Fans can now peek behind the curtain of Wicked<\/em> with director Jon M. Chu, thanks to the digital release of the Universal Pictures musical movie hit.<\/p>\n Wicked<\/em>\u2018s home release includes several bonus features: deleted scenes, docu-style content, and a commentary track with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo\u2014as well as a solo commentary with Chu. All of the extras feature exciting tidbits about the magic that went into making the vision of a new Oz inspired by the Broadway musical.<\/p>\n Chu\u2019s commentary in particular digs into the lore inspired by The Wizard of Oz <\/em>and the time period in which L. Frank Baum wrote the original Oz<\/em> stories, and Wicked<\/em>\u2018s many homages to the history of cinema. Here\u2019s what we learned from listening to him speak about the film all the way through.<\/p>\n In the \u201cDancing Through Life\u201d dance sequence, Chu masterfully references classic Hollywood musicals while also conveying his affection for Baum\u2019s novel and its place in American history. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting, Wizard of Oz<\/em> is such an American fairy tale.\u201d he shared, also nodding to the 1939 movie as well. \u201cIt was written at the time of American transition, leaving the Depression, going into war. It sort of deals with the American dream, and I love that we get to reinvestigate the American dream in Wicked<\/em> through a new perspective. And so we try to take from images of Americana in terms of travel, from the puddle, to horseback, to boat, to a road, to a train, to flight, and how that changes our history and our trajectory.\u201d Watch closely, and you\u2019ll see there are connective threads from the film\u2019s witch hat opening on the puddle to the moment Elphaba takes flight in the final act.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know when we think about the flying monkeys, we often compare them to one of the many characters in the monster universe of Universal,\u201d Chu says early in the commentary. \u201cAnd so portraying them in the most physical and touchable, real way was something that we really wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Later, alongside the final act, he describes the creature feature moment of their creation, \u201cWe get to do our classic Universal Monster moment, the creation of the flying monkeys. We want to take our time in this, that it was painful and that their hair was turning into feathers as well. It\u2019s like Frankenstein waking up. Even the shadow shot is a nod to those kind of things (the) American tales that we get to reinvestigate. And I love that it\u2019s part victory as well. You can hear the music actually gets victorious. So it\u2019s like, whose perspective are we (watching) from? And even Elphaba here on this shot, we don\u2019t know\u2014is it amazing that she did thism or not? And then things start to fall apart.\u201d<\/p>\n The events of the film kick into action when Glinda is asked one very important question. A question that was almost asked by a frequent collaborator of Chu\u2019s. \u201cWhen that woman says, \u2018Glinda, is it true you were her friend?\u2019\u2014 I got many calls from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who might have publicly also tweeted it that he wanted to be that voice and that person, but I thought it would be too distracting,\u201d he admitted. \u201cSo, sorry Lin.\u201d<\/p>\n Elphaba\u2019s \u201cI want\u201d motivation in Wicked<\/em> is complicated. She doesn\u2019t actively wish she was another color besides green, Chu explained\u2014it\u2019s just everyone\u2019s telling her that she shouldn\u2019t be green, and that sparks her self-doubt. \u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d musical number, Chu says, is when she realizes \u201cNo, you know what? I\u2019m good with being green.\u201d<\/p>\n The kaleidoscope glass sequence added to that feeling. \u201cI love that the light\u2019s in there. And she can just dream of what it would be like if she wasn\u2019t in her skin. Again, this will all come back later. When the wizard asks her, \u2018Is that your heart\u2019s desire? You don\u2019t have to be green.\u2019 And she actually sacrifices her own wishes or possible wishes for the goodness of the animals. And I think that shows a lot of the type of person she is and who we really want to get across. So this number is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n Chu continues. \u201cIt\u2019s the antithesis to \u2018Defying Gravity,\u2019 where she has the possibility of flight. She has the possibility of taking it off, but she\u2019s not ready yet. We\u2019ve established that she does have visions here, that there\u2019s a celebration throughout Oz that has to do with her. She just doesn\u2019t know the context. But we\u2019ve actually already seen it. And whether the audience picks it up or not, I\u2019m not sure. But we\u2019ll get it by the second movie.