The Wicked universe is officially expanding in all its technicolor splendor.
Author Gregory Maguire, whose 1995 novel inspired the Broadway phenomenon-turned-Universal blockbuster starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is returning to the land of Oz with a prequel novel exploring the beginnings of the Good Witch. Titled Galinda: A Charmed Childhood, the HarperCollins book is set for release Sept. 29, 2026.
Billed as a sister volume to the No. 1 New York Times-bestselling Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, which naturally explores the origins of the Wicked Witch, Galinda promises to tell the tale of the girl “behind the bubbly, shallow cliché.”
Its synopsis is as follows: “The youngest of four children in a high-born family down on their luck, Galinda is both pampered and ignored. Her natural grace promises to elevate her in the district dance competitions—but these efforts distract her from seeing the growing resentments of local merchants who disapprove of her family’s business strategies. Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it. However, as her father deftly pivots around the snares and nets laid for him by his competitors, Galinda begins to dance toward a life that might lift her above her proud, if hardscrabble, childhood.”
Per the publisher and its imprint William Morrow, limited deluxe hardcover editions are currently available, featuring stenciled edges, designed endpapers and more, as long as supplies last.
Wicked: For Good beat a number of records set by its predecessor, last year’s Wicked, with an opening of $147M domestic, and $223M worldwide. Though stars Grande and Erivo have bid goodbye to their dearly held characters, Universal CMO Michael Moses told Vulture the studio is already machinating for an Oz-related cinematic universe of sorts.
“Because of Wicked’s success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe,” he told the outlet. “Have we figured it out yet? No. But there are things underway.”
Wicked 2 featured glimpses into Galinda’s childhood. In an early birthday scene, Galinda receives a wand as a gift, and upon the urging of her friends to perform a spell, finds she is unable to do so. Backed into a corner, Galinda lies and says a chance rainbow was the result of her magical prowess. When she later expresses her fears and disappointment to her parents, they dismiss her worries and encourage her to focus on her innate charms and smile.
