Wicked: Part Two — release date, cast, plot and everything we know

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked
Cynthia Erivo in Wicked (Image credit: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

The Wicked movie ended on a major high note, but if you left the theater feeling like there was still a lot of things unresolved, there’s a very good reason for that — the movie was the first half of the story, which is going to be concluded with Wicked: Part Two, arriving in movie theaters in 2025.

A number of big Hollywood movies have opted to split their stories into two parts in recent years (Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, Dune, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). But Wicked has an inherent advantage; as a Broadway play it was already split into two acts. Wicked (aka Wicked: Part One) was an adaptation of the musical’s first act, while Wicked: Part Two will take on the second act of the show.

What happens in Wicked: Part Two and, perhaps most importantly, when can you see Wicked: Part Two on the big screen? We’ve got everything you need to know about the movie right here.

Wicked: Part Two release date

Wicked: Part Two is going to release exactly one year after Wicked, with the sequel hitting movie theaters on November 21, 2025.

In the meantime, here’s how you can watch Wicked to make sure you’re caught up with the movie ahead of Part Two’s release.

Wicked: Part Two cast

Ariana Grande in Wicked

Ariana Grande in Wicked (Image credit: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

While Universal Pictures hasn’t officially announced the cast of Wicked: Part Two, all of the main cast members from Wicked’s first half are featured in Act Two of the play, so it’s expected that all of the stars are reprising their roles in Wicked: Part Two. Most importantly that includes Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.

That also includes Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madam Morrible, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Ethan Slater as Boq, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle and Peter Dinklage as Professor Dillamond.

No new additions to the cast have been announced at this time.

Wicked: Part Two plot

Universal has again not shared their own official synopsis for Wicked: Part Two, but fans of the Broadway show are likely well versed in the events of the story. For those who haven’t seen the stage production however, here’s a recap of where things left off with Wicked and where the story is expected to go in Wicked: Part Two (FYI, SPOILERS ahead).

After going from enemies to friends at Shiz University, Elphaba and Glinda journey to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. There, Elphaba makes a few major discoveries: she can read the legendary magic book the Grimmerie (which no one has been able to do for a long time), that the Wizard actually has no powers of his own and has plans to turn the people Oz against the animals that also inhabit the land. Appalled by this, Elphaba decides to break away from the Wizard. Glinda, however, decides she cannot follow Elphaba on this path, and the two have a teary goodbye, with Elphaba creating a magic broomstick to allow her to fly away as the Wizard and Madam Morrible begin to portray her as a “wicked witch.”

The second act of the Wicked Broadway show continues the story of Elphaba and Glinda as they move forward in their journeys to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively, as well as setting the stage for the classic Wizard of Oz story of Dorothy.

Wicked: Part Two trailer

There is no trailer for Wicked: Part Two at this time. When one becomes available we’ll add it here.

Wicked: Part Two director

Jon M. Chu continues on as the director for Wicked: Part Two. Here is a full list of his feature directing credits, including the first half of Wicked:

  • Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)
  • Step Up 3D (2010)
  • Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
  • G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
  • Justin Bieber’s Believe (2013)
  • Jem and the Holograms (2015)
  • Now You See Me 2 (2016)
  • Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
  • In the Heights (2021)
  • Wicked (2024)

Wicked: Part Two behind the scenes

Both parts of Wicked were filmed back-to-back, so production on Wicked: Part Two is already completed. A TV special on the production of Wicked is available right now if you want to learn more about it, with Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked now streaming on Peacock.

In addition to the cast and director, some of the movie’s other key contributors include Winnie Holzman, who wrote the adaptation of the Broadway show for the big screen, and producers Marc Platt and David Stone. Universal Pictures is the studio behind the movie, alongside Marc Platt Productions.

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Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.