“We Kept Running Into Problems”: Here’s Why “Wicked” Is Two Movies Instead Of One
If you hit the theaters to see Wicked this weekend, it’s possible you found yourself surprised when seeing the film billed in the opening credits as Wicked: Part One.
Universal / Everett Collection
Indeed, Wicked: Part Two is actually scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 21, 2025 â and back in 2022, the musical’s composer Stephen Schwartz explained to the Schwartz Scene why the story was simply too big for one movie.
Lia Toby / Getty Images
Stephen explained that, when it came to the film adaptation, Wicked needed the movie equivalent of an intermission following the sequence that accompanies the beloved tune “Defying Gravity.”
Giles Keyte / Universal / Everett Collection
âThat song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic,” he explained.
Giles Keyte / Universal / Everett Collection
Stephen also explained that the filmmakers “tried” to condense Wicked into one movie, but they kept running into “two problems” that ultimately necessitated breaking the story up into two flicks.
Universal / Everett Collection
The first, as previously pointed out, was the issue with “Defying Gravity.” Also, according to Stephen, “even as a very long single movie, it required us cutting or omitting things that we wanted to include and that we think fans of the show and the story will appreciate.â
Giles Keyte / Universal / Everett Collection
“So, for these two reasons,â he explained, âplus the excitement of doing something thatâs never been done before with a musical, we have decided to do two movies.”
Universal / Everett Collection
“We strongly believe that this is whatâs best for our story, our show, and our fans.â
Universal / Everett Collection
Did you see Wicked this weekend? Do you agree or disagree with the decision to split it into two films? Let us know in the comments!
