Wicked: For Good spoilers follow.
The emotional climax of Wicked: For Good could have been very different, as a scene that has already proven itself as a standout almost didn't make it to the final cut. The scene in question takes place in the castle where Glinda and Elphaba say their heartbreaking goodbyes, breaking down in tears on either side of the door. Speaking about the moment, which has been doing the rounds on social media, Glinda actor Ariana Grande stated on the Shut Up Evan podcast that it was actually at risk of being axed.
"It was a really heavy day," she said. "There was actually a conversation about… certain people wanted to cut that shot."
She explained that director Jon M Chu fought really hard to keep the shot in, and his efforts paid off.
"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," Grande said.
"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," she added.
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Chu himself had explained to Variety beforehand that the scene wasn't actually part of the script.
He said it was improvised by Grande and Elphaba actor Cynthia Erivo in rehearsals, where Erivo grabbed her co-star, led her away and then they both placed their hands on an imaginary door.
Related: Wicked: For Good’s Jon M Chu explains mysterious Glinda ending change
The director also had to keep the moment just before the door shot, where the two women admit they love each other.
He explained he'd been told characters in Oz aren't allowed to say 'I love you', but he felt like the performances were so powerful in that moment and "so human" that it needed to be there.
Wicked: For Good is out in cinemas now. The first film can be streamed with a NOW/Sky movie subscription, or bought physically and digitally.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
