So, here’s the thing about wizard of oz the new movie—or more accurately, the massive two-part cinematic event we just finished living through. We’ve finally reached the end of the yellow brick road with the release of Wicked: For Good, and honestly, the vibes are all over the place. If you’ve been following the news, you know that Jon M. Chu basically took one of the biggest Broadway hits in history and turned it into a two-film epic that, for better or worse, changed how we look at the Land of Oz.
Some people are calling it a masterpiece. Others? Well, they’re a little "obsessulated" (to borrow a Glinda-ism) with how long and dark it got.
It's 2026, and we can finally look back at the full picture. The first part, simply titled Wicked, dropped back in November 2024 and absolutely leveled the box office. It raked in over $758 million. People couldn't get enough of Ariana Grande’s high-pitched, bubbly Galinda or Cynthia Erivo’s soulful, gravity-defying Elphaba. But then the second half, Wicked: For Good, landed in late 2025, and things got... complicated.
What Actually Went Down in the Final Chapter
If you’re just catching up, you’ve probably noticed that the "new movie" conversation is actually about this two-part split. Universal decided to break the story in half because, apparently, you can't just shove "Defying Gravity" into the middle of a movie and expect people to stay in their seats for another ninety minutes.
Part two picks up right where the first one left us—with Elphaba being branded the "Wicked Witch" and Glinda becoming the face of the Wizard's regime.
It’s way darker. Like, significantly.
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While the first movie felt like a neon-colored college comedy mixed with a revolution, the sequel deals with the actual fallout of the Wizard’s propaganda. We see the origin of the Tin Man (poor Boq, played by Ethan Slater) and the Cowardly Lion in ways that feel a lot more tragic than the 1939 classic ever let on. Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard goes from being a "bumbling old man" to a genuinely manipulative political figure. It’s a lot to take in.
The Box Office Reality Check
Don't let the "mixed reviews" fool you; this movie was a juggernaut.
- Wicked: For Good opened with a massive $150 million domestic weekend.
- It surpassed Superman and Lilo & Stitch to become one of the top earners of 2025.
- By January 2026, it had already crossed $518 million globally.
But here is the catch. Even though it's a huge hit, it hasn't quite touched the heights of the first film. Why? Some say it’s because the second act of the musical has always been a bit messy. Others blame the "pink and green" marketing fatigue. Honestly, how many Wicked-themed cinnamon rolls can one person actually eat?
The Sphere and the "Other" Oz Movies
If you think the two Wicked movies are the only thing happening in Oz, you’ve missed the weirdest part of the last year.
Last August, a 4D immersive version of the original 1939 The Wizard of Oz started screening at the Sphere in Las Vegas. It’s this 75-minute "experience" where they used AI to up-scale the footage to 16K resolution. It’s controversial, to say the least. Traditionalists hate the "uncanny valley" look of the AI-enhanced Munchkins, but younger audiences seem to love the scale of it. It’s running until March 2026, so if you’re in Vegas, it’s basically the only way to see Judy Garland on a screen the size of a city block.
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And for the horror fans? There’s a movie called Gale: Yellow Brick Road coming out in February 2026. It’s a "reimagining" where Dorothy is an old woman haunted by her past. It’s part of a wave of "Wicked for Bad" horror takes on the IP. It’s definitely not for kids.
Why People Are Still Arguing About the Ending
The biggest talking point of wizard of oz the new movie is undeniably the ending of Wicked: For Good. Director Jon M. Chu kept the final shot a secret even from the studio brass because he didn't want it leaked.
Spoiler territory here: The film leans hard into the idea that Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship is the true "heart" of Oz, even more than Dorothy’s journey. The way it weaves into the events of the original 1939 film—seeing Dorothy’s house fall from a different perspective—is pretty clever. But critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 66%, which is a huge drop from the first movie’s 88%.
The main complaint? Pacing. Some people felt that stretching the second act of the play into a two-and-a-half-hour movie made it drag. They spent a lot of time on the political intrigue in the Emerald City, which is cool if you like world-building, but maybe a bit slow if you just wanted to hear "For Good" and go home.
How to Watch It Right Now
If you missed the theatrical run or just want to re-watch the flying monkeys in 4K, here’s the deal as of January 2026.
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Wicked: For Good just hit digital platforms (Prime Video, Apple TV, etc.) at the end of December 2025. You can rent it for about $20 or buy it for $30. If you’re waiting for it to be "free" on streaming, it’s heading to Peacock. Based on how the first movie moved, expect it to land there around March 2026.
The first part is already on Peacock, so you can do a massive five-hour marathon if you have the emotional stamina.
Actionable Insights for Oz Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this new era of Oz, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just reading about it.
First, if you're a collector, keep an eye on the "Wicked: For Good" physical 4K Steelbooks. They are expected to drop in late spring 2026 and usually include the behind-the-scenes footage of how they built the actual Munchkinland sets (which were real, not CGI).
Second, if you’re heading to Las Vegas, book the Sphere experience before it closes in March. It’s polarizing, but seeing the "Horse of a Different Color" in 16K is a once-in-a-lifetime technical marvel, regardless of how you feel about AI.
Lastly, for the theater nerds, check out the documentary coming later in 2026 produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s supposed to be the definitive look at the making of the 1939 film, using never-before-seen footage. It’ll provide the perfect context for why this "new" version took the risks it did.
The world of Oz is bigger than it’s ever been, and while the two-part Wicked experiment had its flaws, it proved that there’s still plenty of magic left in that old cyclone.