Universal, the production behind the film adaptation of Wicked, has revealed a title change for the upcoming second part of the movie musical, though not without intense fanfare.
The second installment of the film, scheduled to premiere next November, was originally known as Wicked: Part II. It makes total sense, because the first film was titled on screen as Wicked: Part I, and because… well, it’s the second part. While all seemed well in the land of chronology, fans were sent into a tailspin when it was revealed that the Wicked sequel had changed its name (like Galinda to Glinda), with the new title being Wicked: For Good.
The name change refers to the title of the beloved ballad from the original Broadway version of Wicked, which sees the two protagonists (and potential lovers, depending on who you ask), reflect on their friendship (or romance) towards the end of act two. Given that the second film will chronicle act two of the Broadway show, this still makes sense for those who are more sequentially inclined, with an added emotional punch for those who know how much of a tear-jerker the For Good duet is (seriously, bring a pack of Kleenex, and sing along per Cynthia Erivo’s approval).
Naturally — since musical theater stans display a level of intensity on par with Swifties, Marvel heads, or Luigi Mangione apologists — the Wicked name change was met with a passionate reaction on social media. “So, it’s officially: Wicked: Part One [and] Wicked: For Good?,” one user questioned, in one of multiple confused reactions to the re-title. Others demanded that Universal “change it back,” or described the For Good subtitle as “corny,” “clunky” and “dumb.” Elsewhere, those who “are not a fan of the name change” simply declared that “i’m not calling it that,” or hilariously suggested that — given the obvious cash-grab that was the decision to split it into two films — floated the alternative title of “Wicked: For Money.”
Meanwhile, some fans took the name change as evidence that “we’re getting a Wicked universe” (Marvel, be damned), or said the new title is equivalent to naming Dune: Part Two “Dune: Sand and Spice.” For some, the rebrand “removes the slight theatrical weight the regular part 2 title had,” but there were those who seemed more receptive to the new name. “I’m sure the film is gonna be great,” one user admitted, while another said they “will be there no matter what” and “couldn’t be happier.” While the name change confirms that “For Good” will feature in the second installment, it’s also likely that the sequel will include songs not featured in the original Broadway show.
The first Wicked did not include any of these new tracks (despite boasting a runtime that exceeds both acts of the Broadway version combined), but composer Stephen Schwartz has promised that there will be new songs in Part Two/For Good. Alongside “For Good” and an unspecified number of new songs, fans can expect to see favorites like “Thank Goodness,” “Wonderful,” “As Long as You’re Mine,” and “No Good Deed,” all of which featured in act two of the Broadway show.
Whatever awaits us in the land of Oz, best believe I’ll be “holding space” for more Golden Globe-worthy turns from Erivo and Ariana Grande, the latter of whom deserves the win for that iconic hair-twirl alone.