\u201d<\/p>\n To Chu, Elphaba and Glinda rooming together and clashing represents the puzzle of Oz represented by the two of them: \u201cElphaba, she comes in and you see sharper edges. She\u2019s the Z in Oz, and Glinda is the O. So these two things will collide visually.\u201d The way he depicted this involves a fun homage. \u201cI love this because it always reminded me of \u2018Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah,\u2019 this famous number of campers writing to their parents at home. So I love the idea of being able to split screen here and play around with the form.\u201d<\/p>\n The dichotomy of the power between Elphaba and Glinda is clearly presented in this scene. While Elphaba is the one with the visible potential, Glinda\u2019s power is her popularity, Chu explains. \u201cActually, it\u2019s very powerful to know how to communicate and how to convince everybody of something. Her power will come later, but as fun as it is to think about loathing and roommates loathing, it actually has a big thematic theme for us. And I love the fact that even though Glinda can win every social situation, the one thing she wants to have magic and be accepted by Morrible is the thing that Elphaba has.\u201d<\/p>\n The song, he continues, is \u201ccalled \u2018What is this Feeling?\u2019 and people think it\u2019s called Loathing\u2019\u2014but actually it\u2019s not loathing at all that is happening between them. We always say, \u2018We always resist the people who are going to change the rest of our life because no one wants to change. So, it\u2019s not even necessarily loathing<\/em>, it\u2019s just this person is going to change the rest of my life.\u2019 You don\u2019t want that, so it\u2019s funny to see that, because they will.\u201d<\/p>\n Chu also teased a very important relationship in Wicked: For Good<\/em> between Elphaba and Fiyero. As seen in the movie, the pair actually meets before Glinda meets Fiyero. \u201cWe don\u2019t get into their full relationship with this movie, so again, these are just breadcrumbs that we\u2019re leading the audience very slowly,\u201d the director says. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard, you know, what you want to plan to pay off later that doesn\u2019t go into full fruition into this movie. But in a weird way, this movie is about possibilities and choices. And that by the end, Elphaba makes a big choice, and there are a lot of possibilities for where that choice can go. And movie two is more of the consequence of some of those.\u201d<\/p>\n A relationship almost as important as the one between Galinda and Elphaba that\u2019s set up in this film is the relationship Elphie makes with her black pointy hat. Chu talks about the moment Galinda considers gifting it to Elphaba as a joke enabled by Pfannee and ShenShen.<\/p>\n \u201cI love this moment because it could be constricted in many different ways, but Glinda actually isn\u2019t a bad person here. She is being pushed by Pfannee and ShenShen to give her the hat, and by seeing the book, the sorcery book, that Elphaba brings in, it sort of pushes her even more to give her the hat. It\u2019s a very delicate moment because we don\u2019t want Glinda to be mean, and she\u2019s not. She\u2019s just young and she\u2019s being pressured.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n When her roommate gives her the hat, Elphaba\u2019s probably aware of the joke\u2014but there\u2019s also something about it that speaks to her. \u201cI love that Elphaba <\/span>doesn\u2019t have a big reaction to the hat of sort of like, \u2018What the heck is that?\u2019 Instead she\u2019s actually drawn to the hat and that it actually has an interesting connection. That it isn\u2019t just circular, that it has the edge to it. That these two will be bonded for all time as a symbol and as a partner in this journey that she\u2019s about to go on. She doesn\u2019t even know it yet. And when she tilts her head here as she looks at it, I love that moment because it felt like she and the hat were one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n One of the fun Easter eggs from the film is Nessarose\u2019s shoes, a future iconic object in the realm of Oz<\/em> lore. \u201cIf you look at the crystal shoes, it\u2019s designed to look like two tornadoes, or a tornado on each heel. And it\u2019s beautiful,\u201d Chu points out. The shoes were made distinctive for this iteration of the story, which goes back to the original book\u2019s crystal pair; the famed ruby slippers were created for the Judy Garland picture. \u201cI don\u2019t even know how it fits or if it\u2019s even comfortable, because it doesn\u2019t look very comfortable. I\u2019ve never tried it on, but it\u2019s beautiful,\u201d he says of the intricate, unique design.