Director Jon M. Chu revealed he withheld the final shot of Wicked: For Good from Universal Pictures executives to prevent its use in marketing. The scene features Glinda whispering to Elphaba, recreating the iconic Broadway poster. Chu noted that stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo improvised the dialogue, which even he does not know.
Background on the Scene
The final shot in Wicked: For Good captures a close-up of Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, whispering into the ear of Elphaba, portrayed by Cynthia Erivo. This moment directly recreates the famous poster from the original Wicked Broadway musical, which has become a symbol of the story's themes of friendship and secrets. Chu explained in an interview that this ending was planned from the start, emphasizing its emotional weight.
Chu's Decision to Keep It Secret
Chu refused to show the shot to studio executives, fearing they would push to feature it in promotional materials. He recounted the challenge of convincing Universal not to use similar imagery for the first Wicked film, released in November 2024. 'Yes. It was always the plan. I was always going to end on the whisper,' Chu said. 'Do you know how hard it was to force Universal to never use it in any marketing material?' Despite the studio's interest, Chu insisted on keeping it under wraps until the film's release.
Improvised Whisper and Poster Controversy
The actors chose their own words for the whisper, adding a personal touch to the scene. Chu admitted, 'I don’t even know what they said.' This secrecy mirrors the poster's intrigue, where the whisper's content remains ambiguous. The first film's marketing poster, a recreation of the Broadway original, drew fan criticism for inaccuracies, including Elphaba's hat and lipstick. Erivo addressed the backlash on Instagram, calling edits to her image hurtful and emphasizing the poster's homage to the source material. 'I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera,' she wrote.
Wicked: For Good is currently in theaters, concluding the two-part adaptation of the musical.