Fresh off its Italian release, the highly anticipated "The Wicked - Part 2" is already setting the holiday season alight, continuing the storyline of the blockbuster "Wicked" and preparing to compete directly with the extraordinary quality of its predecessor. Directed once again by Jon M. Chu and adapted for the screen by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, who use the original book and music from the Broadway musical of the same name, the film—a prequel, along with "Wicked," to the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz"—will illuminate how protagonists Elphaba and Glinda became the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North, respectively, further highlighting the intensity of their emotional bond.
After challenging Oz's totalitarian regime, founded on deception and misdeeds, Elphaba is forced to isolate herself in the woods to continue her fight to defend the talking animals. Meanwhile, Glinda is recognized as the protector and benefactor of the entire kingdom, but in her Emerald City, she secretly grieves the separation from her companion. Facing an angry mob, the witches will once again confront each other, forced to choose between saving their friendship and preserving the kingdom's fortunes.
Coinciding with its Italian release, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes released its approval rating based on early press reviews. From what we can see, "Wicked - Part 2" currently has a 73% approval rating based on 55 reviews: a result that can't be considered entirely positive and, more importantly, a sharp decline from the 88% rating for the first film. Beyond the raw numbers, critics seem to have appreciated the production—flashy and eccentric like few others—and the once-again impeccable performances by Erivo and Grande. Audience opinion, however, seems more convinced, although currently based on potentially biased forecasts, as the data shows that the first viewers were primarily fans of the original film. We'll therefore have to wait a little longer to see how the film will be received by mainstream audiences.
Meanwhile, "Wicked - Part 2" has already set a new record in the United States: with a whopping $30.8 million in pre-sales alone, the film has recorded its best pre-release result of 2025. This is partly due to the preview screenings organized in conjunction with Amazon Prime, which allowed the title to surpass the excellent results of the previous film, "Superman," which stopped at $22.5 million.
