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Jon M. Chu opened up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about what he hopes fans take away when watching Wicked: For Good
The director also teased “surprises” in the sequel, the second part of 2024’s Wicked
Wicked: For Good flies into theaters on Nov. 21
Jon M. Chu is excited for fans to take one last trip back to Oz!
The director, 45, told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that when fans watch Wicked: For Good, the second part of 2024’s Wicked, he’s hopeful “they get the joy and love of movie one, but there’s extra meat on this one.”
“This is where you get to see Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande] really come to life as actors,” Chu continued, referring to Erivo, 38, who plays Elphaba (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) and Grande, 32, who portrays Glinda (a.k.a. Glinda the Good Witch of the North).
“This is their adult selves looking back at their childhood dreams, that are now shattered in front of them. So when you look back, I think people will see only both movies as one, not just the first movie and the second movie,” he added. “I’m excited to complete the story for people.”
As for whether he has any tricks up his sleeve for fans to get excited about in terms of Wicked: For Good, Chu teased, “I hope they get a few surprises that they’re not thinking about right now.”
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Disney/Eric McCandless)
Wicked: For Good continues the story of Wicked, the musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz, based on the long-running Broadway show of the same name. Idina Menzel originated the role of Elphaba, and Kristin Chenoweth did the same for Glinda.
The movie features fan-favorite songs like “For Good,” “As Long as You’re Mine” and “No Good Deed,” as well as two new original numbers, “No Place Like Home,” performed by Erivo, and “The Girl in the Bubble,” sang by Grande.
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Joining Erivo and Grande in the follow-up film once more are Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Ethan Slater (Boq), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Peter Dinklage (Doctor Dillamond), Bowen Yang (Pfannee) and Bronwyn James (ShenShen).
A new addition to the cast comes through Colman Domingo, who will voice Brrr, a.k.a. the Cowardly Lion, an animal once rescued as a cub by Elphaba and Fiyero.
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures (2)
Wicked: For Good picks up years after Wicked and will follow Elphaba and Glinda’s choices and the different life paths they’ve followed.
When asked who he identifies with more of the magical women, Chu told PEOPLE during Dancing with the Stars’ Wicked-themed night on Oct. 21, “I think we’re all a little bit Elphaba, but a little bit Glinda.”
“I think that’s the point of the movie — that we struggle,” he continued. “No one’s wicked and no one’s good. We’re all just a little bit in between, and we are the average of what we choose every day to be.”
He added with a laugh, “Now you’re going to get me in trouble, because those girls watch these things and they know what I’m saying.”
Wicked: For Good flies into theaters on Nov. 21. Wicked is available to purchase and stream now.
