Wicked: For Good’s Best Moment Was Almost Taken Out of Ariana Grande Movie

One of the best moments in Wicked: For Good almost didn’t make it into the final cut of the movie.

Universal Pictures’ Wicked: For Good is now playing in United States theaters. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the sequel to 2024’s Wicked is based on the second act of the popular stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. Ariana Grande reprises her role as Glinda in the new movie, while Cynthia Erivo also returns as Elphaba Thropp.

What did Ariana Grande say about Wicked: For Good?

In the second half of Wicked: For Good, after Elphaba and Glinda finish singing the titular song,  Grande’s character hides behind a door while Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West, which presumably melts her.

Appearing on the Shut Up Evan podcast, via Variety, Grande said that the moment Glinda and Elphaba share while standing on opposite sides of the door was nearly cut from the film.

“It was a really heavy day. There was actually a conversation about… certain people wanted to cut that shot,” Grande said. “Jon was like, ‘This is the movie. There is no question about it.’ I was so grateful for how fiercely he advocated for those honest moments. It’s one of the most beautiful and connected moments in both of the movies. I’m so grateful that it’s there. It’s tough. It was very hard emotionally.”

Chu previously said that this moment was not in the original script for Wicked: For Good. Rather, Erivo and Grande improvised the interaction during the rehearsal process.

The cast of Wicked: For Good also includes Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Colman Domingo as the voice of the Cowardly Lion, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, and more.

Source: Comingsoon.net