This Friday, Wicked: For Good will be coming to theaters. With Wicked grossing 750 million dollars and breaking many box office records, this sequel is expected to be a big hit.
Originally, Wicked was a 1995 book by Gregory Maguire, the first of a four book series, called Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It was then adapted into a Broadway musical in 2003 where it has been continually showing for the last 22 years. Wicked is the second highest grossing Broadway musical, and it has had a profound and lasting impact on pop culture, making it the perfect story to be adapted into a movie.
The movies align with how the musical would be performed on Broadway, with the first movie being the first act of the show, and this upcoming movie being the second act. The decision to split this into two films was made because it allowed for two high-quality films, instead of one film that may feel rushed or incomplete.
Wicked part one is loaded with fun, upbeat songs and scenes. People of all ages enjoyed this film because of its singable tunes, lovable characters, and enthralling story line. Conversely, Wicked: For Good is projected to be grimmer and moodier. The story line is much darker than part one, and the songs are not as popular. Critics have already claimed that splitting the movie in half left Wicked: For Good with the short end of the stick in terms of entertainment value. Still, Wicked: For Good is expected to have high production value, talented actors, and stellar vocals. So far, critics have rated this movie a 72% rotten tomatoes score, versus Wicked’s score of 88%.
Nonetheless, Wicked: For Good is expected to make waves. It is projected that this movie will generate over 200 million dollars in its first week worldwide, meaning that it would break the record for best start ever for a movie based on a Broadway musical, which was set by Wicked. This movie is also expected to be more emotionally engaging, as the actors really dig deep into their multifaceted roles. Wicked: For Good explores the dichotomy between good and evil and the blurred lines in between.
The excitement around Wicked is still incredibly strong, and crowds will just have to wait and see if Wicked: For Good meets the standards set by its predecessor.
