Marissa Bode Archives – CULTURE MIX

Review: ‘Wicked: For Good,’ starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum

November 18, 2025

by Carla Hay

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in “Wicked: For Good” (Photo by Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Culture Representation: Taking place in the magical land of Oz, the musical film “Wicked: For Good” (based on the stage musical “Wicked” and the fiction book “Wicked”) features a cast of human and talking animal characters, with the humans predominantly white (with some black people and Asians) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: Elphaba Thropp (who has now been named the Wicked Witch of the West) and her frenemy Glinda have their relationship tested when they compete over their love interest Fiyero and disagree about Elphaba’s mission to expose the Wizard of Oz for being a fraud.

Culture Audience: “Wicked: For Good” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, the “Wicked” novel and stage musical on which the movie is based, and big-budget musicals that deliver grand spectacles and memorable performances.

Jeff Goldblum and Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked: For Good” (Photo by Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

“Wicked: For Good” delivers a lavish spectacle that is more action-packed and more emotionally impactful than the first “Wicked” movie. Fans of the “Wicked” stage musical will be delighted by this superb and faithful cinematic version. In an era of most movie musicals struggling to find audiences at the box office, “Wicked: For Good” is proof that a movie musical can be a vital force in cinema and an impressive artistic achievement.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Wicked for Good” isn’t really a sequel but is rather the second part of a story that was split into two parts. The first “Wicked” movie (released in 2024) and “Wicked: For Good” (released in 2025) were filmed as one production in the United Kingdom. “Wicked” represents Act One of the “Wicked” stage musical, while “Wicked: For Good” depicts Act Two of the “Wicked” stage musical. Both movies were written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. Holzman wrote the Tony-winning “Wicked” stage musical, which is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name. Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the songs of “Wicked.”

The “Wicked” stage musical and movies have a different ending from the novel. The story in “Wicked: For Good” happens adjacent to what happens in “The Wizard of Oz,” L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel that was turned into a beloved Oscar-winning 1939 movie. In the “Wicked” story, perky perfectionist Glinda (the Good Witch of the North) and green-skinned misfit Elphaba Thropp (the Wicked Witch of the West) are the central characters in “Wicked,” while Dorothy and her travel companions from the “Wizard of Oz” are side characters.

“Wicked: For Good” begins right were the first “Wicked” movie left off. Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) has fled by broom from Kiamo Ko castle, the home of the Wizard of Oz (played by Jeff Goldblum), whom Elphaba has discovered is a fraud with no magical powers. Elphaba is being chased by the Wizard’s servant monkeys that have sprouted wings due to a botched spell that was cast by Elphaba.

As shown in the first “Wicked” movie, Elphaba has been misunderstood and rejected for entire life. She has now been branded a villain and a danger to the land of Oz. During her escape from the castle, Elphaba crashes into some workers who are using yellow paint for Oz’s brick roads. She manages to evade capture and hides in a wooded area nearby.

In the land of Oz, the Wizard of Oz is a domineering leader and has imposed policies where animals have been vilified and oppressed as inferior to humans. Animals must either be subservient to humans, or else the animals are considered enemies. Any animals who speak out in protest are persecuted or mysteriously disappear, with the implication that the missing animals have either been killed, secretly imprisoned, or have escaped from Oz.

Meanwhile, Elphaba’s former best friend Glinda (played by Ariana Grande), who is obsessed with being a popular leader and a powerful good witch, announces during a public speaking appearance that she is engaged to marry handsome Prince Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey), who is next to her during this announcement. Fiyero is surprised to hear this news because there was no actual marriage proposal. Glinda explains to Fiyero later that she decided that they would get married because, on the surface, Glinda and Fiyero seem like a “perfect” match.

Fiyero goes along with this plan, with some reservations. Unbeknownst to Glinda, Fiyero developed an attraction to Elphaba when he, Elphaba and Glinda (then known as Galinda) were all students at Shiz University. In the first “Wicked” movie, the school’s corrupt dean of sorcery studies Madame Morrible (played by Michelle Yeoh) was a mentor to Elphaba and chose Elphaba over Galinda/Glinda to get special training in sorcery. Madame Morrible, who is an ally of the Wizard of Oz, had an agenda to use Elphaba’s magical powers to increase the oppression of animals and any allies of animals.

Elphaba boldly and emphatically resisted this agenda, so the Wizard and Madame Morrible told lies about Elphaba by saying she was evil and harmful. The Wizard and Madame Morrible also gave Elphaba the name the Wicked Witch of the West and declared her an “enemy” of Oz. This smear campaign made the citizens of Oz turn against Elphaba and there is literally a witch hunt for her.

Things move fast in Oz, because in “Wicked: For Good,” Fiyero is no longer a Shiz University student. He has been made the general of the Gale Force that has been tasked with hunting down and capturing Elphaba. Fiyero has mixed feelings about this responsibility and believes that Elphaba is innocent until proven guilty.

