Stephen Schwartz just isn’t done with the world of Wicked yet, and it looks like he doesn’t plan to be anytime soon.
Backstage at Dubai Opera, where Wicked is making its UAE premiere, the legendary composer says that he and longtime writing partner Winnie Holzman are hard at work developing a brand-new film musical inspired by Oz.
The sequel, tentatively titled Ozma, takes its cue from The Marvelous Land of Oz, focusing on Princess Ozma, a central character from L. Frank Baum’s original books.
Stephen explained that he and Winnie have been developing the idea for a while, sparked by author and producer George Makrinos (also known as Gabriel Gale), who approached them with a new story angle.
“George approached Winnie and me for this, and we were very taken with the story he wants to tell,” Stephen shared in an interview with The National.
While Wicked was a bold retelling from the Wicked Witch’s perspective, the new film aims for a more direct adaptation of Baum’s universe, though the creative team promises it will still offer a fresh spin.
Universal is “very interested” in bringing Ozma to life, but Stephen is quick to set expectations: “I feel a little funny announcing this, because I don’t know that it will happen, but we’re at work on it.”
No director is attached to the sequel yet, and conversations are still in early phases.
Stephen has, however, discussed the project with producer Marc Platt, emphasizing Marc’s invaluable sense of storytelling and supportive feedback during the original Wicked development.
Stephen and his collaborators are currently riding high after the success of Wicked’s film adaption (2024) and its upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good (2025), which together have already reached nearly $1.4 billion in global box office.
For now, Wicked remains a fixture both on stage and on screen, and fans can look forward to the possibility of another magical journey through Oz – this time with Princess Ozma in the spotlight.
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