One of the biggest movies of 2024 was Wicked, a film adaptation of the famous stage musical, that was itself based on a book that used characters from the classic The Wizard of Oz franchise. Wicked received absolutely incredible reviews when it was first released, which have only become even more glowing as the film has received multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The movie was filmed back to back with its sequel, having now been officially called Wicked: For Good, which has been ramping up towards its release later this year.

The first film told the story of Elphaba and Glinda before the events of The Wizard of Oz, starting with their schooling at Shiz University, and Wicked ended just as the two became the figures that were first seen in the 1939 classic. As the industry has been continuing its trek through the 2025 awards season, it seems that Wicked‘s director, Jon M. Chu, has been reflecting on exactly how Wicked: For Good is going to end up as the movie continues being worked on in post-production.

Wicked’s Director Is Looking At Wicked 2 Differently After The Fan Response

The Direction Of Wicked: For Good Is Still Being Changed

One of the most interesting comments that Chu has made about the sequel is that he believes that they can change how some elements of the first film will pay off because of how beloved the film is. Wicked broke multiple box office records, and became an instant classic in the eyes of many of its viewers, so Chu believes that, due to how wide-reaching the film was, he and the rest of the creative team can be more subtle with the references and callbacks to the first movie in the sequel.

Wicked 2’s Changes Could Make The Sequel Even Better

It Sounds Like The Sequel Might Be Made Even Better

If the filmmakers do follow through on this idea, then Wicked: For Good’s story will probably be all the better for it. If the film doesn’t have to worry about catching everyone up on everything that happened in the first, then it can spend more time developing the plot points and character moments that actually come from the sequel, creating a much stronger narrative. A lot of sequels fall into the trap of trying too hard to connect to the previous film, but at this point, audiences already know what they need to know about the first Wicked.

While the first half of the musical is a relatively simple story, the second is more convoluted and tends to be regarded as slightly messier than the strong first part. Wicked did a great job of adapting the first half of the Broadway musical, and the sequel has the opportunity to turn the second half of the musical into something even better than its predecessor. While it is obviously a direct sequel to the first movie, Wicked: For Good should be primarily concerned with continuing the story and characters, not simply retelling what already happened and tying up loose ends.