Wicked: For Good trailer – hidden details or changes we spotted

Adapting a stage show into a film is never a like-for-like process – there are always changes and alterations that go along with the new silver screen format. Jon M Chu knows this very well with his forthcoming Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, which opens in November and has just dropped a new trailer.

We’ve got a wad of exciting little easter eggs and details nestled within the trailer, so let’s break down what’s on show!

Animals run wild 

One of the things missing from the Wicked stage show is consistent evidence of Elphaba’s insurrections over the years – and it seems that the film has now got this in spades. Across the trailer we see all manner of animals either on the rampage or bolting from a green room that looks very Emerald City-esque (could there be an invasion of Glinda’s wedding?). It’s great to have more evidence of how much disorder she’s actually causing – and how the Wizard’s propaganda machine is trying to undermine her efforts.

A tiny hint at a new number?

One of the most exciting announcements for longtime Wicked fans was the confirmation of two new numbers coming in the second film – one for Ariana Grande‘s Glinda and one for Cynthia Erivo‘s Elphaba. While details remain scant (Glinda’s number is said to revolve around bubbles), eagle-eared listeners may have picked up on a slightly unfamiliar riff at the start of the trailer that may well be from the film – unless it’s simply riffing from “No Good Deed.”

Dulcibear is back! 

Hurray! Multi-award-winning star Sharon D Clarke will be back as Elphaba’s childhood nanny figure, which may either be part of a flashback or tied to the political struggle that animals face during the second film.

Glinda has a “wonderful” time 

An interesting moment in the trailer sees Glinda joining the Wizard and Elphaba in a technicolour dance bonanza inside the Wizard’s sanctum. Given Glinda isn’t normally involved in the number on stage, this feels like a bit of a change. It’s also fun to note the Wizard using rainbow colours and deploying his small flying balloons – another cheeky nod to The Wizard of Oz. 

One other new addition is that there’s an actual wedding in this film – between Glinda and Fiyero – which never actually happens in the stage production. In general, it seems that the film is mixing and moving around different locations – it’s also interesting to note both Elphaba and Glinda holding onto the fabled, and much-coveted Grimmerie spell book.

Glinda has a few other callbacks – one clip has her holding hands with Elphaba in a throwback to “One Short Day” from part one, while her earrings look green under certain lighting – carrying her friend with her. She also repeats Elphaba’s line – “think of what we can do together” – during an emotional moment. The tailer starts with Elphaba breaking the window to get Glinda’s attention – like the glass was smashed in their dorm room when at Shiz University.

Morrible cooks up a storm 

A brief snap from the trailer sees Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible conjure up a hazy tornado – which looks incredibly similar, visually, to the one that whisks Dorothy (who we do not see by face even as she skips down the yellow brick road!) into Oz. Another visual nod to the original film. A few other tiny details may include the outfit for Dorothy’s Scarecrow – which may allude to a twist we won’t spoil here. We’ve already seen trailer shots of Dorothy sporting Nessarose’s silver slippers, but what’s given extra “oomph” here is that she’s also stepping into a puddle – not so great for the Thropp sisters.

One moment, where Elphaba spells out “Our Wizard Lies” in a cloud over Oz, is a very explicit reference to The Wizard of Oz – where the Wicked Witch demands Dorothy is handed over, using the same means of communication.