Ariana Grande as Glinda standing in front of Dorothy's house in Wicked For GoodCredit: Giles Keyte / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
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Matthew Rudoy
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Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025.
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Warning: There are major Wicked: For Good spoilers ahead.Wicked: For Good screenwriter Dana Fox explains the significant change made to Glinda's (Ariana Grande-Butera) story during the movie's ending. Fox and Winnie Holzman co-wrote the Wicked and For Good screenplays that adapt the hit Broadway musical.
The Wicked: For Good ending sees Glinda being able to open the book of magic spells known as the Grimmerie. This is a major change from the stage version of the musical, which does not feature her being able to perform any kind of real magic, let alone opening the Grimmerie itself.
During an interview with Deadline, Fox explains that it is a crucial moment of vulnerability for Glinda to admit to Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) that she can't read the Grimmerie, especially after For Good's earlier flashback to Glinda's childhood. Fox believes that this vulnerability is why "she earns the Grimmerie opening." However, she clarifies that the ending is open to interpretation, and it may be that Elphaba is opening the book for her friend from afar. Check out Fox's comments below:
But wait. The other thing that kills me dead is when Elphaba gives Glinda the Grimmerie and Glinda finally says, “You know I can’t read that.” I die. To me, that performance and the fact that she says that and has that moment — that is her deepest shame. In the film, we created the scene where you see her as a child, her deep want and need, and the original wound she has, and you understand how hard it is for Glinda to say she can’t access that magic. That’s the hardest thing for her to say and admit. The fact that she admits it, to me, is why I think she earns the Grimmerie opening to her at the end of the film, which is also not in the play.
Winnie and I are desperate for all that to be open to everyone else’s interpretation. And we love how much people feel like they can find themselves in these movies, and they can figure out whether they think it means this or that. And at the end, when Elphaba smiles and you can’t tell, it’s like, did she open it for her? Does she know that it opened for her? Did she feel it opening for her? What is that? That should be everyone’s moment to decide how they want it to be and how they feel about it. I get chills just thinking about that ending, though. I love it so much.
The flashback to Glinda's childhood is one of the many changes Wicked: For Good makes from its source material. While the flashback highlights Glinda's often performative nature, it also highlights how, even when she was young, she had a deep desire to access magic. Not being able to do magic has bothered her for years, and she tried to mask this by pretending otherwise via her performative nature.
Fox's interpretation is that Glinda is finally able to earn the use of real magic because she admits this truth to herself and to Elphaba. The earlier change in the film serves as part of the setup for the payoff that comes at the end with Glinda opening the Grimmerie, a culmination of the character becoming a more authentic version of herself.
Even though this is the interpretation of one of the movie's screenwriters, she emphasizes that this doesn't make it the "correct" answer. It is equally valid to interpret the ending as Elphaba using her magic to open the book for her friend, giving her one final gift in their beautiful relationship.
Wicked: For Good finishes adapting the Broadway musical and completes the stories of Elphaba and Glinda. That being said, there have already been discussions of a new Wicked universe movie, with Holzman and songwriter Stephen Schwartz already discussing possibilities. If this comes to fruition, more could potentially be revealed about Glinda's magical powers and connection to the Grimmerie.
7.5/10
8/10
Wicked: For Good
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Drama Fantasy Romance Release Date November 21, 2025 Runtime 137 Minutes Director Jon M. Chu Writers Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire Producers Marc Platt, David Stone
11 Images
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) with a thoughtful frown in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) smiling in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) putting on her crown in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) playing in a marching band in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) walking down the aisle surrounded by yellow butterflies in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) staring into each other’s eyes up close in Wicked: For Good
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) flying on her broom in Wicked: For Good
Wicked For Good Teaser Thumbnail
Glinda (Ariana Grande) clutching a book to her chest in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) floating inside a shimmering bubble in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) looking thoughtful in Wicked: For GoodClose
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Cynthia Erivo
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