The recent Oscar nominations brought a huge surprise: Wicked: For Good, the sequel starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, did not receive a single nod. This comes as a sharp contrast to the first film in the franchise, which earned 10 nominations. The sequel’s fall from grace highlights the risks of stretching a story too far.
At the start of the awards season, Wicked: For Good seemed set to be a major contender. Cynthia Erivo was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes, while Ariana Grande earned a nod for Best Supporting Actress. The film itself appeared on several shortlists, including achievements in box office performance and cinematic excellence. Two original songs from the movie also made it onto nomination lists. Many assumed the Oscars would honor the sequel in categories like Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song, and technical areas such as costume design, production design, and makeup. Even a Best Picture nomination seemed possible.
However, the magic quickly faded. One clear reason is that the sequel did not live up to expectations. While the first Wicked film scored 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, Wicked: For Good only managed 66%. Critics were far from impressed. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the movie one star, calling Ariana Grande “painfully wooden,” and Justin Chang of The New Yorker bluntly described the film as “very, very bad.”
