Film

Wicked: For Good first reactions praise ‘epic and heartbreakingly tender’ sequel

Oct 28
Written by Alastair James

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good. (Universal Pictures)

We’re just under a month out from the release of Wicked: For Good but the first reactions giving an indication of whether the musical sequel can live up to all the hype.

Wicked: For Good will adapt the second act of the long-running Broadway musical, Wicked. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba/’The Wicked Witch of the West’ and Ariana Grande as Glinda/’Glinda the Good,’ the film will follow both characters as they live with the consequences of their choices at the end of last year’s Wicked.

Critics and writers from publications such as Deadline, Vanity Fair, and Variety have been sharing their initial reactions to the sequel film all agreeing the film lives up to the hype.

Posting on X/Twitter, Deadline’s Destiny Jackson called Wicked: For Good “an epic and heartbreakingly tender conclusion”, adding: “There’s a lot for fans of the Broadway show to love with butterfly kiss sized surprises in store.”

#WickedForGood

All Good Deeds Go Rewarded in Wicked: For Good. It’s an epic and heartbreakingly tender conclusion to one of the most dynamic friendships in pop culture history. There’s a lot for fans of the Broadway show to love with butterfly kiss sized surprises in store. pic.twitter.com/lTVqbZfawH
— Destiny Jackson (@DestinyDreadful) October 28, 2025

Similarly, Chris Murphy of Vanity Fair said the film “sticks the landing.” Posting earlier today, (Tuesday (28 October) he said he’d seen the film “last month,” adding, “it expands and deepens the original source material in generally exciting and innovative ways.” He also praised Erivo and Grande’s “jaw dropping performances.”

Murphy’s colleague, Rebecca Ford, echoed his comments, saying the “gorgeous” film “sticks the landing” and serves as “a beautiful finale.”

And Variety’s Jazz Tangcay said the film “exceeds all expectations.” Tangcay wrote on X/Twitter that director Jon M. Chu is a “genius,” Erivo is “magnificent,” and Grande as “a tour de force.” The writer closed the review by saying, “Can not wait to see it again. I sobbed hard. Wicked: For Good is sheer musical greatness.”

Get ready because #WickedForGood exceeds all expectations. Jon M. Chu is a genius in the way he brings this to a close. Elphaba and Glinda’s stories are expanded, and leave you with an emotional gut punch at the end. Cynthia Erivo is magnificent, but get ready for Ariana Grande… pic.twitter.com/rozw66JyEo
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) October 28, 2025

Another reviewer advised fans to “Bring your tissues,” before predicting, “Ariana Grande is gonna win [an Oscar]??!” Someone else shared Wicked: For Good is “a thrill ride and a heartbreaker and it’s sexy and everything you want it to be.”

Elsewhere on Wicked: For Good, Variety has shared that Chu, as well as writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, “elevate the material” of Wicked‘s second act in the film in the face of criticism from fans that the second act isn’t as strong as the first.

And in regard to the two new songs – “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” – Variety has predicted the latter, sung by Grande’s Glinda, is more likely to get nominated at next year’s Academy Awards due to it being later in the film.

As well as Grande and Erivo, Wicked: For Good will also star Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, and the newly announced Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion.

Wicked: For Good is in cinemas on 21 November.