After Wicked and Wicked: For Good flew into theaters and grossed $1.24 billion at the box office, more details are now being revealed about the future of the hit franchise. Jon M. Chu adapted the Tony-winning Broadway musical Wicked as a two-part cinematic event, released in November 2024 and 2025. Ever since Wicked: For Good closed out Elphaba and Glinda’s story, there’s been speculation about whether more sequels will get made, with composer Stephen Schwartz and writer Winnie Holzman only adding fuel to the fire.

Wicked’s Michelle Yeoh as Madame MorribleImage via Universal

Now NBCUniversal Entertainment chair Donna Langley is breaking her silence about Wicked’s future. She is “hopeful” that more films set in the world of Oz will get made, as revealed during an interview with Variety. While Elphaba and Glinda’s story is over, “there are other ways that we could branch out with the world-building.” Langley added that she and her fellow executives at Universal are discussing plans with their “rights holders and in conjunction with them” to ensure they only include the characters and stories they have the rights to.
“It’s very early days on Wicked, but we are hopeful that after the amazing success that we’ve seen with the two movies, there are other ways that we could branch out with the world-building. And, of course, we do that with our rights holders and in conjunction with them, so when they’re ready.”
The two Wicked films and the Broadway musical are based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The author was able to write a story set in Oz because the original L. Frank Baum book is in the public domain (as of 1956). Copyright issues play a major role in any expansion of the Wicked franchise. For example, while Baum’s novel is in the public domain, the 1939 film adaptation from Warner Bros. is still protected by copyright laws. When Wicked was adapted for the stage, there were certain aspects from The Wizard of Oz movie that couldn’t be replicated, like the ruby red slippers, so the creative team stuck with the silver shoes from Baum’s story.

One way to continue Wicked would be to adapt one of Maguire’s other novels set in this universe. After publishing Wicked in 1995, he then wrote three sequels: Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. Years later, Maguire returned to Oz with a sequel trilogy called Another Day, which included The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor. Amid the success of the Wicked films, the author wrote two prequels: Elphie: A Wicked Childhood and Galinda: A Charmed Childhood (the latter book will be released on September 29).

Last fall, Schwartz and Holzman, who worked on the musical and the big-screen adaptations, admitted they’ve got ideas to continue the franchise but didn’t reveal any details. They made it clear, though, that if any more films do get made, there won’t be a Wicked 3 that continues Elphaba and Glinda’s journey, since Wicked: For Good ended that chapter. After the huge success of Wicked and Wicked: For Good, which collectively grossed over $1 billion and earned positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, Universal executives are excited about continuing the franchise in some way, shape or form. More details are sure to be revealed in the coming months. Wicked: For Good will be released on Peacock on March 20, 2026.

Created by

Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman

Movie(s)

Wicked, Wicked: Part Two

Character(s)

Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, The Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessarose, Boq