—especially when she lights up the screen in those luscious pink costumes.

Opposite her is Cynthia Erivo, who delivers a powerhouse performance as Elphaba. Erivo’s take on the misunderstood “ugly duckling” of Oz is heartfelt, vulnerable, and deeply compelling. She nails the complex layers of Elphaba, portraying her as empathetic and kind but also brimming with untapped power. When Erivo belts out ‘Defying Gravity’, it’s nothing short of breathtaking—a career-defining moment that gives the character the gravitas she deserves.

Jeff Goldblum’s portrayal of the Wizard is both eerie and magnetic, adding an enigmatic layer to the story. He charms with his signature charisma but keeps you on edge, hinting at something sinister. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh brings her A-game as Madame Morrible, blending grace and menace in a way only she can. Together, they create an intoxicating and deceptive world that feels as magical as it is dangerous.

Visually, Wicked: Part One is a feast for the eyes. The technicolour brilliance of the costumes, the enchanting sets, and the jaw-dropping hair and makeup design all come together to craft a fully immersive Oz. Every scene is packed with detail, from subtle nods to The Wizard of Oz—yes, the yellow brick road makes an appearance — to the vibrant school where our characters’ fates collide. Even the original Broadway stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, make cameos, giving longtime fans a delightful touch of nostalgia.

Of course, this wouldn’t be Wicked without the music, and the soundtrack soars as high as you’d expect. Each song feels larger than life, with the cast delivering live performances that will have you humming along long after the credits roll.

Wicked: Part One is a spectacular start to a story brimming with heart, power, and unforgettable performances. Whether you’re here for Ariana’s dazzling Galinda, Cynthia’s heart-wrenching Elphaba, or the sheer magic of Oz itself, this is a cinematic event worth seeing on the big screen.

Image: Universal Pictures

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After their career criminal husbands are gunned down in a bank robbery gone wrong, four grieving widows: Veronica (Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo), must pull together and finish the job to take care of a debt their husbands owe to a sinister crime lord, while also evading the attention of a shady politician (Colin Farrell).

Academy Award winning filmmaker Steve McQueen (Shame, 12 Years A Slave) is a director that commands your attention and with his new feature Widows he grabs it instantaneously. This lauded filmmaker really knows how to tell a story and watching Widows is seeing a master at work. McQueen understands how to propel a story forward and his filmmaking is tight and focused. He places his attention around the mounting pressure that Veronica, Linda, Alice and Belle face as their deadline to pay a debt to a dangerous gangster encroaches upon them and make no mistake the clock is ticking. What truly struck me about his storytelling is how his attention moves to the immense psychological pressure that builds inside of these four women and the different people that they have to become in order to pull off this criminal challenge.

Theme always plays a large part in McQueen’s work and here he is looking into ideas of status, position, circumstance, identity and power. This approach to the movie is presented through our four main female characters, along with the city of Chicago as well. Like other great crime films such as Michael Mann’s Heat, the city becomes a character within the film and McQueen’s lens captures a shocking unbalance between rich and poor. One of the best examples of this is a fixed camera shot that tracks Colin Farrell’s ambitious political figure Jack Mulligan from a slum to his palatial mansion, a journey that takes less than 3 minutes and five blocks and the resulting shot leaves you gobsmacked. This position of extreme poverty and extreme wealth almost standing next to each other, but being completely out of reach of one another is an analysis of contemporary America with laser like focus and it really hits you as an audience member.

Joining McQueen in bringing this intense story to life is award winning writer and author of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn. Flynn is known for producing narratives that get under your skin and her work on Widows definitely falls under this. As a writer she has a knack for probing the dark corners we fear to tread and she takes us into some very shady places, both literally in terms of location and action, along with internally within our characters minds. We learn what makes them tick and thanks to her crackling writing and McQueen’s solid direction this narrative really sticks with you.

Leading the charge in Widows audacious heist is Viola Davis as Veronica Rawlings. Best described as being normal in every single way, the only thing daring she seems to have done is marry professional criminal Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), who despite trying to keep his wife away from his criminal life drags her into it with his failed heist. If there was a word I’d use to best describe Davis’s performance than it would definitely be believeablity. You completely buy into her choices and actions here as Veronica and you slowly see her transform into a darker person as she is forced to take on this job. Davis’ Veronica is not one to fold under pressure and you can’t take your eyes off of her as she metamorphosis’s into the person she has to be in order to survive.

Standing next to Davis is Michelle Rodriguez as Linda Perelli, a women who knows what her criminal husband Carlos (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) does and unfortunately pays the price for his own vices time and time again. Where Davis shuts herself off from any kind of emotion, Rodriguez is far more affected by hers and in my opinion is the most human of all the women involved in the heist. While the consequences are not lost on any of them as to what might happen if they fail, being a mother of two young children really brings it home for Linda and you feel her maternal instincts pushing her forward to get the job done with stakes this high.

Each of the women of Widows is different and Elizabeth Debicki as Alice Gunner is the one with the most to learn and the most to get out of the events of the film. Starting off as the abused wife of her criminal husband Florek (Jon Bernthal), Alice finds herself a victim very quickly. But although she is pulled into this job like the others she as a character has the most to gain. While each of the women of Widows is changed by the film’s events, Alice’s transformation hits you the most and as she falls deeper into the heist you see a fire emerge that completely grips the screen.

Finally Cynthia Erivo is the wildcard of the group as Belle, a babysitter and beautician who stumbles into the heist and who brings another frame of reference to the film. What I liked about Erivo’s character was that she was the most game of all of the women for the heist and it’s here that we see McQueen’s storytelling at play. Narratively Belle’s motivations bring an interesting edge to the story and she also gives Davis a run for her money up on screen.

Widows is most certainly not for the faint of heart and be warned that the thrills come heavy and hard here. McQueen grounds his world in realism and this is Chicago we’re talking about here and the danger of the city is never far away. From a ferocious high speed chase to the sadistic leanings of Daniel Kaluuya’s gangster enforcer Jatemme Manning and the pent-up tension of a ticking clock, Widows definitely delivers on the thrills. Its action set pieces rage with aggression and you’ll be bracing your seat as the narrative moves forward.

Widows is white-knuckle filmmaking at its best and it will give your mind a serious workout thanks to its strong narrative and complex themes that are tied to it. If you’re wanting a rush that will leave you breathless by the end you’ll be guaranteed to find it here.

Image: 20th Century Fox

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