Elphaba doesn’t plan to stay in hiding for long because not only does she want to clear her name, but she also wants to expose the Wizard of Oz for being an unscrupulous fraud. She tries to enlist the help of many of the animals that are fleeing Oz. Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), a talking goat professor who was fired from Shiz University for being an animal-rights activist, developed a bond with Elphaba in the first “Wicked” movie and makes a return appearance in “Wicked: For Good.”

Meanwhile, Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode), who uses a wheelchair, has also left Shiz University because she’s been made the governor of Oz. Nessarose inherited the position from her widower father Frexspar Thropp, who suddenly died. Nessarose is extremely bitter that Elphaba (still in hiding) did not attend the funeral or communicate with Nessarose after he died. Elphaba never really felt close to Frexspar because he treated Elphaba with contempt (he suspected that Elphaba was not his biological child), and he openly gave preferential treatment to Nessarose.

In the first “Wicked” movie, another love triangle developed because Nessarose fell in love with a munchkin named Boq (played Ethan Slater), who is smitten with Glinda. Boq is devastated when he finds out that Glinda and Fiyero are engaged to be married. Boq wants to confess his romantic feelings to Glinda. This love triangle causes resentment and sets off numerous events that affect the rest of the story.

“Wicked: For Good” (which has a total running time of 137 minutes) feels less bloated than the first “Wicked” movie (whose total running time is 160 minutes)—and not because “Wicked: For Good” is a shorter movie. Unlike the first “Wicked” movie, “Wicked: For Good” doesn’t have scenes that wander and ramble. The characters have more at stake in “Wicked: For Good,” so each scene has an urgency to it that is very compelling to watch.

Most of the supporting characters with significant speaking roles from the first “Wicked” movie make their return in “Wicked: For Good.” Glinda’s sycophantic sidekicks Pfannee (played by Bowen Yang) and Shenshen (played by Bronwyn James) are the comic-relief characters but have less screen time in “Wicked: For Good” than they did in the first “Wicked” movie. New characters include the Cowardly Lion (voiced by Colman Domingo) and Dorothy (played by Bethany Weaver) in a non-speaking role.

Erivo is both fierce and vulnerable as Elphaba and gives a stunning version of “No Good Deed.” The Elphaba/Glinda duet “For Good” is an expected tour-de-force show-stopper. In “Wicked: For Good,” Grande gives depth to her vain and self-absorbed Glinda character, who steps out of her shallow comfort zone when Glinda begins to understand that obsessive ambition to “be at the top” can take a toll on someone’s soul and can hurt others. As with the first “Wicked” movie, “Wicked: For Good” has top-notch production design and costume design. Although the “Wicked” stage musical is already known to many fans, seeing this story depicted in its excellent cinematic form has brought the story to an outstanding level that has elevated everything about “Wicked.”

Universal Pictures will release “Wicked: For Good” in U.S. cinemas on November 21, 2025. A sneak preview of the movie will be shown in U.S. cinemas on November 19, 2025.

Review: ‘Wicked’ (2024), starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, the voice of Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum

November 19, 2024

by Carla Hay

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in “Wicked” (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

“Wicked” (2024)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Culture Representation: Taking place in the fictional land of Oz, the fantasy musical film “Wicked” (based on the novel and stage show of the same name) features a racially diverse cast of human characters (black, white Asian, and Hispanic) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy, as well as characters that are talking animals.

Culture Clash: Two very different witches become university roommates and unlikely friends, as one of these witches is bullied and persecuted for her green skin and the perception that she is evil.

Culture Audience: “Wicked” will appeal primarily to fans of the stage musical, the movie’s headliners, and big-budget studio musicals that have a good balance of style and substance.

Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh in “Wicked” (Photo by Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

Famous stage musicals are long enough, even with intermission. And so, when it was announced that the Tony-winning musical “Wicked” (a story about “The Wizard of Oz” witches as university students) would be made into a two-part movie—”Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good”—you could almost hear the collective groans of people who might be dragged to see the “Wicked” movie and will have to brace themselves for a bloated film that runs on for too long. Fortunately, the 160-minute “Wicked” is an enchanting cinematic version of the stage musical, with superb production values and entertaining performances. However, it didn’t need to be an overly long movie that will test the patience of anyone who doesn’t like musicals.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Wicked” was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The “Wicked” movie and stage musical are based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which features some characters that were originally in L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Holzman wrote the Tony-nominated book for the “Wicked” Broadway musical, which won three Tony Awards: Best Actress in a Musical (for Idina Menzel), Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design.

The “Wicked” movie is a faithful adaptation of the stage musical, which has two acts. The “Wicked” movie shows the events that happen in Act One of the stage musical. Just like in the musical, “Wicked” begins with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (played by Ariana Grande), arriving in a pink bubble announcing to the residents of Oz that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead. Everyone rejoices at this news, as a giant Wicked Witch statue made of tree branches burns during this celebration.

