Picture Credit: Universal Pictures
First reported over the weekend and confirmed during the Super Bowl, Wicked: For Good is headed to streaming in the United States. As part of the major “Pay-1” licensing partnership between Universal Pictures and Netflix, the second half of the cinematic event of the decade is preparing for its streaming debut on Netflix this Summer following its initial premiere on Peacock set for March 20th.
If you are wondering why there is a gap between the theatrical release and the Netflix debut, it all comes down to the newly accelerated “Pay-1” licensing deal between Universal and Netflix. Under this arrangement, Netflix receives Universal’s live-action slate exactly four months after they premiere on Peacock. With its confirmed Peacock date, we can now confirm that Wicked: For Good will officially arrive on Netflix US on Monday, July 20th, 2026. Here’s the full release schedule:
- Theatrical Release: November 21, 2025
- Peacock Exclusive (Pay-1A): March 20, 2026 – July 20, 2026
- Netflix Exclusive (Pay-1B): July 20, 2026 – May 2027
This gives Netflix subscribers a ten-month exclusive window to stream the conclusion of Elphaba and Glinda’s journey before the film eventually cycles back to Peacock for its final window. No word on whether the first movie will also drop on Netflix, but we have seen with How to Train Your Dragon that some of the earlier movies did land on Netflix for a select time, so fingers crossed.
What is Wicked: For Good About?
Directed by Jon M. Chu, this second installment adapts the emotional second act of the iconic Broadway musical. While the first film focused on the budding friendship at Shiz University, For Good explores the fallout of their diverging paths as the “Wicked Witch” and “Glinda the Good.”
“Elphaba and Glinda will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other with honesty and empathy if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.”
The sequel features cinematic renditions of the musical’s most legendary numbers, including “Thank Goodness,” “No Good Deed,” and the tear-jerking title track, “For Good.”
The core ensemble returns to bring the untold story of the Witches of Oz to its climax:
- Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
- Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland
- Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
- Jeff Goldblum as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
- Ethan Slater as Boq
- Marissa Bode as Nessarose
The second movie didn’t quite reach the same levels of success, both commercially and critically. It grossed just over $500 million at the box office, down about a third from the original, and its Rotten Tomatoes review score tumbled from 88% for the original to just 66%.
Will you be watching the conclusion of the Wicked saga on Netflix this summer? Let us know in the comments below, and for more of the Universal movies coming soon to Netflix, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix.
