Following the success of Wicked and Wicked – For Good, which soared into theaters and amassed an impressive $1.24 Billion at the Box Office, exciting new details are emerging about the future of this beloved franchise. Jon M. Chu has transformed the acclaimed Tony-winning Broadway musical Wicked into a two-part film series, premiered in November 2024 and 2025.
Since the conclusion of Wicked – For Good, which wrapped up the tales of Elphaba and Glinda, there has been ongoing speculation regarding the possibility of additional sequels. This chatter has only intensified with contributions from composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman, who have both sparked further interest in the franchise.
Currently, Donna Langley, the chairmain of NBC Universal Entertainment, is finally addressing the future of Wicked. She expressed her optimism that additional films set in the Oz universe will be produced, as she disclosed in a media interview.
Although the tale of Elphaba and Glinda has concluded, she mentioned, “there are other ways that we could branch out with the world-building.”
Langley mentioned that she and her fellow executives at Universal are in talks with their “rights holders and in collaboration with them” to guarantee that they exclusively feature the characters and narratives for which they possess the rights.
According to Donna Langley, “Although it’s still in the early stages of Wicked, we remain optimistic that following the incredible success of the two films, there are additional avenues for expanding the world-building. Naturally, we will pursue this in collaboration with our rights holders, ensuring we move forward when they are prepared.”
The two Wicked movies and the Broadway musical draw inspiration from Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Thanks to the original L. Frank Baum book entering the public domain in 1956, the author was able to craft a narrative set in the enchanting land of Oz.
Copyright concerns significantly impact the growth of the Wicked franchise. For instance, although Baum’s novel is now in the public domain, the 1939 film adaptation by Warner Bros. remains under copyright protection.
When Wicked was transformed into a stage production, some elements from The Wizard of Oz film could not be duplicated, such as the iconic ruby red slippers. Therefore, the creative team chose to retain the silver shoes from Baum’s original tale.
One potential approach to extend the Wicked saga is by adapting one of Gregory Maguire’s other novels that take place in this enchanting universe. Following the release of Wicked in 1995, he went on to pen three sequels – Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz.
Years later, Maguire made his return to Oz with a sequel trilogy titled Another Day, featuring The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor. In the wake of the success of the Wicked films, the author also penned two prequels – Elphie – A Wicked Childhood and Galinda – A Charmed Childhood (the latter is set to be released on September 29).
Last autumn, Schwartz and Holzman, who were involved in both the musical and it’s film adaptations, acknowledged that they have concepts for extending the franchise, yet they chose not to disclose any specifics.
However, they emphasized that if additional films are produced, there will not be a Wicked 3 that follows Elphaba and Glinda’s story, as Wicked – For Good has concluded that narrative.
Following the tremendous success of Wicked and Wicked – For Good, which together amassed over $1 Billion and received favorable reviews from both critics and audiences, Universal executives are eager to explore ways to extend the franchise.
Expect more information to be unveiled in the upcoming months. Wicked – For Good is set to premiere on Peacock on March 20, 2026.