When Wicked arrived last year, it proved pink and green was box-office gold. Jon M. Chu’s all-singing all-dancing musical adaptation defied gravity on all fronts; splitting the stage show in half to give Act 1 time to shine proved a resounding success, while the star power of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – as Elphaba and Glinda, the two women destined to become the Wicked Witch Of The West and the Good Witch, respectively – was irresistible. But you’ve only seen half the story. Quite literally. In Wicked: For Good, Elphaba and Glinda return to face their destinies and make major decisions, as their world slides towards darkness, and a certain Kansan – and her little dog, too – crashes into town. Ready to return to Oz?
The new issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive trip down the yellow brick road, speaking to Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and more on the spellbinding second chapter of Wicked. Inside, the stars tell Empire about their brand new songs, how the story complements the events of The Wizard Of Oz, and tease the tests Elphaba and Glinda will face in their friendship in Part 2. Plus, we speak to Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, and Michelle Yeoh, learning how the inhabitants of Oz will be forever changed as the stakes ratchet ever-higher. It’s a massive deep dive that hits all the right notes, packed with exclusive images from the much-anticipated follow-up.
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This month’s newsstand cover sees Elphaba and Glinda reunited, flanked by a flock of those flying monkeys.
And this month’s subscriber cover conjures the yellow brick road – and the Emerald City – as Glinda and Elphaba find themselves on opposing paths, illustrated exclusively for Empire by Thomas Walker.
And that’s not all. This month’s issue also features a major comeback interview with Daniel Day-Lewis and his son Ronan Day-Lewis, as they make movie magic together in Anemone; we get an electrifying insight into Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein as he brings his monster passion project to life; we go alien-hunting on set of Predator: Badlands as the sci-fi saga takes an all-new evolution; we sit down with Josh Brolin for a new career-spanning interview; we go to DEFCON 1 with Kathryn Bigelow on her nuclear thriller A House Of Dynamite; and much, much more besides.
It’s an issue you won’t want to miss – head to your local newsstand (via yellow brick road or otherwise) to pick up yours from Thursday 25 September. Pre-order a copy online here now. Wicked: For Good comes to UK cinemas from 21 November.