Universal Pictures is working on a way to keep the success of Wicked going as Wicked: For Good continues raking in cash.
More Wicked in the Works
“Because of Wicked’s success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe,” Universal’s chief marketing officer, Michael Moses, told Vulture. “Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway.”
Wicked: For Good has made a worldwide total of $238 million after less than a week in theaters. It made $20 million during Thursday previews. It’s the follow-up to Wicked (2024), which grossed $759 million worldwide. The duology is based on acts one and two of the Broadway musical, which is in turn inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West — which was inspired by the 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Moses’ comment isn’t the first indication that Universal is figuring out a way to extend the franchise. Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the stage musical, has indicated he and Winnie Holzman, writer of the musical’s book and co-writer of the films, are working on an expansion of the universe.
At the New York premiere of Wicked: For Good, Schwartz said he and Holzman “are doing some work right now on ideas that aren’t a sequel to Wicked.” He clarified to The Ankler, “I think the Glinda and Elphaba story feels complete — but there are other aspects that could be explored. Gregory Maguire, the original Wicked novelist, has several books, for example. But there’s another idea that Winnie and I are discussing: not a sequel, but an adjunct. Let me put it that way.”
The musical and movies are only loosely based on Maguire’s novel but could certainly still take inspiration from his The Wicked Years sequels. The main series consists of Wicked, Son of a Witch (2005), A Lion Among Men (2008), and Out of Oz (2011). It was followed by a short story collection (2012), the Another Day trilogy (2021 – 2023), and most recently the prequel Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (2025).
Universal has also hinted at a larger Wicked presence for theme parks. There is a pop-up experience at Universal Studios Florida. Destinations & Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury has said Wicked is a “theme park waiting to happen.“
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