But when a woman in the crowd asks Glinda if it’s true that Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West used to be friends, Glinda looks sad and admits it’s true. She then tells the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West and how they became frenemies when they were roommates at Shiz University. The movie then switches to flashback mode as this story is told.

The Wicked Witch of the West’s real name was Elphaba Thropp, who was born with green skin. Elphaba’s skin tone is a horror and an embarrassment to her parents Melena Thropp (played by Courtney Mae-Briggs) and Frexspar Thropp (played by Andy Nyman), who are prominent members of Oz society because Frexspar is the governor of Oz. Karis Musongole has the role of Elphaba as a child. Cynthia Erivo has the role of Elphaba as an adult.

Elphaba was conceived from a secret affair that Melena had with another man, whose identify is revealed in the second part of the “Wicked” musical. Even though Elphaba is not Frexspar’s biological child, he is her legal father, but she is treated as a burden by her parents because of her green skin and because there are indications that she has witch powers. Frexspar and Melena later have a biological daughter named Nessarose, who has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair. Cesily Collette Taylor has the role of Nessarose as a child. Marissa Bode has the role of Nessarose as an adult.

Even though Elphaba is treated as inferior to Nessarose, Elphaba is very loving and protective of her younger sister. From a young age, Elphaba experienced bullying and ostracism because of her green skin and because she has obvious magical abilities that have made people believe that she’s a witch. “Wicked” makes a point of showing that whether Elphaba could be considered a “villain” or an “anti-hero,” she probably would have been a different person if she hadn’t been bullied so much in her youth. Elphaba is an example of someone who is repeatedly treated as “wicked” until she eventually decides to become the “wicked” person that other people think she is.

As a young adult, Nessarose enrolls in Shiv University, which has special courses for those who have magical abilities. Elphaba tags along to look after Nessarose on the first day that Nessarose has arrived at Shiv University. But an intimidation incident causes Elphaba to create some chaos with her magical abilities, by making objects get thrown in the air. In order to protect Elphaba from being persecuted as a witch, Shiv University’s dean of sorcery studies Madam Morrible (played by Michelle Yeoh) lies to the students and says that Madam Morrible was the one who caused this chaos through magic.

Madam Morrible decides that she will mentor Elphaba and gets Elphaba enrolled in the university so Madam Morrible can be Elphaba’s private tutor. Madam Morrible also decides that Elphaba will be the roommate of Galinda Upland (played by Grande), who is also a first-year Shiv University student. (It’s explained later why Galinda changes her name to Glinda.) Galinda is privileged, spoiled, shallow and cares a great deal about being the most popular student in the school.

Predictably, Galinda and Elphaba clash with each other while also developing a gradual mutual respect for each other. Further complicating matters is the fact that Elphaba and Galinda both have crushes on a dashing but vain student named Fiyaro (played by Jonathan Bailey), who is very attracted to Galinda and begins dating her. Meanwhile, a Munchkin named Boq (played by Ethan Slater) has a crush on Galinda, while Nessarose is attracted to Boq. Galinda encourages Boq to date Nessarose so that Boq won’t focus so much of his attention on Galinda.

Other characters who are in the movie include a talking goat professor named Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), an outspoken animal-rights activist who faces discrimination when Oz officials decide that animals should no longer talk and should be kept in cages. The Wizard of Oz (played by Jeff Goldblum) appears in the last third of the movie, where the majority of the action scenes take place. Providing much of the comic relief are two Shiv University students named ShenShen (played by Bronwyn James) and Pfannee (played by Bowen Yang), who are bullying phonies and gossipy snobs. Original “Wicked” Broadway stars Menzel (who played Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (who played Galinda/Glinda) make cameo appearances as Wiz-o-mania superstars.

“Wicked” has the expected songs (written by Stephen Schwartz) from the stage musical, including “What Is This Feeling?,” “Popular” and “The Wizard and I” (one of the movie’s performance highlights) and the show-stopping “Defying Gravity.” Erivo is the clear standout with her skillful acting and exceptional singing, while Grande gives a worthy counterpoint performance with Galinda/Glinda’s intentionally affected mannerisms. All of the other cast members who have prominent song-and-dance roles handle their performances capably.

“Wicked” has fantastic production design and costume design. The movie’s visual effects are also well-done. Where the movie falters a little bit is that it gets too repetitive in showing the bullying, jealousies and insecurities that affect the interpersonal relationships. At least 40 minutes of this movie could’ve been cut from the film, and it wouldn’t have made a difference to the overall story. Even though the plot gets stretched out for too long, “Wicked” has more than enough to maintain viewer interest for people who are inclined to like musicals.

Universal Pictures will release “Wicked” in U.S. cinemas on November 22, 2024. Sneak previews of the movie took place in U.S. cinemas on November 18 and November 20, 2024.