{"id":208011,"date":"2025-11-28T22:03:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T22:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/28\/is-wicked-for-good-appropriate-for-kids-expert-explains-age-rating\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T22:03:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T22:03:31","slug":"is-wicked-for-good-appropriate-for-kids-expert-explains-age-rating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/28\/is-wicked-for-good-appropriate-for-kids-expert-explains-age-rating\/","title":{"rendered":"Is ‘Wicked: For Good’ Appropriate for Kids? Expert Explains Age Rating"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Wicked: For Good<\/em><\/a> is soaring at the box office, but the film\u2019s darker tone has raised questions about whether or not the content is suitable for kids.<\/p>\n

After influencer Sara Burnett<\/strong> shared via Instagram that she walked out of the movie theater<\/a> with her kids due to an implied sex scene and spellcasting following the film\u2019s Friday, November 21, release, Us Weekly<\/em> turned to film expert Betsy Bozdech<\/strong><\/a> to provide clarity on the PG rating and weigh in on the debate<\/a> surrounding child-appropriate content.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe rated this one appropriate for 11 and up,\u201d Bozdech, Common Sense Media<\/a>\u2019s Editorial Director, exclusively told Us<\/em> of the organization\u2019s rating of the movie<\/a>. \u201cSo it\u2019s definitely firmly in between territory for us. According to our ratings, I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a great choice for 5- or 6-year-olds either. Again, though, every parent knows their kid and their family best and can make those decisions. It\u2019s just, you need to be ready then to manage the impact of those decisions if they don\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews and provides ratings to help parents find age-appropriate content for their kids, specifically referenced \u201cseveral kisses, including a few passionate ones, and a non-graphic love scene during the song \u2018As Long as You\u2019re Mine,\u2019\u201d as well as the fact that \u201ctwo characters take off outer garments\u201d in its review of the film.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>\u2018Wicked: For Good\u2018 Review Roundup: What Fans and Critics Are Saying<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tWicked: For Good has officially arrived \u2014 and fans and critics have a lot to say about the musical sequel. Director Jon M. Chu\u2019s For Good picks up five years after the events of the 2024 blockbuster Wicked, with Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) on very different paths. While Glinda relishes [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo<\/strong>) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey<\/strong>) have implied intercourse off screen, and are seen cuddling each other underneath a blanket following \u201cAs Long as You\u2019re Mine.\u201d Elphaba\u2019s bare shoulders are shown after shedding her cardigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe rate all of the potentially concerning categories on a scale of zero to five dots,\u201d Bozdech explained Common Sense Media\u2019s rating process to Us<\/em>. \u201cFor instance, for this age, we rated the sex, romance and nudity in Wicked: For Good<\/em> with four dots because there is implied sex, and there is very partial nudity.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for what specifically went into the MPA\u2019s official PG rating of the film, Bozdech explained that \u201conly the MPA knows specific reading criteria. It\u2019s not a transparent system, they don\u2019t put it out publicly to what their checklist is or what their criteria are. It\u2019s actually sort of historically a little bit opaque, and the only thing anyone\u2019s really ever been able to figure out for sure is that if you use the f-word more than twice, you get an R rating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bozdech recommends that parents utilize sites like Common Sense Media to research a film\u2019s content if they are unsure if it is suitable for certain audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have the time and the energy, I think that\u2019s also a fine choice, \u2019cause then you really know,\u201d she said, also pointing out that parents can wait until a film comes out on streaming to assess whether or not it\u2019s kid-friendly. \u201cAnd another option, of course, it\u2019s not as much fun as going to the theater, but it\u2019s waiting to watch something at home when you can pause it, you can turn the volume down, you can have the lights up. So if anything is a little bit overwhelming, you have some tools at your disposal to take it slower and take breaks if you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"MCDWIFO_UV019<\/div>
Giles Keyte \/ \u00a9 Universal Pictures \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wicked: For Good<\/em> is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) \u201cfor action\/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.\u201d Bozdech said the MPA is \u201cnever gonna rate something that is truly, truly adult as PG for kids. There\u2019s definitely certain lines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike, Deadpool<\/em> is never going to be PG, or, you know, something with actual nudity is never going to be PG,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n