<\/p>\n In the Broadway musical, it\u2019s a gag when Elphie dances like she doesn\u2019t care what anyone else thinks. But for the film, Chu wanted to play the scene a different way. \u201c(It was) much more important to us in this story that we still felt the hurt. That even though she doesn\u2019t know what to do, she\u2019s just making space for herself\u2014and even if making space for herself is humiliating and hard, that she just knows that she has to do it. Some people say it looks like she\u2019s casting a spell or something, and maybe she is, over her own self and telling herself that she just has to be here And it\u2019s defiant but not too defiant,\u201d he says, praising Erivo\u2019s interpretation of the moment. \u201cDefiant like, \u2018I\u2019m here even if it feels like the worst thing in my life.\u2019 Because if we gave her too much of a defiant moment like \u2018I\u2019m here and you have to deal with it and I\u2019m better than you,\u2019 it wouldn\u2019t play as strong.\u201d<\/p>\n In the duet we also get another huge moment. \u201cWe see Glinda blossoming in this moment and (Ariana Grande) is doing an amazing job of playing this line because up to this point she\u2019s basically played a comedic character with a little hints of Intelligence and sensitivity. But here she takes off the mask fully and you can see it in her eyes. I mean, this is not an easy scene by any means,\u201d Chu shares about the moment Grande and Erivo make their connection through touch.<\/p>\n \u201cIn those two hands touching, which will be a symbol for the rest of the movie every time they touch, this is the heart of the movie. I knew when I saw this in rehearsal and started to weep uncontrollably after watching them do it (that) this is what the movie would be about\u2014this relationship and coming to see each other at their bare bones. And then the two of them could be bonded for life to be against the world.\u201d This public display of allyship, he explains, provides a space to see how they can to inspire a young generation of Ozians to witnesses the power of acceptance. It also \u201cshows the unlimited possibilities of what the future of Oz could be\u2014and yet they will be influenced by the propaganda of the wizard and Madame Morrible\u201d later on in part two.<\/p>\n Since \u201cbringing the emotion more to the Ozdust dance between the two of them\u201d meant the friendship is forged more there, he didn\u2019t want to lose its impact by continuing the seriousness in \u201cPopular.\u201d This allowed Ariana Grande to make \u201cPopular\u201d her own, down to the extended la-la-la-lahs<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new ending to \u2018Popular,\u2019 we weren\u2019t sure if we wanted to do an extended ending of it,\u201d the director explains. \u201cBut when I saw that hallway, her in the middle of that hallway with the pink morning light coming through\u2014(that) if Ari could do it all in one shot and show how skilled she is at being Galinda, I think this hallway that it would be an instant classic. And so we popped this in last minute and she learned that choreography at the last second. And every time she did it, everyone\u2019s smile was on their face. I mean that was a tour-de-force to see her. Ariana Grande at her peak Galinda, owning that space \u2026 that silhouette, that iconic moment is sort of solidified in my brain forever. I hope the audience feels that too.\u201d<\/p>\n The leading women of the Ozdust players, of course, had to be played by the original Glinda and Elphaba: Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. Chu knew this very well. \u201cThey\u2019re playing the wise women, telling the history of Oz and how the Grimmerie came to be, and that they used to be the only people able to read the Grimmerie, but there was a prophecy of a new person that would be eventually able to read it when they pass,\u201d Chu explains. \u201cWe find out later that it\u2019s going to be Elphaba, but we tried to set up that history here. Whether people are actually listening or not, I have no idea, but we had to set up what the Grimmerie was and just to have them do it, it\u2019s just so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n He recalls how secretive the shoot had to be. \u201cIt was the middle of the night, and I think they, to see this giant set that we had built for a movie of a legacy that they built, these characters that they built from the ground up was a beautiful thing for them to see. We were all, again, all in tears all the time, and that Idina gets to do her iconic war cry and same thing with Kristin. She gets to do her soprano, so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Chu had a blast creating the wizard with actor Jeff Goldblum, who did things like \u201cmagic and showing them little tricks and tap dancing and stuff.