Based on the Broadway musical, which was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel,Wickedstars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda. The story is split into two parts, andWicked: For Goodis slated to premiere on June 12, 2025. While fans have nearly a year to wait for the conclusion, Part 1 will be available to purchase or rent on Digitalstarting December 31. The home release includes bonus features such as behind-the-scenes clips, deleted scenes, and more.
Wickedleft fans with several lingering questions, which director Jon M. Chu teases may be answered in Part 2. While he admits that everything is done with intention, Chu wants the audience to come to their own conclusions after watching the film. In addition to Erivo and Grande-Butera,Wickedstars Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum,Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Peter Dinklage, Aaron Teoh, Grecia De la Paz, Colin Michael Carmichael, Adam James, Andy Nyman, Courtney Mae-Briggs, Sharon D. Clarke, and Jenna Boyd.
Why The Wicked Movie Cut One Boq & Fiyero Scene Explained By Director Jon M. Chu
A scene with Boq and a shirtless Fiyero was cut from Wicked, with director Jon M. Chu explaining why this creative decision was ultimately made.
In celebration of the home release,ScreenRantinterviewsWickeddirector Jon M. Chuand choreographer Christopher Scott about why Fiyero wasn’t affected by Elphaba’s magic, the mysterious rider, and Gelphie’s pivotal scene at the Ozdust Dance in Part 1.
Director Jon M. Chu Wants Fans To “Simmer” On One Of Wicked’s Most-Asked Questions
“They will have to either figure that out along the way or have their own interpretation.”
ScreenRant: What was the hardest scene to part with in the final cut ofWicked?
Jon M. Chu: Every single one. We had a three-hour and 15-minute version of this movie that I absolutely loved. I was like, “This is the movie,” and they’re like, “It can’t be that long, can it?” I was like, “I know, we should probably cut.” So every scene was really hard to cut. I thought the promise was probably one of the last things we cut between Elphaba and Glinda. Just, “I promise I’ll never leave you behind again.” I think their work in that is so stunning. What Glinda is giving in her vulnerability and her trying to be a true friend to Elphaba, to see Elphaba make that promise was just beautiful.
The reality was it took away from two scenes later at the train that we already knew that she made this promise, so inviting her on the train didn’t hold the tension that we needed it to be, but as soon as we took it out, we were wondering how they were going to resolve this thing. And so for storytelling purposes, it really helped those scenes. So there’s plenty of things. The Boq and Elphaba scene where they talk about the truth. I think Ethan is just amazing and seeing him work with Cynthia, that scene is very profound. But you’ll get more of that in movie two.
There have been a lot of theories going around. Is there anything that you may tease about why Fiyero was not affected by Elphaba’s magic in Part 1?
Jon M. Chu: Oh, I have plenty of what I think are answers, and it’s probably not my place to infuse that to people. They will have to either figure that out along the way or have their own interpretation. That’s the fun thing about movies. There’s definitely intention and things in all of that, or whether that’s a subconscious intention on her part or a real thing that’s happening. I’ll let people simmer on that for a little longer.
People have also been wondering about the rider at the beginning of Part 1. Is that something that we will find out about in the second movie?
Jon M. Chu: I’m surprised they didn’t pick up on it the first time. It took people three times to realize there’s a person on that horse, and what horse is that? There are a lot of breadcrumbs in movie one that you may not know yet until you watch movie two. So that may be one of those.
Source: ScreenRant Plus
I would love to see if you have any advice for anyone who is trying to recreate the dance from “What Is This Feeling?”
Christopher Scott: My biggest advice is just have fun with it. People are like, “Aw, I messed up that step.” I’m like, “I love it. Do it how you do it. Do it how you want to do it.” The steps were supposed to be created for the professional dancers and the professional actors in the movie to be done exactly how we wanted it. Now it’s yours. Have fun with it, dance, get your family involved, get your co-workers. I love seeing it bring people together. That’s really what it’s about.
We also have to talk about the dance between Glinda and Elphaba. What emotions were you trying to portray when you put that together? It’s a little bit silly, it’s really heartwarming, and it’s a turning point in their story.
Christopher Scott: For me, it was always like, “What makes sense for this real moment?” It just has to be real. I think when you’re on camera, and you’re dealing with cinema, and you can get right in there, you just have to come from a place of reality. I had a lot of deep conversations with Cynthia, and there was always a thing where it’s like, she’s not going to be a bad dancer in this, because that’s not who she is. It’s not about being a bad dancer. It’s about her being a different dancer.
So that was kind of the approach. And then from there, it was just a process of experiencing it so that we knew if we were on the right track. It wasn’t just like, “Okay, here’s a dance. Let’s hope it works.” It was like, “Here are some ideas. Here’s some movement. We’re going to develop them. We’re going to keep everybody else out of the process. We’re going to bring Ari in when it feels right. We’re not going to overteach her anything.”
If she’s really supposed to follow Elphaba, then let’s let her really follow, and let’s see if it is reality, because musicals are tough sometimes, and people always have that thing of, “I don’t understand why they start singing and dancing.” So for me, that’s my job, to make sure then that there is reality to it, so that when people watch it, whether they really believe in musicals yet, at least they get to watch it in a way that’s like, “Oh, that didn’t bump me out.” And to do that, you have to have a process.
More About Wicked Part 1 (2024)
Produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Jon M. Chu
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Check out our otherWickedinterviews here:
Wickedis available to purchase or rent on December 31 on Digital.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
