'Things Are Underway': After Wicked: For Good's Huge Success, Universal Says It Has 'Almost a Responsibility to Figure Out How We Can Continue in This Universe'

Plans are already underway for the aboriginal of the Wicked franchise, pursuing the smash-hit debut of Wicked: For Good.

Apart from the evident money-making oppurtunities connected offer, Universal Pictures' selling main has said that the wide spot of the Wicked fandom meant the workplace had "almost a responsibility" to present much — adjacent though the communicative of the Wicked philharmonic had present good and genuinely been told.

"Because of Wicked's occurrence but besides the fanship, we person astir a work to fig retired however we tin proceed successful this universe," Universal main selling serviceman Michael Moses told Vulture.

Exactly what benignant of franchise continuation mightiness beryllium possible, however, Moses seemed little sure. "Have we figured it retired yet? No," helium added. "But determination are things underway."

Across the 2 Wicked movies, the 2 hr 30 infinitesimal musical's communicative has already been expanded to astir 5 hours. But the philharmonic itself is based connected conscionable the archetypal of a bid of Wicked novels. Later stories mostly travel a caller procreation of characters, including Elphaba's lad Liir.

"I deliberation the Glinda and Elphaba communicative feels implicit — but determination are different aspects that could beryllium explored," Wicked's archetypal composer Stephen Schwartz precocious told The Ankler. "Gregory Maguire, the archetypal Wicked novelist, has respective books, for example."

Still, having built the occurrence of Wicked astir the relationship of Elphaba and Glinda, it would beryllium hard to spot immoderate follow-up ignoring those acquainted characters wholly — thing Schwartz seemingly agrees with. (And anyway, we inactive request to find retired what Ariana Grande whispered astatine the extremity of the movie.)

"There's different thought that Winnie [Holzman, Wicked and Wicked: For Good co-writer] and I are discussing: not a sequel, but an adjunct. Let maine enactment it that way," Schwartz teased.

Could fans get yet different mentation of Wicked's story, this clip possibly told from the position of different quality — the Wizard himself, perhaps, oregon Nessarose? How astir different communicative acceptable successful Shiz University, wherever Glinda and Elphaba are students? Or, could the Wicked squad conscionable beryllium considering the evident — a philharmonic mentation of the archetypal Wizard of Oz, present incorporating the communicative elements that Wicked introduced? Maybe we'll yet spot Dorothy's look connected screen, aft the histrion playing her successful Wicked was deliberately kept retired of focus.

One thing's for definite — Universal is keen to replicate the immense container bureau occurrence of some Wicked and this year's follow-up. After conscionable its opening weekend, Wicked: For Good has brought successful $226 cardinal globally, defying the gravity of a drawstring of different Hollywood disappointments successful caller weeks. Indeed, the movie has conjured a bigger debut than Superman and The Fantastic Four, and is down lone this year's live-aciton Lilo & Stitch remake, Jurassic World Rebirth, and A Minecraft Movie.

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Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social