Director Jon M. Chu has revealed fresh details about the two new songs composed by Stephen Schwartz for the upcoming film Wicked: For Good, set to hit theaters on November 21. Focusing on the complex journeys of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), Chu highlights how these songs explore the deep questions surrounding the concept of home, identity, and personal struggle.
Wicked: For Good continues the saga of the witches from Oz, diving into the emotional and moral challenges they each face. Through these original songs, the film adds layers to the characters, delving beyond surface-level storytelling to present a compelling narrative about self-discovery and conflicting loyalties.
Exploring the Theme of ‘Home’ Through New Musical Numbers
At the heart of Wicked: For Good lies the question of what home means when it no longer feels familiar or welcoming. Jon M. Chu explains that the songs confront this idea head-on, with both Elphaba and Glinda wrestling with their own sense of belonging. Chu describes the central inquiry behind the songs:
They’re questioning, ‘What is home? And what happens when you are fighting for a home that you realize doesn’t even want you there, or was never meant for you? Do you defend it? Do you fight for it? Does anyone else think of home the same as you?’
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Those questions are very interesting and relevant to Elphaba’s journey.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
While Elphaba is grappling with these profound doubts, Glinda embarks on a slightly different path toward understanding home and responsibility. Chu notes:
Glinda is the one that has to ultimately pop her own bubble,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
She has to leave her privilege to actually see other people’s struggles and fight for justice and equality.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Chu emphasizes that these new songs are not meant as modern political statements but rather timeless reflections on the human experience:
They do what timeless stories do,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
They ask us elemental questions of being human, not just the great parts — the celebratory, joyful parts of being human — but the scary, dark parts that test us. Everybody thinks it’s about this time, and yet it’s about all time. We are a little bit good and we all are a little bit wicked, and how do we navigate that?
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Chu also made clear the new songs’ importance is rooted in genuine narrative necessity. After careful consideration, their inclusion was confirmed because they meaningfully enrich the story:
Even after we recorded them, even after we put them in the movie, we kicked the tires on them to make sure that we had to put them in this movie,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Otherwise, it wasn’t worth it.
Building on the long-standing theme of home found in all the Oz stories, including The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, Chu viewed these songs as a way to deepen the exploration:
Both witches are trying to find their way home,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Both of these songs are about how to do that, and it’s questions that I’ve always wanted to hear from them in the stage show, but never got to. We get to take our time and explore those questions.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Reuniting Elphaba and Glinda with an Expanded Relationship Focus
One challenge in the original stage musical’s second act is the limited interaction between Glinda and Elphaba after the iconic “Defying Gravity” number. Chu aimed to change this dynamic in the film adaptation by giving the witches more time together on screen. Not only are they reunited sooner, but their evolving friendship and tension are more deeply portrayed throughout The Wizard of Oz sequel.
Chu elaborated on this creative decision:
What we really focused on was, no matter what, it’s always about either one of them or their relationship,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
What we discovered was, ‘It’s the girls, stupid!’ at every turn. So, when one’s going through something, there’s something that they’ve learned from the other that affects them, or the fact the other person is not there is part of what can’t get them to their goal. It’s always about them.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Glinda’s Growth and Her Role as a Leader in Oz
Moving beyond her student days at Shiz University, Glinda takes on a prominent role within Oz, representing goodness under the Wizard’s regime. Chu paints Glinda as a figure who must navigate the responsibilities and complexities that come with leadership:
She has progressed into working for the Wizard, and all of Oz are looking to her to represent goodness. Presenting that takes a lot of staff and a lot of infrastructure. She has to go around Oz and deliver goodness.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
This newfound responsibility is reflected by the support team Glinda surrounds herself with, including characters Pfannee (Bowen Yang) and Shenshen (Bronwyn James), who are integral to her efforts to spread positivity across Oz.
Here, she is with her full staff that is helping her to spread goodness everywhere,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Elphaba’s Struggle with Power and Isolation
Following the soaring conclusion of the first Wicked film, Elphaba fully embraces her identity, including her extraordinary abilities. However, Wicked: For Good explores the emotional toll these powers take on her, especially the solitude that accompanies her transformation.
