Why The Wicked Sequel Removed ‘Part Two’ From Its Title

When it was first introduced that Jon M. Chu, the director behind films like “Loopy Wealthy Asians” and “Within the Heights,” would adapt Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway musical “Depraved,” information broke shortly thereafter that the film could be break up into two elements. On some degree, it does make sense to split “Wicked” in half, giving it a cinematic two-act construction that mimics the stage model. With all of that mentioned the films had been initially known as “Depraved: Half One” and “Depraved: Half Two,” and Half One soared into theaters in November 2024, crushing the box office and incomes rave evaluations from critics. Then, in December of that yr, Chu revealed (to Variety, amongst different retailers) that the second a part of the epic movie will really be known as “Depraved: For Good,” taking its title from an earnest duet sung by Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and her finest good friend turned political enemy Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande-Butera) within the present’s second act.

So why the change? As Chu advised Selection in early January of 2025, “For Good” is simply … a greater title. “Who desires a film known as ‘Depraved: Half Two’?” Chu rhetorically requested the outlet on the pink carpet for the Nationwide Board of Assessment awards. “On the script, it at all times mentioned, ‘For Good,’ and so it was only a level of like, ‘Do we actually wish to name this “Half Two”?’ And no person desires that.”

He defined, “I imply, that is the vacation spot. ‘For Good,’ we all know, is like, ‘The place are we going with this film? Let’s end this factor,'” Chu continued. All proper, then!

Splitting large films into two elements is nothing new; ever since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” bought the two-parter therapy again in 2011, studios have (fairly cravenly) tried this over and over with anticipated releases to try to squeeze more cash out of the undertaking. In keeping with Jon M. Chu, although, the story of “Depraved” — which, in case you have been dwelling underneath a rock, is a prequel of types to “The Wizard of Oz” based mostly on Gregory Maguire’s novel “Depraved: The Life and Instances of the Depraved Witch of the West” which focuses on Elphaba Thropp’s magical (and darkish) journey as she turns into the Depraved Witch of the West — was just too huge to be contained to 1 movie.

“As we ready this manufacturing over the past yr, it turned more and more clear that it will be unattainable to wrestle the story of ‘Depraved’ right into a single movie with out doing a little actual injury to it,” Chu wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) whereas the movie was nonetheless in early phases again in April of 2022. “As we tried to chop songs or trim characters, these choices started to really feel like deadly compromises to the supply materials that has entertained us all for therefore a few years. So we determined to offer ourselves an even bigger canvas and make not only one ‘Depraved’ film, however TWO!!!! [sic] With more room, we will inform the story of Depraved because it was meant to be advised whereas bringing much more depth and shock to the journeys of those beloved characters.” In keeping with Stephen Schwartz, the award-winning songwriter of the Tony-winning Broadway present, Chu is correct.

There’s one large motive that “Depraved” actually wanted to sprawl throughout two films, within the phrases of Broadway’s Stephen Schwartz … and all of it comes all the way down to a little bit ditty known as “Defying Gravity.” Sure, the music that closes Act 1 of “Depraved” and satisfied musical theater children the world over that they too might belt like Cynthia Erivo or Broadway’s authentic Elphaba Idina Menzel, is simply too epic to easily occur midway by the film, as Schwartz revealed in June 2022.

“We discovered it very troublesome to get previous ‘Defying Gravity’ and not using a break,” Schwartz defined in a e-newsletter honoring him often known as “The Schwartz Scene” (by way of Variety.) “That music is written particularly to convey a curtain down, and no matter scene to comply with it and not using a break simply appeared massively anti-climactic.” 

Not solely that, however Schwartz mentioned that he and Chu, together with the remainder of the movie’s inventive staff, tried to include “Depraved” into only one film and easily could not work out methods to make it work. “The reality is we tried for a while to make it one film, even when it needed to be one very lengthy film,” Schwartz revealed in an announcement. “However we stored working into two issues. The primary is that at the same time as a really lengthy single film, it required us chopping or omitting issues that we needed to incorporate and that we predict followers of the present and the story will recognize.” Add within the “Defying Gravity” of all of it, and this resolution does, in the end, make sense.

“Wicked: Part One” is available to rent or buy on digital streaming platforms now, and the retitled “Depraved: For Good” hits theaters on November 21, 2025.

