Cynthia Erivo Teases "Rediscovering" Relationship With Ariana Grande In 'Wicked: For Good' (Exclusive)

Cynthia Erivo promises 'Wicked' fans will be surprised when it comes to Part 2.

In Brit + Co's exclusive interview with Cynthia Erivo, she shared how excited she is for fans to see the finale. "This next film is sort of a conclusion to the story, [it] was really moving and deep and they're mature in this," she says of her, Jonathan Bailey, and Ariana Grande's characters. "They've really grown, all three of them have. Working with Johnny, I mean, he's a dream. He's such a sweetheart and so thoughtful, and I love the progression of their story, and where it goes and how we sort of found it for ourselves and what that has become."

And even though we're all excited for amazing moments in For Good (like, well, "For Good"), the movie is sure to surprise us. "It's different from stage and I hope people love it just as much as I do," Cynthia continues. "Discovering how these two women have grown together and grown apart in ways, but had to rediscover each other was a really interesting, lovely sort of journey that they have to come to in their own time. And so myself and Ariana finding it together was really special. It was just a trip the whole way through, you know? There's no one thing that was special because the whole thing was [a] massive journey."

'Wicked: For Good' also has a "little bit of spice."

At the 2025 SAG Awards on February 23, Cynthia Erivo spilled on what fans can expect from Wicked: Part Two, which is scheduled to premiere November 21, 2025.

"I think you can expect a little bit of spice in the second part because they've grown up a little bit," she tells People. "They're not in school anymore; they've stepped into their careers and stepped into their choices and we'll see a little bit of spice, I think. For sure. It's necessary." Okay, that totally makes me think of "As Long As You're Mine." It gives me butterflies every time I hear the original Broadway version, and I can't wait to hear Cynthia and Jonathan Bailey sing the movie version.

And this isn't the first time one of our leads has spoken on the new movie! On February 9, Ariana Grande told the Santa Barbara International Festival the Wicked sequel will be "very special" and "very emotional." (Get ready for another press tour full of tears!) "So if movie one is about choices, movie two is about consequences."

"I think the second movie really embodies unconditional love and forgiveness and friendship," she says. "And you'll have to wait and see, but it is quite different."

Even if Wicked: For Good is different than Part 1, one thing's for sure: the cast's bond will shine through just as strongly.

Ethan Slater told Brit + Co in November 2024 that the cast really came to feel like a family. He says Ariana, Cynthia, and director Jon M. Chu "would hug everyone who came in."

"The first day I think every actor had a minimum two-hour meeting with Jon just to walk through all of the designs and all the things and talk about character," he continues. "From from the very beginning, it just felt like it's really safe...This huge movie is something that we've been waiting for for 20 years on a big scale with the biggest stars in the world, it could have felt really intimidating and it felt really familial immediately."