Editors note: This article contains spoilers from the Wicked books and both acts of the Broadway musical.Following the release of the first Wicked movie, fans immediately started theorizing, speculating, and wishfully thinking that this film franchise wouldnt end with the Wicked: For Good sequel. But given how conclusive the second act of the 2003 Broadway musical is, this speculation eventually moved into the literary universe created by writer Gregory Maguire in the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.During an interview to promote his latest novel, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, Maguire was asked if he had any comments about these rumored new movies, or perhaps even TV shows, set in the Wicked world that hes built for the past three decades.If there are conversations and Im not saying that there arent if there are conversations, theyre not conversations that involve me directly. So I dont know, really. I dont know, Maguire told Out.I understand that theres a lot of interest in Universal about the magnificent property theyve developed, the Wicked and Elphie author went on. You probably saw theres notions of a Wicked area of Universal theme parks. And god knows theres been enough Wicked merch. To date, I have sold the rights to one novel and one novel only, and thats Wicked.Maguire added, And if I never sell the rights to anything else, so be it. The truth is, of course, as you know, the novel of Wicked ends very differently from the play and from the movie. All the characters are in different places at the end of my novel than they are at the end of the play. Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda in the Wicked movies.Universal PicturesFor one thing, Maguire explains, theres this 14-year-old boy named Liir who is the love child of Fiyero and Elphaba, and that sure doesnt happen on the stage by the end of Wicked. And so, therefore, all the trajectories of my characters will have to be different from the characters that might conceivably be spawned from a Universal interpretation. But if they were my characters originally, then you cant write another sentence about Madame Morrible and invent something about her, because shes under copyright. And you cant do Elphaba again, and call her Elphaba, because shes under copyright.Maguire remarks, What I gave were the rights to use my original novel as inspiration for their project, and theyve used that.If approached by the studio and producers to expand the Wicked franchise on the big screen, would he be open to it?I might be, Maguire tells Out. But a) Im not greedy; and b) Im frugal. I dont need anything more. And what if I didnt like what was being proposed? Or if I thought, Why? Will this dilute this moral tale? Or is it just money-grabbing?The novelist concludes, I wouldnt say I am absolutely closed to it. But I wouldnt say I am hanging around the phone hoping that somebody rings, either. (L) The cover art for Gregory Maguires 2025 novel Elphie: A Wicked Childhood; (R) Gregory Maguire, author, poses for a photo.Willam Morrow; Helen Maguire NewmanAfter a record-breaking first Wicked movie and prior to the release of the Wicked: For Good sequel being hailed as the epic conclusion of this two-part cinematic saga the discourse about more Wicked movies with the involvement of director Jon M. Chu alongside actors Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), and Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero) has been raging on.That chatter, compounded with rumors that Wicked: For Good might have a different ending from the Broadway musical, prompted even casual fans to theorize that this could become an actual film franchise for Universal Pictures.In fact, Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, along with screenwriter Winnie Holzman both of whom originated the Broadway musical and had direct involvement in the two movies had a different answer when asked about the potential to grow a Wicked cinematic universe. During the promo cycle for the first Wicked movie, Oz Historian Ryan Jay asked Schwartz and Holzman if they would consider more sequels beyond what was then still named Wicked: Part Two and is now officially titled Wicked: For Good in an interview for The Morning Blend TMJ4.We already got a franchise, Jay remarked. What will it take to get Wicked part three, and four?Schwartz replied, Were actually talking about something. Its under wraps, and we cant say [much].But its not Wicked part three or four, Holzman noted.Schwartz agreed. But there is something were talking about, the composer and lyricist teased.Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on November 21