Actor Ariana Grande, who is awaiting the release of Wicked: For Good, along with co-star Cynthia Erivo, recently discussed the possibility of a third part to the musical fantasy film.
"You mentioned 'farewell tour.' If we've learned anything from Cher, we can count on there always being another farewell tour," Grande joked at the start of a recent panel. "So I don't think anyone's going anywhere," she said.
"Was that a confirmation of Wicked 3 just now?" a moderator on the panel asked Grande. "No, no, I don't know," Grande added. "I mean, first of all, I know that there's a great peace that's coming along with this coming out, and I think there's a peace that's felt, because people will finally get to know the full truth of these women," Grande said, as quoted by People.
The actor added that she feels "really relieved people will finally get to see and know and love" her character, Glinda, in full when For Good is released. "That feels like a big relief," Grande said. "But first of all, no one's going anywhere. We're not saying goodbye to anything. These characters will be a part of our hearts always. They've changed our lives irrevocably and permanently, and I'm so grateful for that."
"It makes me really emotional, I'll see a little kid and they'll say, 'Glinda!' That's going to be the rest of our lives," she added. "I get choked up saying it, but I think I will miss this particular work. The work that we were able to do together was really special and really challenging in the most delicious ways," she added.
Universal has not announced any follow-ups to Wicked yet, but the possibility remains high as L Frank Baum, the author who originally wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the 1900s, published 14 total books in the Oz book series in the early 20th century.
The film will track Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship, as it faces a test while they navigate their new identities as Glinda the Good Witch of the North and Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. It will explore how their actions affect Oz in its entirety.
The sequel to the 2024 film, it adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, a reimagining of L Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation.
Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum return from the first film, with Colman Domingo joining the cast as the voice behind the Cowardly Lion.
Wicked: For Good is slated for a November 21 release in theatres.
