Jon M Chu is not a stranger to high concept films. From action films like GI Joe: Retaliation to feel good dramas like Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, he has moved from genre to genre. With Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), he steps into the world of fantasy.

Speaking about Chu's dedication to Wicked: For Good (2025), star Ariana Grande said, "Jon Chu is the most empathetic, intentional, brilliant and thoughtful human being with an innate understanding of the human experience. He has taken such care of Oz, and he has protected these characters and showcased the humanness in all of them. He answers the question, ‘Are people born wicked or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?’ a handful of times for us with this film. Decisions that might seem wicked on paper become understandable because of how he frames them with an empathetic lens and takes the time to tell you where these characters are coming from, showcasing that most perpetrators once were victims themselves."

Both Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), are adaptations of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's musical of the same name, which finds its roots in Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Both films were also shot concurrently.

Speaking about shooting the films, Grande said, "His heart and character are woven through every stitch of these films. Shooting two movies at once meant constant shifts in tone and spontaneous changes to the schedule, but he never blinked. No one could have told this story better than Jon. It was absolutely his destiny to make these films.”

The story of the films follow the story of Glinda and Elpheba, who subsequently become the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the East, respectively. They also have to deal with the arrival of Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas, into the land of Oz.

Speaking about the film Chu said, "It was clear when we separated the two movies that Wicked: For Good needed some additional elements to fully tell the story of these two women and their struggle to come back together. Because now, the world is wedged between their friendship and that is a much harder mechanism to fight through than just cultural or personality differences."

He added, "Now there is literal structure and government between them. Deep down, we knew that Wicked: For Good was always going to be the bigger story. The kids we fell in love with in the first film now have to grow up, and they have to make choices that will last a lifetime. This isn’t school anymore.”

While Wicked (2024) is currently streaming on JioHotstar, Wicked: For Good (2025) is releasing theatrically on November 21.