Photo by: Wicked Official Poster 

“As someone told me lately, everyone deserves a chance to fly!” You probably remember this quote from Oz’s unusually and exceedingly peculiar Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp. This November 21st, the movie charts will be defying gravity as fans from all over the world (including Uz) gather to see the long-awaited part two of their favorite Broadway musical, Wicked. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,’ the movie by Jon M. Chu brings Elphaba´s story to the big screen, navigating a complex adventure between acceptance and friendship. So get ready to take a walk down Yellow Brick Road and run through the events of the first movie to fit right into Shiz as Wicked: For Good arrives. 

Friendly reminder: the Wicked Witch of the West is DEAD! Well, not quite. In Wicked: Part 1, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) navigate a knotty relationship, moving every stage between unadulterated loathing and the blossoming of an unexpected but heartwarming friendship. The story begins with a vibrant and color-stricking Mnchkinland celebrating the death of their most hated enemy, Elphaba. As the audience is left wondering why no one mourns the wicked, you dive into the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda the Good starts narrating their long–dead friendship and how, from her perspective, they went from friends to enemies. 

Photo by: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures.

Prior to this, Elphaba visits Shiz to ensure her wheelchair–bound sister settles in. That’s when she unintentionally uncovers her magical abilities, catching the eye of Dean of Sorcery Studies’ –Madame Morrible– eye, who then offers to give her private tutoring. This upsets Glinda, as she had hoped to take that position, marking the start of the rocky enmity between them. Elphaba is an immediate eyesore at Shiz – given her neon green complexion – while Glinda sure knows how to be popular. In an ironic twist of fate, they end up rooming together, which increases the animosity between them. After a wobbly start, involving a dance, a shared love interest named Fiero (Jonathan Bailey), and some peculiar fashion choices, Elphaba and Glinda share a heartfelt moment that brings them together and signs the beginning of their friendship. 

A subplot following Elphaba’s fondness for’ her Ozian History teacher, Dr Dillamond –a talking goat– showcases the prevalent theme of censorship throughout the story, when he, along with other animals, goes to jail and their abilities to speak start fading. Due to her sympathizing with the discrimination against animals, since her upbringing was filled with prejudice and rejection, she decides to visit the Wizard of Oz to help the talking animals. 

Elphaba had always hoped the Wizard would be able to fulfill her one wish of being  ‘‘normal.’’ But, after a journey of self-acceptance, her wish becomes one of activism and social justice, and she uses this chance to help others instead of herself. She asks Glinda to accompany her, since she also wished to meet the Wizard –and become one herself– so they embark on a journey to spend one short day in the Emerald City and arrive at the Royal Palace of Oz to talk to the Wizard. 

Photo by: Universal Pictures

After an introduction filled with theatrics and drama, including the iconic casting of the original Elphaba and Glinda (Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth), the story reveals the biggest plot twist of them all– the wizard is the one erasing the animals’ identities and morphing them into order-following subjects, which leaves Elphaba feeling deeply hurt and betrayed. After figuring out that the Wizard is a total fraud (with Madame Morrible being his accomplice), because he can’t even cast spells from the Grimmerie, the book that contains all magic in Oz, Elphaba decides to confront him and uses the Grimmerie to escape the palace in a flying broom, leaving Glinda and all of Oz behind, wrapped in a cloud of mystery and unresolved doubts. 

With this impending conflict, fans are eager to see Elphaba return once more to the big screen. Between fights, troubling love dramas, and uncertainty, it will be defined once and for all if people are born wicked, or is it thrust upon them? As November 21st approaches, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s out-of-this-world vocals are heard everywhere, pink and green become the seasonal colors, and Wicked enthusiasts definitely feel like dancing through life. Given the enormous anticipation that precedes this movie, it is clear that Wicked: For Good will be the most popular girl at the box office.