With Wicked: For Good’s release almost at our fingertips, the fans are ramping up for the highly-anticipated sequel. Truly though, the hype’s been there since Part One’s initial premiere (available to stream with a Peacock subscription), but now that the 2025 movie calendar blockbuster is nearly here, things are leveling up. One item that cast members have been fielding has been pleas, requests and inquiries about a threequel. Most recently, Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang shared their thoughts on the possibility.
Grande shared a clip on Instagram from a Wicked panel talking about her feelings in regards to any third Wicked movie rumors. While she didn’t directly state that they’d continue down the Yellow Brick Road on set together, she didn’t dismiss ditching Glinda’s bubble either. In true pop princess fashion, she equated the future of Jon M. Chu’s Oz to Cher’s numerous farewell tours by saying:
You mentioned ‘farewell tour.’ If we’ve learned anything from Cher, we can count on there always being another farewell tour. So I don’t think anyone’s going anywhere.
First of all, I’m loving the Cher tour reference in general. I also love that the line acts as a small nod to their recently announced SNL host and musical guest lineup pairing. Now that the icon’s highlights are covered, let’s return to the threequel discourse.
The Eternal Sunshine artist’s comment elicited the interviewer to ask about the possibility of more of the world being explored post WFG. Ariana Grande quickly denied that she knew one way or the other and jumped into how she feels relieved people will finally be able to see the intended conclusion:
No, no, I don’t know. I mean, first of all, I know that there’s a great peace that’s coming along with this coming out and I think there’s a peace that’s felt, because people will finally get to know the full truth of these women.
Based on her feelings that filming was a ‘tremendous’ undertaking, I can see this. And that’s coming from someone who’s entirely familiar with the story, but hasn’t seen the full Broadway show. Part Two will inevitably be a doozy, and receiving the feedback after the public has seen it will be its own adventure for the cast and crew.
Co-star, and pal, Bowen Yang shared similar sentiments with Variety. After being asked about the rumors and likelihood of a third installment, the Saturday Night Live star said he was okay if they didn’t continue. With that, he wryly had an alternative spinoff for Glinda’s two besties, as he said:
I think we leave it here. I’m going to pitch a ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’ story with my and Bronwyn James’ characters.
I love the offbeat offshoot inspiration, though I’m not sure it’d get too much actual traction. Then again, if Jon M. Chu feels that the sequel is ‘the most compelling side of the story,’ fans will be ravenous for any Ozian content. While all of the possibilities remain somewhere over the rainbow, I want to believe we may have some sort of farewell tour, just not in movie form.
My hope, and guess, is that the cast, or even just Grande and Cynthia Erivo, may do another live performance. A real ‘what if’ scenario, and my far left field thought, is some special event involving Broadway. Wicked fans across the board would, assumingely, be thrillified. For now, though, a girl can dream.
Until then, Wicked stars like Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang will have to continue to navigate through the threequel questions. Hopefully some answers may reveal themselves after Wicked: For Good releases.