5 Little-Known Facts About the Wicked Movie Fans Will Love

What is this feeling? It’s passion for behind-the-scenes stories! Contributor Lauren Cohen shares some Wicked insights!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been obsessing over every little detail of Wicked: For Good since it came out. The storyline, the soundtrack, the costumes, the acting–you could tell how much attention, time and thoughtfulness went into it all.

The cast has been on an extensive global press tour since the first film came out, and they’ve let a lot of behind-the-scenes moments, little-known facts and secrets slip in interviews. Here are five facts you didn’t know about Wicked: For Good. *Spoilers ahead!*

1. An improvised scene

In Elphaba and Glinda’s last scene together after singing “For Good,” Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo improvised the heartbreaking final dialogue they exchanged, they told Today.com.

Elphaba pushes Glinda into a closet to hide her from the witch hunters who are about to arrive. She then tells her she has to go, and Glinda asks what’s going on, panicking.

Elphaba tells her, “Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.” They then say “I love you” to each other for the first time in either of the movies–something they have shown through their actions but never put into words.

“He just let us sing to one another. Tell each other the truth,” Erivo said in the Today.com interview.

The emotions in this scene are the high point for many fans. The acting feels all too real, portraying two people who love each other so deeply that they are willing to do the one thing that will be hardest: let one another go.

2. Glinda in the making

It’s no secret that Grande has always wanted to play Glinda. Kristin Chenoweth, who originally played Glinda on Broadway, revealed last year on Late Night with Seth Meyers that she met Grande at one of her shows when she was only 10 years old.

“She came backstage into my dressing room and said, ‘I want to play Glinda,’ in her same voice she has now, and I said in my same voice, ‘And you will,’” Chenoweth said.

So, as it turns out, this was truly a lifelong dream for Grande, who is now 32-years-old. Throughout her career, she has performed Wicked songs multiple times. One can only imagine how gratifying it was for her to play Glinda on the big screen.

3. New music for the movie

Two songs in the movie, “Girl in the Bubble” and “No Place Like Home” are not in the original Broadway musical. Instead, the musical’s composer, Stephen Schwartz, wrote these songs to be used specially for the movie.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, he said in the first movie, there was no need for a new song. But, in the second one, they had more time, meaning they could go more in depth with the characters.

For example, in “Girl in the Bubble,” Glinda reflects on herself and the choices she’s made to get to where she is: “a beautiful life built on lies,” as she sings.

She then comes to the conclusion that it’s time for her bubble to “pop” and for her to do what is right: help Elphaba.

4. A tidbit about the casting

Bowen Yang, who plays Pfannee, was not originally going to be able to be in Wicked. He revealed in an interview with Today that he is friends with the movies’ director, Jon M. Chu, and he told him he could have a part.

But, the movies were filming while Yang was on Saturday Night Live, and he couldn’t miss shows. He said Grande decided to call Lorne Michaels, SNL’s producer, and she made it happen. Yang was able to be in the movie, and he flew back and forth from London to New York City during filming.

5. The last scene

The very last scene of the movie is a flashback featuring Glinda, Elphaba, Fiyero, Nessarose and Boq running through a field together during their time at school. Right before the credits begin, Glinda leans over and whispers something in Elphaba’s ear. This is a direct recreation of the original musical’s Playbill.

Even though nobody knows what is said here, it only adds to the magic and deep layers of the movie. One can only wonder about how much love and emotion there is between Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship, as only a small part of it is shown.

Who knows–maybe we’ll get a third movie someday and get to see their story continue.

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