Ariana Grande has insisted it was always the plan for Wicked’s sequel to carry the subtitle For Good.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the much-hyped movie musical, which had previously been billed as simply Wicked Part 2, would get a new name when it hits cinemas next year.

The news received a mixed response from Wicked fans, with some praising the poignant title, and otherslamentingthe fact that the title card in the first film already reads “Part 1”.

However, in an interview with Variety, Ariana maintained that it was actually part of the plan from the beginning for Wicked’s second half to be known as For Good.

“We had [For Good] printed on our original scripts, the hard copies that we were originally given,” she explained, insisting that while there were “different” ideas “floating around” at various stages of the production, “the scripts were printed with it since day one”.

“I’m glad it’s official now because we grew rather attached to it,” she added. “It’s just the perfect title because this project really has changed us for good.”

Director Jon M Chu made the decision to split the original Wicked stage musical into two for its big-screen adaptation, with For Good referring to the signature song between Elphaba and Glinda in the second half of the show.

Cynthia Erivo previously let slip that film number two would be titled For Good when she posted a picture of her script on Instagram last year, though the filmmaker insisted at the time this was “not official” and “just our code name for now”.

Wicked received a wave of praise upon its release last month, with both Cynthia and Ariana now heavily tipped to pick up Oscar nominations, after already scoring recognition at the forthcoming Golden Globes.

Unlike the first film, it’s already confirmed that Wicked For Good will feature two new songs, penned by Wicked’s original composer Stephen Schwartz.

Meanwhile, cast member Marissa Bode has also spoken out about one major way the next film will deviate from the original Wicked musical.

Wicked For Good is due to hit cinemas in November 2025.