“Wicked” was one of the biggest movies of 2024. It was culturally ubiquitous, a box office smash and an Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Now, a year later, “Wicked: For Good” arrives in theaters to finish the tale of the complicated friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Can “Wicked: For Good” be the sensation that its predecessor was? Will it inject new life into a movie business that has suffered a historically bad business year? Will it satisfy the legions of “Wicked” fans who have been waiting to see their favorite musical brought to the big screen?

Gilbert Cruz is joined by Kyle Buchanan, a pop culture reporter for The New York Times who profiled the stars of “Wicked,” and Madison Malone Kircher, a reporter for the Styles desk and affirmed “Wicked” fanatic, to discuss what “Wicked: For Good” means for the movies.

On Today’s Episode

Madison Malone Kircher is a reporter covering internet culture for The Times.

Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and serves as The Projectionist, the awards season columnist for The New York Times.

Photo: Universal Pictures

Additional Reading

Ariana Grande Still Has Surprises in Store

There Have Been Dozens of “Wicked” Interviews. Why Did This One Go Viral?

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