Elphaba, Glinda, and The Wizard dancing to Wonderful in Wicked: For Good
By
Brandon Zachary
Published 3 minutes ago
Brandon Zachary is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant's New Movie Team. He also writes or has written for Comicbook.com, CBR, That Hashtag Show, Just Watch, and TVBrittanyF. Brandon is an Emerging Screenwriters Semi-Finalist, co-writer of a Screencraft Quarter-Finalist, a seasoned on-screen interviewer, and a MASSIVE nerd. You can reach him at [email protected]
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While Wicked: For Good will certainly be a strong contender at the 98th Academy Awards, it has a hard fight ahead of itself if it wants to win any Oscars. Wicked: For Good is already one of the biggest films of 2025, breaking several box-office records upon release.
While that can sometimes help a film's Oscar chances, it's not a certainty. In fact, Wicked: For Good's success with general audiences quietly highlights the struggles it is likely to face against tough competition at the 98th Academy Awards.
What Are Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande's Oscar Chances For Wicked: For Good?
Glinda and Elphaba doing For Good in Wicked: For Good
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande seem to be locks for Academy Award nominations for their work in Wicked: For Good, but it remains to be seen if either of them can take the win. Erivo and Grande are expected to repeat their nominations for the first Wicked.
Both actresses are fantastic in their respective roles, and positively electric when they share scenes together. Given the emotional impact of the film and the success it has found with audiences, nominations for both actresses are expected.
However, both of them also face tough competition from some of the year's other most acclaimed performances. Erivo, in particular, is facing an uphill battle, as Jessie Buckley and Renate Reinsve are currently projected as the frontrunners.
While Reinsve's performance in Sentimental Value has earned plenty of accolades, momentum seems to be building around Buckley's phenomenal work in Hamnet. Despite the success of Wicked: For Good, the excitement surrounding Buckley's might be too much to overcome.
Grande is better positioned than her co-star, however. Teyana Taylor and Elle Fanning are also firmly in the running for Best Supporting Actress. However, critics and prospective voters seem more split in this category than the momentum behind Buckley.
It helps that Grande is effectively a co-lead in Wicked: For Good, with more screen time and focus than either Taylor or Fanning. Especially if voters go for Buckley over Erivo, Grande might get more support as a means of rewarding Wicked: For Good.
Wicked: For Good Has To Overcome Frankenstein For Below-The-Lines Wins
Glinda acknowledging an applauding crowd in Wicked For Good
Where the first Wicked flourished at the Oscars in the below-the-line categories. Wicked won for Production Design and Costume Design at the 97th Academy Awards. Wicked: For Good is expected to repeat nominations in those categories.
However, as with Erivo's chances for Best Actress, the film's actual chances of winning depend on overcoming another projected favorite. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein has been picking up award momentum, especially in below-the-line categories.
Even among critics who were not as taken by del Toro's movie during the festival circuit, many were quick to compliment the filmmaker on Frankenstein's production design. The visual panache of Frankenstein is impossible to deny.
Especially in light of Wicked winning in these categories just the previous year, Frankenstein might stick out more for the Oscars. It's also worth remembering that the Academy voters typically love del Toro's films, giving them another potential edge in a tight race.
Wicked: For Good has amazing production design overall, but much of it is building off material from the first film. This might give Academy voters pause on giving them a repeat victory, instead leaving room for Frankenstein to steal the win.
Wicked: For Good Faces Stiff Competiton For Best Original Song
Elphaba singing No Place Like Home in Wicked: For Good
At first glance, Wicked: For Good's best Oscar chances seemed to be pinned on Best Original Song. The musical received two new tracks from the creative team behind the original Broadway smash, giving the Oscars a chance to pay tribute to the show's legacy.
However, there are a couple of hiccups that could throw off those plans. Firstly, there's the fact that the songs haven't been all that well-received. The songs have been described as "boring" by outlets like Vulture and routinely dismissed in reviews.
I've written about it already, but Wicked: For Good's new songs suffer in comparison to the more established musical moments. While "The Girl in the Bubble" has good cinematic touches, neither song is memorable enough to stand out or feel deserving of a win.
The greater threat to Wicked: For Gold's Oscar chances in this category is the caliber of the competition. This year also has KPop Demon Hunter's "Golden" and "I Lied to You" from Sinners, both of which are regarded as highlights of their films.
"I Lied to You" accompanied one of the most memorable moments in the critically acclaimed vampire film, with a resonance few other movie musical moments can match. Meanwhile, "Golden" dominated radios and transcended the film to become a chart-topping hit.
Both songs benefit from their uniqueness relative to other prospective nominees, while Wicked: For Good's new songs suffer in comparison to even other songs in the musical. Wicked: For Good has an uphill battle in most categories, but seems doomed in Best Original Song.
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Like Follow Followed Wicked: For Good PG Drama Fantasy Romance
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Release Date
November 21, 2025
Runtime
137 Minutes
Director
Jon M. Chu
Writers
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire
Cast
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Cynthia Erivo
Elphaba
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Ariana Grande
Glinda
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Wicked: For Good
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The Oscars | Academy Awards
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