If you think she flew in the first movie, she flies,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
She’s now surrendered to who she is. Is it a blossoming? Absolutely. But she did not realize how lonely it would be to become who you are meant to be.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Elphaba’s inner turmoil includes doubt about her instincts and decisions as she confronts her growing power:
Is your instinct right? Is what you believe actually the way it’s supposed to be?
—Jon M. Chu, Director
She is struggling with that, but she comes into her full power. In ‘No Good Deed,’ she’s like, ‘You want me to be wicked? I’ll f—ing be wicked.’ And you get to see her become, for some moments, the Wicked Witch of the West that they want her to be.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Glinda’s Reckoning with Falsehoods and Propaganda
The sequel confronts Glinda with the contradictions between the truths she holds and the lies propagated by the Wizard’s government. She must face the reality of these deceptions and her role within a system built on false narratives.
I love this image of Glinda sitting on a throne, essentially, of propaganda flyers and falseness,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
She knows [these things are] not the truth about her friend. What does that make you feel when you realize you’re trapped and elevated by this lie? It calls into question where she stands.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
The Wizard’s Vision and the Symbolism of the Yellow Brick Road
Unlike traditional villain portrayals, the Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum) sees himself as a protector and unifier, constructing the yellow brick road as a symbol of promise and security. Chu explains the Wizard’s perspective on his growing influence:
He thinks people need a good story,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
The yellow brick road is what he thinks as the Oz of tomorrow,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
The Oz of tomorrow will lead you right to him, and if it leads you to him, then you don’t have to ever fear anything else. He will protect you. He will give you your heart’s desire. The yellow brick road represents this idea of ‘Hey, don’t worry about anything else, just focus on doing your thing and walking the yellow brick road.’ It’s connecting everybody; he genuinely believes in it.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
At the same time, Chu acknowledges the Wizard’s temptation by power and questions how far someone might go when intoxicated by influence and fame:
Once you get a taste of that power, how far will you go?
—Jon M. Chu, Director
How far will you go to entertain? And at what point have you gone too far?
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Fiyero’s Emotional Conflict Fuels a Complicated Love Triangle
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) remains allied with Glinda but finds himself deeply affected by Elphaba’s plight, sparking a tangled emotional triangle. His internal struggle is multifaceted, shaped by his duties, feelings, and conscience.
Chu notes that their dynamic transcends simple romance:
It’s more than just love,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
It’s about how you see the world. In Wicked, Elphaba breaks his brain when she calls him out in the forest. He has not stopped thinking about it, so much so that it may be driving him a little bit nuts. Yet, he feels so powerless for the first time in his life. He can’t just dance right through it.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Adding to this complexity is Fiyero’s role in the Wizard’s Guard, known here as the Gale Force. His job is to hunt down Elphaba; however, Fiyero’s true intent is to find her before anyone else does, creating tension between nobility and moral ambiguity:
The Gale Force’s job is to hunt down the Wicked Witch,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
We discover that he’s on that Gale Force to get to her first. Because if someone else gets to her, then who knows what will happen. So there’s a nobility in that, but also an ickiness.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
Chu explains further:
Both Glinda and him deal with the reality of what they have to do versus what they truly feel is right,
—Jon M. Chu, Director
They have two different philosophies, and they’re on a collision course here. Of course, bursting through the clouds is our Elphaba, who’s already made her decision and is just waiting for somebody to catch up.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
The romantic tension reaches new heights with the expanded depiction of the ballad “As Long As You’re Mine,” where Elphaba and Fiyero’s connection becomes more deeply explored:
You finally get to feel the ascension that they give each other through the relationship.
—Jon M. Chu, Director
What to Expect as Wicked: For Good Arrives in Theaters
As Wicked: For Good prepares to enthrall audiences, Jon M. Chu’s insights promise a film that expands on familiar storylines with richer character development, emotional depth, and thrilling new songs. The creative team has taken advantage of the freedom to reinvent the story’s second act, which has historically been more compressed and less well-received than the first.
The evolving love triangle, the introspective journeys of Elphaba and Glinda, and the nuanced portrayal of the Wizard’s ambitions all signal a fresh take that challenges the audience to reflect on timeless human dilemmas.
Beyond its entertaining spectacle, the movie probes questions about identity, power, and the search for belonging that resonate well beyond Oz’s borders. For fans of the original musical and new viewers alike, Wicked: For Good promises a resonant and emotionally charged cinematic experience.