When it was first introduced that Jon M. Chu, the director behind films like “Loopy Wealthy Asians” and “Within the Heights,” would adapt Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway musical “Depraved,” information broke shortly thereafter that the film could be break up into two elements. On some degree, it does make sense to split “Wicked” in half, giving it a cinematic two-act construction that mimics the stage model. With all of that mentioned the films had been initially known as “Depraved: Half One” and “Depraved: Half Two,” and Half One soared into theaters in November 2024, crushing the box office and incomes rave evaluations from critics. Then, in December of that yr, Chu revealed (to Variety, amongst different retailers) that the second a part of the epic movie will really be known as “Depraved: For Good,” taking its title from an earnest duet sung by Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and her finest good friend turned political enemy Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande-Butera) within the present’s second act.

So why the change? As Chu advised Selection in early January of 2025, “For Good” is simply … a greater title. “Who desires a film known as ‘Depraved: Half Two’?” Chu rhetorically requested the outlet on the pink carpet for the Nationwide Board of Assessment awards. “On the script, it at all times mentioned, ‘For Good,’ and so it was only a level of like, ‘Do we actually wish to name this “Half Two”?’ And no person desires that.”

He defined, “I imply, that is the vacation spot. ‘For Good,’ we all know, is like, ‘The place are we going with this film? Let’s end this factor,'” Chu continued. All proper, then!

Splitting large films into two elements is nothing new; ever since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” bought the two-parter therapy again in 2011, studios have (fairly cravenly) tried this over and over with anticipated releases to try to squeeze more cash out of the undertaking. In keeping with Jon M. Chu, although, the story of “Depraved” — which, in case you have been dwelling underneath a rock, is a prequel of types to “The Wizard of Oz” based mostly on Gregory Maguire’s novel “Depraved: The Life and Instances of the Depraved Witch of the West” which focuses on Elphaba Thropp’s magical (and darkish) journey as she turns into the Depraved Witch of the West — was just too huge to be contained to 1 movie.

“As we ready this manufacturing over the past yr, it turned more and more clear that it will be unattainable to wrestle the story of ‘Depraved’ right into a single movie with out doing a little actual injury to it,” Chu wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) whereas the movie was nonetheless in early phases again in April of 2022. “As we tried to chop songs or trim characters, these choices started to really feel like deadly compromises to the supply materials that has entertained us all for therefore a few years. So we determined to offer ourselves an even bigger canvas and make not only one ‘Depraved’ film, however TWO!!!! [sic] With more room, we will inform the story of Depraved because it was meant to be advised whereas bringing much more depth and shock to the journeys of those beloved characters.” In keeping with Stephen Schwartz, the award-winning songwriter of the Tony-winning Broadway present, Chu is correct.

There’s one large motive that “Depraved” actually wanted to sprawl throughout two films, within the phrases of Broadway’s Stephen Schwartz … and all of it comes all the way down to a little bit ditty known as “Defying Gravity.” Sure, the music that closes Act 1 of “Depraved” and satisfied musical theater children the world over that they too might belt like Cynthia Erivo or Broadway’s authentic Elphaba Idina Menzel, is simply too epic to easily occur midway by the film, as Schwartz revealed in June 2022.

“We discovered it very troublesome to get previous ‘Defying Gravity’ and not using a break,” Schwartz defined in a e-newsletter honoring him often known as “The Schwartz Scene” (by way of Variety.) “That music is written particularly to convey a curtain down, and no matter scene to comply with it and not using a break simply appeared massively anti-climactic.” 

Not solely that, however Schwartz mentioned that he and Chu, together with the remainder of the movie’s inventive staff, tried to include “Depraved” into only one film and easily could not work out methods to make it work. “The reality is we tried for a while to make it one film, even when it needed to be one very lengthy film,” Schwartz revealed in an announcement. “However we stored working into two issues. The primary is that at the same time as a really lengthy single film, it required us chopping or omitting issues that we needed to incorporate and that we predict followers of the present and the story will recognize.” Add within the “Defying Gravity” of all of it, and this resolution does, in the end, make sense.

“Wicked: Part One” is available to rent or buy on digital streaming platforms now, and the retitled “Depraved: For Good” hits theaters on November 21, 2025.