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Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked will air on November 19, 2025, on NBC, featuring performances from the cast and an exclusive preview of what’s to come in Wicked: For Good. NBCUniversal mentioned that this special live event will include tracks from the original movie and maybe even songs from the upcoming film.
For the unversed, Wicked: For Good is the sequel to the 2024 film version of the Broadway musical.
The sequel, which will be released in theaters on November 21, 2025, picks up where Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) left off as Oz faces a watershed moment. Elphaba lives in exile, campaigning for animal rights, while Glinda, now a well-known figure in the Emerald City, prepares to marry Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and confronts the truth about her history.
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The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, and Peter Dinklage.
What can viewers expect from NBC's Wicked Special live event ahead of Wicked: For Good release?
Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked special will feature live performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, along with other cast members and surprise guests.
Fans will get an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the movie sequel during the event, which will consist of interviews, musical performances, and new footage. Along with Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), viewers will get to witness appearances from Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Ethan Slater (Boq), Bowen Yang (Pfannee), and Marissa Bode (Nessarose).
The site will be the Dolby Theatre, which is famous for hosting the Academy Awards. This makes the special more important and connects it to the franchise's vital success.
When and how to watch the Wicked special live event?
The NBCUniversal Upfront presentation in May was the first time the event was talked about. This hour-long special is slated to air on Tuesday, November 19, 2025, at 10 pm ET. Viewers can watch it live on NBC or stream it the next day on Peacock. The event offers an early look at Wicked: For Good ahead of its theatrical release.
To watch live, tune in to NBC at the scheduled time. For on-demand viewing, log in to Peacock starting Wednesday, November 20.
What will happen in Wicked: For Good?
Jon M. Chu has directed Wicked: For Good, while Marc Platt and David Stone have produced it. The upcoming project remains loyal to the original plot while adding to the realm of Oz. The plot focuses on what happened after Elphaba fell in public and Glinda rose to power, which makes their evolving relationship more dramatic.
The sequel brings back important characters and introduces new ones, as tensions escalate in Oz. Erivo and Grande will head the cast of Wicked: For Good, which will look at the effects of political manipulation, friendship, and identity. It is likely to wrap up the plot arc that started in the first movie and the original Broadway show.
Paul Tazewell, who designed the costumes previously, and Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales, who designed the sets, are returning for the sequel. They all won Oscars for the previous film.
All about the first Wicked movie
Jon M. Chu directed the first Wicked film, released in November 2024. It explored the unlikely bond between Elphaba and Glinda at Shiz University and how their paths diverged. Elphaba, branded the “Wicked Witch,” fought against injustice, while Glinda rose to fame as the “Good Witch.”
The movie was a box office hit, earning over $750 million worldwide as reported by Box Office Mojo. It received ten Academy Award nominations and took the trophy home for two categories: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. It also became Peacock’s most streamed Pay 1 title, per Deadline.
This franchise began with Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s Oz from Elphaba’s perspective. The book inspired the 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.
Known for songs like Defying Gravity, Popular, and For Good, the show became one of theater’s most successful productions.
Watch Wicked: For Good in cinemas worldwide on November 21, 2025.
