After casting a record-breaking spell at the box office, director Jon M. Chu is already offering fans a glimpse into what to expect from Wicked: Part Two.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chu teased what the sequel will explore.
“If Part 1 is about choices, Part 2 is about consequences,” Chu told the outlet. “Choices are difficult to make, but when you do make those choices, sometimes the result isn’t what you expect it to be. It can be lonely, it can be hard.”
The adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical —Wicked serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and has been split into two parts, with the second installment set for release in November 2025, as previously reported.
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The story follows the lives of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they navigate their years at Shiz University in the Land of Oz.
While the first film shows Elphaba gaining power and uncovering the Wizard’s secrets, the second installment will follow her on the run as lies spread about her, with Glinda staying behind.
Chu emphasized that while the second film will delve into darker themes, it won’t lack moments of humor and joy.
“There is lots of lightness in the movie,” the filmmaker explained. “There’s a lot of fun parts. We’ve not forgotten about that, but there’s a matureness and a nuance to it that we earn from the first movie. The second movie really gets to play with [that maturity].”
Wicked soared to an estimatee $117 million debut at the box office this weekend, according to Comscore.
The film played in 3,888 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, earning an impressive per-theater average of $29,321.
Variety reports that domestically, Wicked had the biggest opening weekend ever for a film based on a Broadway adaptation, and the fourth-largest start in history for a musical.
The first part of Wicked is now playing in theaters.
