Director Jon M. Chu has explained why Wicked: For Good will include two brand-new songs for both Glinda and Elphaba, a departure from the Broadway musical adaptation.

Speaking at ᴅᴇᴀᴅline‘s Contenders London event, the director said that his connection to Wicked goes back to its early days, recalling seeing one of the musical’s first performances. He revealed that he’s always preferred the second act of the musical, calling it the emotional core of the story.

When discussing the new songs, Chu explained that he and his team expanded on those themes of the stage musical, hoping to capture the same weight on screen. Read his comments below:

For me, what I think the second half needed was to know more about these individual women’s experiences. How lonely is it when you make a choice like that and you have to stand up to power and you feel like you’re the only one doing it. That’s a very heavy, lonely experience…

And what happens when you’re someone like Glinda who has this bubble of protection, where you don’t ever have to deal with the truth if you don’t want to. Are you able to pop your bubble of privilege? To me, those were the bigger questions of the Wicked saga.

Chu went on to explain that the decision to include new songs was not about scale or spectacle, but rather about emotional connection. For the director, Wicked: For Good needed to explore Glinda and Elphaba’s inner lives in ways that dialogue alone couldn’t. In his own words:

We needed more songs, because we needed more avenues into that mindset. Musicals are great because it’s not about being bigger, it’s about going deeper into these characters and minds and what they’re going through. So we have new songs that allow us to witness how they go through these thoughts, and the audience can experience.

The two new songs are “No Place Like Home” performed by Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, and “The Girl in the Bubble”, sung by Ariana Grande’s Glinda. These will be the first musical additions to the Wicked films that were not a part of the original Broadway score.

The sequel picks up where Wicked: Part One left off and will adapt the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. Wicked: For Good will explore the aftermath of Elphaba’s transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda’s rise to power, and how their friendship is reshaped by the political chaos of Oz.

In the second act, Glinda and Elphaba face not only the external conflict in Oz, but also inner struggles about idenтιтy, loyalty, and justice. Chu sees the new songs as a key tool when portraying the character’s inner turmoil. By giving each lead brand new musical moments, Chu is letting the screenplay and songs work together, and in doing so, the film gives each witch a fuller voice as they’re faced with impossible decisions.

Anticipation for Wicked: For Good is already reaching record-breaking heights. Fandango revealed that Wicked: For Good has had the most first-day ticket pre-sales of any movie of 2025, surpᴀssing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, and Superman.

The first film opened just before Thanksgiving 2024, earning $112.5 million in its debut and grossing $756.4 million worldwide, making Wicked the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever.

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21.