Wicked's Cynthia Erivo as ElphabaImage via Universal
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Jeff Dodge
Published 14 minutes ago
Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.
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Warning: This article contains major spoilers from Wicked: For Good.
Wicked: For Good included a shocking moment in which the magical book known as the Grimmerie presented a spell to someone other than Elphaba, and a fan has now provided a translation. In the first Wicked film, since neither the Wizard nor Madame Morrible could decipher the language in the spellbook, they tricked Elphaba into giving the monkeys wings.
Elphaba also uses the Grimmerie in Wicked: For Good, but moviegoers were shocked to discover that after she gifted the Grimmerie to Glinda before fleeing Oz with Fiyero, the spellbook awakened in Glinda's presence.
The Grimmerie is written in a fictional language, so fans shouldn't be able to decode what the symbols mean in English--except @magnifcntlygay on X did, thanks to the spell that showed up for Glinda being replicated on the Wicked-themed popcorn bucket at AMC movie theaters.
The fan used a translation key found on the official Wicked film website and uncovered Glinda's spell from the very end of Wicked: For Good.
The spell was printed across two pages of the Grimmerie, with one page reading, "Heal, mend, sinew and skin. Heal, mend and hasten. Feed the wound, cover the bone. Heal, mend and revive. Pain and fear allayed when true magic applied."
The second page finished the spell, which featured the following translation: "Heal. Revive. Nature so willing be soothing, powers conspire from me. Mend. Mending deftly to the wound. Easing quickly soon ensues. Fear and pain now set aside."
Glinda's spell involves healing from pain. Even though that particular mystery has been revealed, it's still unclear if the Grimmerie reacted to Glinda possibly having powers now, or if Elphaba used her own powers from all the way out in the desert to make the book open to those pages.
Director Jon M. Chu purposefully left that moment open-ended for fans to interpret.
Both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, seem to believe that the "good" witch does have powers now, with Grande going so far as to theorize that her character had to experience trauma and grief to earn those magical powers.
During the first Wicked film, Glinda (then known as Galinda) was determined to learn magic at Shiz under the tutelage of Morrible. However, the Dean of Sorcery Studies gravitated to Elphaba instead when the misunderstood witch inadvertently showed off her powers during an incident on campus involving her sister, Nessarose.
Glinda's jealousy and anger against Elphaba grew after discovering that her privilege wouldn't get her anywhere with Morrible. It wasn't until Elphaba turned against the Wizard and Morrible that Glinda fell in line with the villains and became the face of their mission.
Glinda's complicated relationship with Elphaba continued to fester throughout Wicked: For Good. Elphaba's powers grew, and the Grimmerie remained a critical part of the storyline. Elphaba didn't seem to need the book anymore and felt that Glinda could carry on her dream of revitalizing Oz into a land that they could be proud of.
No matter what the real explanation is for the Grimmerie's shocking maneuver at the end of Wicked: For Good, the spell seems to indicate that Glinda is on a healing journey after the traumatic events of the films, especially now that she doesn't have her best friend Elphaba by her side anymore.
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Wicked: For Good
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Drama Fantasy Romance Release Date November 21, 2025 Runtime 137 Minutes Director Jon M. Chu Writers Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire Producers Marc Platt, David Stone
11 Images
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) with a thoughtful frown in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) smiling in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) putting on her crown in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) playing in a marching band in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) walking down the aisle surrounded by yellow butterflies in Wicked: For Good
Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) staring into each other’s eyes up close in Wicked: For Good
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) flying on her broom in Wicked: For Good
Wicked For Good Teaser Thumbnail
Glinda (Ariana Grande) clutching a book to her chest in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) floating inside a shimmering bubble in Wicked: For Good
Glinda (Ariana Grande) looking thoughtful in Wicked: For GoodClose
Cast
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Cynthia Erivo
Elphaba
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Ariana Grande
Glinda
Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical.
Prequel(s) Wicked Main Genre Fantasy Genres Drama, Fantasy, Romance Executive Producer(s) David Nicksay, Dana Fox, Jared LeBoff, Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman Studio(s) Marc Platt Productions, Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Powered by
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