\u201d He continued to describe how they came up with this version of certain type of \u201cman of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Chu explains, \u201cThis idea of the ultimate storyteller was something that we talked a lot about. How far would you go to delight people? Even if it takes you to a place of this action and violence and hatred or fear make things more entertaining. And what are you going to compromise for that? So setting him up as a playful Peter Pan-like character, Walt Disney-ish type character. It\u2019s sort of a wish fulfillment that we\u2019re all able to do together.\u201d<\/p>\n Even the Wizard\u2019s Oz diorama felt very World\u2019s Fair or early Disneyland model. \u201cAnd what would you want more than anything than Walt Disney to walk you into his like map of Disney? So I love this moment that he gets to present to them. That\u2019s what his thoughts will look like: Wish fulfillmen<\/em>t. Pull them into his sandbox. He actually says \u2018Come into my sandbox\u2019 and \u2018Play with my toys,\u2019 that\u2019s something I always wish I had. And that sort of taps into a childhood fantasy of somebody that you want to fully trust.\u201d And probably shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Thankfully not like Rogers: The Musical<\/em> from Hawkeye\u2014<\/em>but with the action and big set pieces, Chu says Wicked<\/em> is \u201clike a Marvel movie\u201d plus \u201cmusical fantasy (and) coming of age. We kept saying this is the craziest movie we\u2019ve ever made\u2014how can a genre have all of these things and plus be a musical? I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve had experience like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n He explains how all these elements had to come together in the final act, with \u201cDefying Gravity\u201d setting up the next film. We see the alarms being raised against Elphaba and reactions from the other characters: the disappointment in \u201cNessa (as their) father has a heart attack. And Glinda is sort of relieved of the danger by Madame Moribble, (who is) going to take her under her wing, and how complicated that is for her. I think that moment is really hard. And Ariana just plays it perfectly, and then we see Fiyero flying out. We don\u2019t know where he\u2019s going to. Who is he going to? And then of course Cynthia flying in and her declaration threat to the wizard.\u201d<\/p>\n In this sequence, the stage is being set for the story\u2019s next act\u2014even Boq stands alone in a Shiz overtaken by disarray. \u201cI love this moment, I love this shot. Everyone\u2019s singing. It just builds and builds,\u201d Chu says, and adds how it all comes to a head with Elphaba\u2019s war cry. \u201c(Erivo) was singing it live on her rig. We\u2019re spinning her around and she was like, \u2018I need to do this live. Let me do it.\u2019 And every time she did this note, our whole crew would just try to hold back our applause and yelling until she finished the note. And then it was just pure applause, like standing ovation in the room. She\u2019s on the wire. Now she probably has tears in her eyes usually doing it. And then to be able to end on this, her final takeoff.\u201d<\/p>\n Wicked<\/em> is now out in theaters and on digital; Wicked: For Good<\/em> continues the story this Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\nThe<\/em> Wizard of Oz<\/em> is an American fairytale<\/h2>\n
The Flying Monkeys are Universal Monsters<\/h2>\n
In the Heights\u00a0<\/em>almost had a connection to Wicked<\/em><\/h2>\n
\u201cThe Wizard and I\u201d<\/h2>\n
Yes, that\u2019s a novelty song homage in \u201cWhat Is this Feeling?\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"Wicked](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-08-at-4.13.30\u202fPM-1024x427.jpg\")
Why isn\u2019t that song called \u201cLoathing\u201d?<\/h2>\n
Elphie and Fiyero\u2019s forest meet-cute<\/h2>\n
The Wicked Witch of the West\u2019s hat<\/h2>\n
![\"Wicked](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wicked-Universal-Pictures-Home-Entertainment-Elphaba-1-1024x683.jpg\")
A sister\u2019s pair of shiny shoes<\/h2>\n
The Ozdust duet<\/h2>\n
![\"Wicked](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wicked-Universal-Pictures-Home-Entertainment-Ariana-Grande-Cynthia-Erivo-1024x683.jpg\")
Galinda\/Glinda is changed for good<\/em><\/h2>\n
Ariana Grande made \u201cPopular\u201d her own<\/h2>\n
The OG Broadway cameos<\/h2>\n
![\"Wicked](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wicked-Universal-Pictures-Home-Entertainment-Idina-Menzel-Kristin-Chenoweth-1024x683.jpg\")
The Wizard was inspired by Walt Disney<\/h2>\n
Wicked<\/em> is like a Marvel musical movie<\/h2>\n
![\"Wicked](\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-08-at-4.06.53\u202fPM-1024x439.jpg\")
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