Depraved 3 Appears Inevitable After Common’s Newest Replace — However Is It A Good Concept?

No. There should not be any extra “Depraved” motion pictures. There’s your reply.

Sorry; I will again up. In case you’ve got been dwelling beneath a rock, Jon M. Chu’s second half of his “Depraved” adaptation, subtitled “For Good,” made an entire bunch of cash on the field workplace upon formally hitting theaters on November 21, 2025. Utilizing Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s Broadway musical as his supply materials, Chu — who introduced Schwartz and Holzman on board for “For Good” to jot down two new songs and assist pen the screenplay with Dana Fox, respectively — introduced the fantastical world of Oz again to the massive display screen to share the story of Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), the verdant younger witch who in the end turns into the Depraved Witch of the West. Now that “Depraved: Half One” and “Depraved: For Good” are confirmed field workplace juggernauts (and the primary one snagged 10 Oscar nominations, successful two for make-up and costume design), Common Photos reportedly needs to construct out the universe first created by Frank L. Baum in his Oz novels.

That is such an infuriating end result, and it is a horrible thought.

Common’s chief advertising officer, Michael Moses, was fairly blunt whereas chatting with Vulture concerning the franchise’s future. “Due to ‘Depraved’s’ success but additionally the fanship, we have now nearly a duty to determine how we will proceed on this universe,” he mentioned. “Have we figured it out but? No. However there are issues underway.” That is the worst attainable method Moses and the Common staff may construct out the “Depraved” cinematic universe. Why? Nicely, Moses gave the sport away: it is concerning the film’s monetary success, and likewise, there isn’t any precise plan in place. It will lead to extra “Depraved” media, certain … but it surely most likely will not be excellent.

There’s “one thing dangerous” about this concept to both proceed the story of “Depraved” or set different tales on this universe, as even Stephen Schwartz appears hesitant to take part. “If there have been a proper thought, however I am simply undecided that that proper thought exists,” Schwartz advised Rob LeDonne for The Ankler on the premiere of “Depraved: For Good.” Sadly, although, Schwartz saved speaking:

“What I’ll inform you, with out freely giving an excessive amount of, is that Winnie Holzman and I are doing a little work proper now on concepts that are not a sequel to ‘Depraved,’ as a result of I believe the Glinda and Elphaba story feels full — however there are different features that may very well be explored. Gregory Maguire, the unique ‘Depraved’ novelist, has a number of books, for instance. However there’s one other concept that Winnie and I are discussing: not a sequel, however an adjunct. Let me put it that method.”

Schwartz, to his credit score, is not mistaken. Gregory Maguire, as he famous, has written a bunch of sequels to his 1995 origin story “Depraved: The Life and Instances of the Depraved Witch of the West,” together with “Son of a Witch” (which facilities round Elphaba’s son Liir, who’s not in Jon M. Chu’s motion pictures or the stage musical) and follow-up novels concerning the experiences of the Cowardly Lion (“A Lion Amongst Males”) and Elphaba’s granddaughter Rain (“Out of Oz”). Frank L. Baum additionally wrote an entire host of books set in “Oz,” so I guess Common may simply throw a dart at a kind of and adapt whichever one it hits. My worry, although, is {that a} future “Depraved” undertaking beneath the Common umbrella shall be authentic, and I actually, actually do not suppose the world wants that. 

Spoilers for “Depraved: For Good” forward.

I actually cannot think about something — and I imply this with the utmost respect to Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman, and Dana Fox — worse than a “Depraved” movie franchise that makes use of the primary two motion pictures as a jumping-off level and would not dip into any pre-established supply materials. (Once more, I do not suppose the franchise ought to proceed regardless, however I am specializing in the more serious of two evils right here.) The story that Jon M. Chu presents in each “Depraved” movies is 2 issues: it’s miles too lengthy, and it is also blessedly full. On the finish of “Depraved: For Good,” after Elphaba fakes her demise and leaves her finest pal Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande-Butera) behind to avoid wasting Oz’s future, Glinda, who hasn’t beforehand possessed any magical powers, all of a sudden sees the magic e-book generally known as the Grimmerie open for her (because it all the time did for Elphaba, a decidedly highly effective witch). Whether or not because of this Glinda basically took on a few of Elphaba’s powers as a consequence of their bond or all the time had magical powers that had been woke up by Elphaba is debatable. What’s not debatable — not with me, no less than — is that that is the tip of the story.

Not solely do I wish to see Grande-Butera pursue different performing alternatives (she’s excellent within the “Depraved” motion pictures, even when the movies do not rise to her degree), however the continuation of the story introduced in these motion pictures simply … would not exist. If there was a 3rd movie that adopted the occasions of the primary two, it could find yourself repeating the identical plot beats; there isn’t any Liir or Thropp household line to proceed the story. Let sleeping witches lie, and let “Depraved” conclude, Common. I am begging you.