Wicked: For Good is coming in November 2025, and presents even larger alternatives to alter and broaden upon the Broadway musical than the primary half, which was launched to an enormous reception final 12 months. Led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera as the long run Depraved Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, respectively, Depraved would appear to have completed nearly nothing improper, contemplating its field workplace numbers, vital acclaim, and Oscar nominations. Nonetheless, it was not less than fascinating that this installment telling one half of the story is sort of so long as your entire musical.
Wicked‘s ending units up its second half, the place Elphaba is vilified because the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) enemy to masks the truth that she is just trying to combat injustice. Nonetheless, the stage model of Wicked 2‘s story has at all times disregarded a major quantity of Elphaba’s precise campaign. 2024’s Depraved included just a few new scenes, however nonetheless largely adopted the plot of the musical’s first act, typically making folks marvel the place that further runtime even went. Nonetheless, this does recommend that larger modifications will occur within the subsequent film, and one particularly is important to Elphaba’s character and the story’s greatest themes.
Depraved: For Good Ought to Undoubtedly Present Elphaba Truly Serving to Oz’s Animals
What Elphaba Has Been Doing This Complete Time Is Supposed To Be Actually Necessary
Elphaba happening the run and turning into the Depraved Witch of the West is generally motivated by her need to assist the speaking animals of Oz, and her refusal to condone or ignore the Wizard and Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) marketing campaign to oppress them. In “Fantastic,” the Wizard’s huge musical quantity in Depraved‘s second act, he argues that he’s merely being what the folks of Oz need him to be, however this ideology falls flat when he is not only being a optimistic public determine however really hurting others.
This storyline within the musical is used as a technique to reinforce Elphaba’s ethical standing, nevertheless it at all times takes a backseat to the plot of the interpersonal relationships.
Elphaba seemingly takes off with the broad however stable targets of ending the Wizard’s reign and serving to the animals. Within the musical, there are some references to Elphaba ferrying animals to security, serving to them evade seize in the course of the time she is an outlaw. A line within the music “Thank Goodness” means that Elphaba is consorting with “insurgent animals,” subtly revealing how the animals’ place in Oz has additional deteriorated in the mean time for the reason that finish of the primary act. However really displaying these occasions within the film would supply a extra tangible narrative.
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Wicked 2 Can Do Better By Nessarose & Fix A Long-Standing Problem With One Significant Change
Nessarose’s storyline in Depraved hasn’t been traditionally well-regarded, however Depraved 2 may repair this and a world-building drawback in a single sweep.
On stage, the one time we actually see Elphaba immediately aiding the animals she advocates for is when she returns to the Emerald Metropolis to free the Wizard’s monkey military — with the extra motivation of perhaps eager to cease Glinda and Fiyero’s (Jonathan Bailey within the film) marriage ceremony. In passing, Elphaba additionally tries to encourage one of many monkeys to speak once more, with out a lot success. General, this storyline within the musical is used as a technique to reinforce Elphaba’s ethical standing, nevertheless it at all times takes a backseat to the plot of the interpersonal relationships.
Depraved Can Showcase How Oz’s Animal Inhabitants Views The Depraved Witch Solely In another way
The Depraved Witch Of The West Is A Narrative Directed At Solely Half Of Oz
Additionally what’s seen on stage and within the first Depraved film is that, supposedly, your entire common inhabitants of Oz is fearful of Elphaba and has utterly purchased into the propaganda of her “wickedness” designed to guard the Wizard. This depiction is necessary to convey that almost all of the nation, or not less than the a part of society that holds extra energy, does consider it, which makes issues endlessly harmful for Elphaba. Nonetheless, whereas all that is occurring, the animals are persevering with to lose their rights and skill to talk.
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8 Ways Wicked 2 Will Be Different From The First Movie
Depraved: Half Two’s story signifies that will probably be a really totally different film from its predecessor by way of tone, characterizations, and construction.
If some animals are additionally on the run for protesting and Elphaba is the one one keen to assist, they might have a completely totally different perspective on her. It will present Depraved 2 with additional nuance if it confirmed on-screen the state of the animal group making an attempt to outlive the present regime and the way, when this regime has completed nothing to assist them, they aren’t blindly accepting what they’re instructed. When the animals are additionally being hunted, it would not assist Elphaba a lot in the way in which of security, however they may make it clear that this method exploits many, not simply her.
Elphaba Wanting To Assist The Animal Inhabitants Is Supposed To Be The Complete Level
Depraved’s Socio-Political Storyline Is Mirrored Upon The Animals
Depraved alludes to actual histories and socio-political points by participating with themes of propaganda, oppression, and privilege, and invokes the animals’ plight to point out how the corrupt authorities has determined to abuse one a part of the inhabitants to learn one other, which reaps probably the most profit for the folks on the prime. Elphaba has related with the animals she meets her entire life when she has additionally been ostracized for being totally different. Her troublesome upbringing has prompted her to be extra considerate concerning the circumstances she lives in, so when she sees injustice, she would not settle for it.
It’s admittedly difficult to broaden upon this storyline when the plot is structured across the human characters.
Tying Elphaba’s character improvement to her friendship with Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) and sympathy for the trigger he fights for lends weight to her character, nevertheless it does come throughout as considerably superficial when the story clearly needs to maintain the deal with her. She is, in any case, the primary character and your entire premise within the reimagining of this iconic villain. However the animals storyline is what is meant to point out Depraved and Elphaba participating with larger points, which is why it has at all times been odd that it’s principally a subplot within the musical.
Depraved’s Film Has Already Achieved A First rate Job Of Increasing The Animals Storyline
The Supply Materials Supplies Restricted Alternatives, However 2024’s Depraved Highlighted Animal Characters
It’s admittedly difficult to broaden upon this storyline when the plot is structured across the human characters, and Elphaba and Glinda are actually the most well-liked and those viewers determine with. Nonetheless, the primary Depraved film did a good job of giving the animals extra of a presence, even when preserving the story streamlined meant that they have been relegated to supporting roles. Dr. Dillamond’s character is taken extra significantly, and he’s proven speaking about what is occurring to different animals, slightly than simply Elphaba.
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This Minor Detail In Wicked Reveals Another Layer Of The Animals Storyline
Whereas Depraved would not dedicate a whole lot of focus to the plight of Oz’s Animals, one early little bit of foreshadowing hints on the depths of their oppression.
The filmmakers additionally made the Nanny character of the Wicked novel into Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke), who bolsters the backstory of how Elphaba got here to see the world the way in which she does by establishing an important determine in her younger life who’s an animal — principally, the one loving father or mother she had. The animal employees surrounding the Thropp household additionally offers a better sense of how animals appeared on this society earlier than the primary timeline, when issues are actually beginning to crumble.
The band on the Ozdust Ballroom can be a minor however worthwhile second within the film, displaying a not-entirely authorized area that thrives exterior the unjust legislation, by which animals are the lifeblood of the occasion as they showcase their musical expertise. It appears almost definitely that Depraved: For Good will ship extra small facet moments like this that deliver the image of the animals’ lives into clearer focus. Nonetheless, they could but nonetheless go for some extra drastic, necessary modifications.
