Is Kristin Chenoweth returning to Oz?
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actress, 56, teases whether she and Idina Menzel will return for Wicked: For Good following their surprise cameos in the first part of the film adaptation.
"All I can say to the fans is they'll just have to go and see," Chenoweth, who is working with Nom Nom for the pet food company's "Make Mealtime Magical" campaign, says with a laugh and sly grin.
She and Menzel, 54, originated the roles of Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in the Broadway production of Wicked. Ariana Grande took over the role of the popular good witch, while Cynthia Erivo portrays her green counterpart, in the two films.
In 2024's Wicked, Chenoweth and Menzel play members of an Emerald City singing group that perform “One Short Day,” a song about the Wizard of Oz's magical arrival to the land.
Universal Studios
Wicked is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation, which starred Judy Garland.
It is told from the perspective of Glinda, who goes on to become Glinda the Good, and Elphaba, who transforms into the Wicked Witch of the West, before and after Dorothy Gale arrives in Oz.
The Tony Award-winning play, which features music by Stephen Schwartz, premiered on Broadway in 2003. Some of its most beloved musical numbers include "Defying Gravity," "Popular," "For Good," "The Wizard and I" and "What Is This Feeling?"
Alongside Grande, 31, and Erivo, 38, the film adaptation also stars Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen and Keala Settle as Miss Coddle.
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After Wicked premiered in theaters last year, both Chenoweth and Menzel marked their surprise cameos with tributes shared on social media.
Grande also told PEOPLE exclusively that filming scenes for the new movie with the Broadway show's original stars “was just such a surreal honor.”
“To be coming up with bits together with them and to watch them sing and to do their shtick [was an] out-of-body experience, truly," the Grammy Award winner continued.
Grande also said that she believes Wicked: Part One “couldn't have happened without that piece, because this entire film is a love letter to [Menzel and Chenoweth] and to the original Broadway show. So it felt like a really imperative and full-circle moment and a gift as a fan.”
Wicked: Part One is available to purchase and stream now. Wicked: For Good — the second part of the film adaptation — is scheduled to be released in theaters on Nov. 21.