Wicked: For Good failed to receive a single nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards, marking a surprising turn for the second chapter of director Jon M. Chu’s big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.
The NBCUniversal sequel, which follows 2024’s Wicked, was completely shut out when nominations were announced Wednesday morning. The outcome stands in sharp contrast to the first film’s success, which earned 10 Oscar nominations at the 2025 ceremony.
Among the most unexpected omissions was the Best Original Song category. Composer Stephen Schwartz wrote two brand-new songs specifically for the sequel “The Girl in the Bubble,” performed by Ariana Grande, and “No Place Like Home,” performed by Cynthia Erivo. The first Wicked film was ineligible for the category last year because it featured only music from the original stage production.
Despite the Oscar shutout, both Grande and Erivo received nominations at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, and Schwartz’s two original songs were also recognized at that ceremony.
Wicked: For Good continues the story of Elphaba the future Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch, expanding on the narrative introduced in the first film. Erivo reprises her role as Elphaba, while Grande returns as Galinda/Glinda.
Chu previously explained the ambitious scope of the production, noting that both films were shot together. “Over 160 days and got stopped 10 days before finishing [because of the strike] our ‘Defying Gravity’ and flying days,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. Production resumed and wrapped during the early months of 2024.
The films are based on the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked, which itself was adapted from Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with Schwartz adapting the music for the screen.
The original Broadway production famously starred Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Both performers made surprise cameo appearances during the “One Short Day” sequence in the first film.
Source: THR