Wicked 2: What does the new Glinda song tell us about the sequel's future? Explained 

As one of the biggest films of 2024, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo starrer Wicked is now making way for its highly anticipated sequel, Wicked: Part 2, and speculations surrounding its plot are already on the rise.

Jon M. Chu's brilliance brought one of the most-loved tales to the screen as Erivo and Grande slipped into the roles of the witches. The success of the first film has largely contributed to the anticipation of the sequel, and what it may mean for the futures of Elphaba and Glinda.

Stephen Schwartz is penning a brand new song for Glinda for the sequel, and that may mean a few things. Talking about the new song, Ariana Grande spoke to Variety and said,

“It’s a pivotal moment in Glinda’s journey. It shows a side of her we’ve never seen before. In the stage show, this transformation happens offstage. But in the movie, we get to see her make the decision that defines who she is. It’s a privilege to sing this song and be the first Glinda to bring it to life.”

The presence of Glinda's own song in the sequel may heavily insinuate that the plot will lean towards Grande taking the central stage as the main character, in contrast to her being sort of a supporting character in the first film.

Grande also revealed the song happens during a scene offstage in the original Broadway. Many fans have speculated that this could be her standing up to Jeff Goldblum's Wizard, and assisting Elphaba run away.

More details on Wicked: Part Two

Jon M. Chu revealed early on that Wicked will be a two-part story and the ending of Wicked with Erivo performing Defying Gravity makes perfect sense with there being a sequel. Set to release on November 21, 2025, the sequel has already been made and it's looking at a release this year.

Grande and Erivo will reprise their roles and all the cast members will make a return for the sequel. As for the decision behind there being two separate films, Chu said it's because he tried to stay true to the original piece and refused to cut down on any important scenes or important numbers.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the director said,

"What numbers can you cut to get it in? And the amount of numbers you have to cut to get this story in is just not plausible. You want all the songs, so you’re going to cut dancing. Which ones? Tell me which ones and we’ll do it. It just became very apparent that we had to make a choice.

He continued,

We went back and forth, are we making a three-and-a-half-hour movie that cuts off all these things? Are we doing one at a time? And if we’re doing one at a time, then we have to make sure that that movie is emotionally fulfilling so it doesn’t feel like we’re stopping in the middle of a story. … We all agreed that we were splitting it.”

Wicked is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video and Wicked: Part 2 will hit theaters on 21 November this year.