Bozdech admitted she thinks \u201call of the MPA buckets are a little too broad\u201d because \u201cthere\u2019s differences between 12 and 14, there\u2019s differences between 15 and 17, there\u2019s differences between seven and 9,\u201d highlighting the \u201cgranularity and information\u201d Common Sense Media provides to parents as a \u201cgreat alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

PG is \u201cone of the most challenging ratings because it really does cover such a wide range of material,\u201d in Bozdech\u2019s eyes. She referenced other films like Toy Story<\/em>, Turning Red<\/em>, Show Dogs<\/em> and Barbie<\/em> that generated their own debates over what age ranges they\u2019re truly suitable for.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a really big difference between 4- and 5-year-olds and 10-, 11-, 12-year-olds, developmentally. And that\u2019s why we base all of our ratings on child development research, because in general, based on a lot of research, they find that at certain ages, kids are ready or not going to be scarred by certain things,\u201d she said of Common Sense Media\u2019s ratings scale. \u201cAnd so that\u2019s why we provide ratings that are every year from ages 2 up to 18.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"MCDWIFOUV026<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>What Are the 2 New Songs in \u2018Wicked: For Good\u2019? What We Know<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tWicked: For Good will feature two new original songs \u2014 allowing audiences to explore Elphaba and Glinda\u2019s journeys on an even deeper level. Part 2 of the movie musical, which is based on the second half of the Broadway musical, left off with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) belting out \u201cDefying Gravity\u201d after she and BFF Glinda [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bozdech understands that \u201cevery kid is different and every family knows their kid best, and every parent has the right to make the choice that works best for their family.\u201d She pointed out how all of the Wicked<\/em> merchandise aimed at little kids, like costumes, toys and food certainly could be interpreted by some parents as the film being suitable for younger kids. \u201cYou go to the grocery store and every other product is pink and green right now, so it\u2019s tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wicked is based on the 2003 stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz<\/strong> and Winnie Holzman<\/strong>, which was derived from Gregory Maguire<\/strong>\u2018s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this case, particularly, this story has been around in some form for 30 years. The book was written in the \u201890s, which is actually way darker and more mature than either the Broadway show or the movies, by the way,\u201d Bozdech noted. \u201cThat is like, definitely not for young kids. It\u2019s like, teenagers and up. But then they made it into a musical, which was lighter and happier, but had all of these same elements in it. The first movie didn\u2019t have this many moments of darkness, but it is of the same theme, right? It\u2019s of a similar theme, and actually, my first question for the person who walked out, I\u2019m just curious to know if they saw the first one. And if so, if that was OK and if it was literally just this scene of the implied sex that was the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"FEATURE<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>A Review of All the Songs on the \u2018Wicked: For Good\u2018 Soundtrack<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tAfter almost exactly a year, Wicked: For Good has finally hit theaters, and Us is celebrating with a deep dive of its soundtrack! Containing a total of 11 songs with a run time of 44 minutes, Wicked: For Good \u2013 The Soundtrack includes two brand-new tracks written by the musical\u2019s original composer, Stephen Schwartz. As [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Still, Bozdech believes the debate over what parents deem appropriate and inappropriate for their kids will likely always occur with movies like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the world would be a much more boring place if we didn\u2019t have entertainment and media that made everybody talk about it,\u201d she said. \u201cLike if you make something that\u2019s truly unobjectionable to everyone, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be very fun. One person\u2019s fun is going to be someone else\u2019s offensive, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s likely to change anytime soon, but I think that what every family and every parent can do is find out about the media that their kids are interested in and decide whether it works for their family, based on their kids\u2019 developmental readiness, what they\u2019re into, how they\u2019ve responded to other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n