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Wicked: For Good<\/a>,<\/em> starring Cynthia Erivo<\/strong> and Ariana Grande<\/strong><\/a> as frenemy witches Elphaba and Glinda, stays fairly faithful to its source material. But fans of the Broadway musical may be surprised to find that Wicked: For Good<\/em> also makes a few unexpected left turns not found in the second half of composer Stephen Schwartz<\/strong> and writer Winnie Holzman<\/strong>\u2019s stage musical. Those changes\u2014which the film\u2019s creative team discussed with me for Universal and VF<\/em>\u2019s official Wicked: For Good<\/em> podcast<\/a>\u2014mostly have to do with Grande\u2019s Glinda the Good, who closes her character arc by stepping into her power in a new way. (Warning: Spoilers for Wicked: For Good<\/em><\/a> are below.)<\/p>\n Wicked: Part One<\/em> focused on Elphaba\u2019s journey from green-skinned Shiz University student to the Wicked Witch of the West. But while Erivo\u2019s Elphaba is still front and center in Wicked: For Good,<\/em> the sequel is more focused on Glinda\u2019s turn from powerless figurehead and brand ambassador for the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum<\/strong>) to a truly good witch who has her own magical powers. In a departure from the stage show, director Jon M. Chu<\/strong><\/a> includes a flashback to little Glinda, played by Scarlett Spears,<\/strong> at her birthday party, attempting to convince her guests that she has magical powers. It\u2019s a moment meant to mirror the flashback scene from the first Wicked<\/em> when little Elphaba, Karis Musongole,<\/strong> discovers her innate magical powers.<\/p>\n Over the course of Wicked: For Good,<\/em> written by Holzman and Dana Fox,<\/strong> Glinda\u2019s perfectly manicured facade cracks as Elphaba\u2019s power grows. In another change from the stage play, Erivo has a new song\u2014a rousing ballad called \u201cNo Place Like Home\u201d\u2014which underlines her commitment to Oz. Schwartz also added a new song for Glinda, the eleven o\u2019clock number \u201cThe Girl in the Bubble,\u201d in which Grande\u2019s character wrestles with her complicity in the hunt for Elphaba\u2014and finally, actively, makes the choice to make good on her promise to truly be Glinda the Good.<\/p>\n Before the end of the film, the estranged witches reconnect to sing the titular song, \u201cFor Good.\u201d The stage show ends shortly after this number, with Elphaba \u201cmelting\u201d after Dorothy Gale throws a bucket of water on her and Glinda pledging to the Ozians that she will try to be good. Wicked: For Good<\/em> follows similar beats: After Elphaba has seemingly melted, Glinda stands up to both the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh<\/strong>), imprisoning Morrible and revealing to the Wizard that Elphaba was, in fact, his daughter, after discovering they both drank the same green elixir. All of this happens on stage as well.<\/p>\n What\u2019s new, though, is that in the final act of the film, both Elphaba and Glinda each get what they desire. Glinda ends the film by closing the arc on the story\u2019s persecuted talking-animal subplot, asking for all of the Ozians to join her in inviting the recently excommunicated creatures to return to Oz. The stage play leaves this thread dangling, while in the film it\u2019s clear that Elphaba\u2019s sacrifice was not in vain, and that Glinda will carry through on her efforts to make Oz a safe space for all. We even see Elphaba\u2019s favorite mammalian professor, Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage<\/strong>), and his tiny goat glasses return to his classroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n