Wicked: For Good Won’t Get a Sequel, Could Get Spinoffs

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The new movie Wicked: For Good arrives in theaters this weekend, bringing the beloved story of Elphaba and Glinda to a close. Given its anticipated success, it seems likely that Universal Pictures will consider making another Wicked film to continue the story.

Stephen Oremus, the executive music producer for Wicked and Wicked: For Good, doesn’t see the new film as a traditional sequel. He explained to The Ankler that it’s better understood as the continuation of the original story, not a separate follow-up.

Leaving aside the details of what ‘good’ really means, what’s next for the story of Wicked? Is Wicked: For Good truly the final installment? It’s possible there’s more to come.

Stephen Schwartz, the lyricist and producer behind Wicked, said he’d consider creating more of the show if he had a compelling concept, but he doesn’t think such an idea currently exists.

Schwartz revealed that he and Winnie Holzman (who wrote the book for the original Wicked and co-wrote the screenplay for the film) are currently brainstorming ideas for stories beyond the main plot of Wicked. He feels the story of Glinda and Elphaba is complete, but there are other parts of the Wicked universe they could explore.

Gregory Maguire, who wrote the original novel Wicked, has written many books, my colleague Winnie and I were talking about a different kind of follow-up, not a direct sequel. We’re thinking of something that adds to the story, rather than continues it directly.

Wicked: For Good Won’t Get a Sequel But Could Get a Spinoff

Based on the feedback, it appears a third Wicked movie (or even a second, according to one perspective) isn’t likely. However, there’s potential for future stories set in the world of Wicked. As the composer suggests, the author originally wrote several more novels that expand on the Wicked story, collectively known as The Wicked Years. This complete series includes the initial four Wicked Years books, a three-book sequel, a recent prequel novel, and a collection of short stories.

As a huge fan of Wicked, I was fascinated by the original book’s focus on Elphaba, which is, of course, the foundation for the musical and the movies. But I recently discovered its sequel, Son of a Witch, and it’s a really interesting continuation! It picks up ten years later, and the story now centers on Elphaba’s son, Liir, and his journey to find his half-sister, Nor. It’s a completely different perspective, but still feels connected to the world of Oz.

The third book in The Wicked Years series, A Lion Among Men, tells the story of how Brr became the Cowardly Lion from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The final book, Out of Oz, centers on Rain, the daughter of Liir and the granddaughter of Elphaba, as the land of Oz is thrown into conflict.

The novels that followed Wicked: For Good are the most probable basis for future stories. This is because McGuire’s Another Day trilogy builds directly on the plot of Out of Oz. However, if the filmmakers want to explore completely new territory, the collection of short stories in Tales Told in Oz offers several possibilities for expanding the world of Oz and could inspire a new storyline.

Wicked: For Good is now playing in theaters.

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2025-11-22 02:46