It’s almost time to reunite with the Witches of Oz for “Wicked: For Good.”
Just one year after the release of the blockbuster, Jon M. Chu’s highly anticipated second part of the “Wicked” story will debut in theaters Friday, and if you need a quick “Wicked” recap, here’s a brief rundown of what happened in the first movie.
The first film followed Elphaba and Galinda’s unlikely friendship after becoming roommates at Shiz University. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) was born unnaturally green after her mother had an affair with another man and was unwelcome by many at the prep school.
The school’s headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) sees potential in Elphaba’s magical powers and takes her under her wing to the chagrin of Galinda (Ariana Grande). When Prince Fiyero shows up at Shiz, he quickly catches Galinda’s attention, but he and Elphaba have an undeniable chemistry.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is not what he seemed
When Elphaba is granted a ticket to the Emerald City, she cannot wait to learn from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Glinda joins her on her journey after the two made up at the Ozdust Ballroom.
The duo realize that the Wizard of Oz’s magic was all a ruse, and he is just an ordinary man. Morrible and the Wizard pressure Elphaba to use her real magic to make the Wizard’s monkey guards fly and act as spies. Once she realizes how much pain she accidentally put the monkeys in with her spell, she leaves the Emerald City behind.
Elphaba flees to the western sky
In the epic conclusion of the first film, Elphaba zooms away on her broomstick and off into the western sky.
After Elphaba realized that the Wizard and Madame Morrible are behind the animal cruelty happening in Oz, she decides to flee the Emerald City for good. Despite Elphaba’s urges to come with her, Glinda stayed behind and faced the Wizard’s guards. She and Glinda wish each other well (“I hope you’re happy”) before Elphaba flew over the Emerald City, declaring herself the Wicked Witch of the West.
Thus, Galinda became Glinda the Good and the Wizard’s spokesperson.
Speaking animals in Oz are at risk
Leadership in Oz has decided that speaking animals must be banished. Elphaba believed that everyone deserves to have a voice and hold a job as a citizen in Oz. Once her goat professor Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) is hastily shoved out of his classroom and replaced by a human substitute, Elphaba became committed to saving the speaking animals.
Fiyero supported Elphaba’s goals by helping her save a lion cub who had been caged for a demonstration. Galinda also showed her support for the animals by deciding to officially pronounce her name as Dr. Dillamond did: just Glinda, no “gah.”
“Wicked: For Good” premieres in theaters on Friday, Nov. 21.
