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Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: Ariana Grande, Universal Pictures, wicked, Wicked: For Good
Ariana Grande Reveals the Wicked: For Good Scene That Was Nearly Cut
Ariana Grande reveals one of Wicked: For Good’s most emotional Glinda and Elphaba scenes nearly got cut, and how Jon M Chu fought to keep it.
Article Summary
- Ariana Grande reveals a key emotional scene in Wicked: For Good was almost cut during editing.
- Director Jon M Chu insisted on keeping the heartfelt Glinda and Elphaba farewell moment.
- The brief but powerful door scene became one of the most memorable in Wicked: For Good.
- Grande credits the scene as proof that vulnerable moments are worth fighting for in storytelling.
Wicked: For Good has been consistently pitched as the bigger, darker half of Universal's two-part musical, but star Ariana Grande says its heart comes down to one emotional moment between two (iconic) friends. As promised after the conclusion of the first entry, the second film brings Glinda and Elphaba back together for a farewell that mirrors the popular stage show, though that sequence nearly disappeared in the editing room before director Jon M Chu stepped in to keep it. Speaking on the Shut Up Evan podcast, the Glinda star recalled how tense the day felt on set and how fragile the scene seemed afterward.
Ariana Grande on the Importance of One Scene in Wicked: For Good
"It was a really heavy day. There was actually a conversation about… certain people wanted to cut that shot," she said, explaining that Chu immediately pushed back. "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."
The moment she is referring to arrives just before Elphaba's apparent death. As Dorothy prepares to throw the water that will seem to melt the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda is on the other side of a door. The two women sink against opposite sides, separated by wood and circumstance but sharing a final on-screen interaction. The shot is brief but lingering, and it has already become one of the sequel's most recognizable images.
Wicked: For Good continues the story from the 2024 film, with Cynthia Erivo and Grande leading a returning cast that includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. The sequel follows the fallout of Elphaba's "death," Glinda's rise in Oz, and the arrival of a girl from Kansas who unknowingly forces both witches to reckon with what their friendship cost them.
For viewers, the door shot often lands as a small but still key emotional beat in the film. Though for Grande, it also stands as proof that the smallest, most vulnerable moments can be the ones worth fighting for.
Wicked: For Good is in theaters everywhere.
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