Wicked Part 2 Release Date: What we know about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's sequel

Wickeddebuted with a bang in US theaters. The film adaptation of the famous Broadway musical grossed $19.2 million in previews alone and is expected to be one of the big box office hits this year-end.

Experts predict that the film, directed by John M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, will gross up to $130 million in its opening week, putting it on par with the success that "Barbie," also a fantasy musical, had last year.

From the beginning, Chu and producers Marc Platt and David Stone planned to split the adaptation into two parts. However, the success of the first film practically guarantees the release of the sequel next year.

When will Wicked 2 be released?

The specialized portal IMDb reports that the film will be released on November 21, 2025, in the United States. Universal Pictures had planned to release the sequel on November 26 or December 25; however, it moved the date to avoid coinciding with the releases of Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, respectively.

Chu and the producers have explained in various interviews that they decided to divide the film into two parts to do justice to the source material and to be able to delve deeper into the development of the characters and the world of Oz.

Principal photography for Wicked 2 took place simultaneously with the first part in July 2022. The SAG-AFTRA strike momentarily halted filming in July 2023, but it resumed in January 2024 and is currently in post-production.

What awaits fans in Wicked 2?

Erivo and Grande will return in their roles as "Elphaba" and "Galinda," respectively. The plot will pick up where the first one left off with Elphaba having to deal with being considered the "Wicked Witch of the West," while her friend Galinda is now "Glinda the Good," and must protect Oz from her friend.

Although it has not been confirmed, Chu is expected to include a large part of the musical numbers from the Broadway production. In addition, the director has already announced that he will include some scenes taken directly from the book of the same name on which the play is based, generating great expectations among fans and media.