Wicked director explains why they cut iconic Glinda line from the film

26 November 2024, 11:23

Wicked director Jon M. Chu explains why iconic Glinda line was removed from film. Picture: Universal Pictures

By Katie Louise Smith

Several lines from the Broadway show were cut from Jon M. Chu's final edit of Wicked. Here's why...

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If you're a Wicked fan who has seen the stage musical multiple times, then you might have noticed that the Wicked movie (starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande) has cut several memorable one-liners and iconic lyrics from the final version of the film.

From lyrics in 'One Short Day' to moments in the scripts that never fail to make the live theatre audience laugh, some key sacrifices have been made by director Jon M. Chu. In particular, one line that is considered to be one of Glinda's most iconic does not appear in the movie.

In a new interview with Variety, Chu has now explained why he made the decision to remove those moments and how Ariana fought to get one back in.

One of Glinda's iconic lines from the Broadway show was cut from the film. Picture: Alamy

When asked why certain lines were cut, and whether it was a difficult decision to make considering how beloved the stage musical is, Jon M. Chu told Variety: "When you don’t have a live audience to play off, some of the comedy doesn’t quite work."

Even the cast were taken aback when they found out which lines had been cut. So much so that Ariana fought for one iconic line from 'One Short Day' to be re-added into the script.

"I remember when Ari read that we didn’t have the line 'the Wizard will see you now!' There was a reason for it; they were more progressed in the geography," he revealed.

"In rehearsals, we didn’t have it and every time that moment would happen, they would sing it anyway. Ari was like, 'I promise you, we have to have it.' So I was like, 'OK, let me figure it out. We built it in so there are two entrances now, but it was worth it.'"

Behind the scenes of Wicked with Ariana Grande

"There were debates all the time," the director continued, before discussing the decision to remove one of Glinda's most iconic lines. "In the beginning, when Glinda says 'It’s good to see me, isn’t it?,' in the show she says, 'No need to answer. That’s rhetorical.' But in the movie when she said the line, the joke didn’t land."

He then explained that it wasn't removed because of the way Ariana performed, but because "there’s no audience to give the feedback for it." In the show, the cheeky nod to the audience prompts laughter from the theatre.

"We put fake Ozian reactions, but it was too meta, too early. That was a scary one to cut because it’s like a Bible line," Chu added.