Director Jon M. Chu Guards Secret Final Scene in Wicked: For Good

In a surprising move, director Jon M. Chu kept the final shot of the highly anticipated film Wicked: For Good under wraps, evading the scrutiny of studio executives and fans alike. This deliberate effort aimed to preserve the impact of the ending, which closely mirrors the iconic poster from the original musical.

Chu revealed that the final moment features Cynthia Erivo, portraying Elphaba, and Ariana Grande as Galinda. In this pivotal scene, Galinda whispers something to Elphaba, an homage to the themes of friendship and secrecy woven throughout the story. According to Chu, this shot was always intended to conclude the film, but it posed a challenge as the marketing team sought to reveal it.

“I was always going to end on the whisper,” Chu explained in an interview with Variety. He emphasized the difficulty in persuading Universal Pictures not to include the shot in any promotional material. “They even had a poster of it for the first movie, and I was like, ‘Why are we releasing this poster? We should never acknowledge the whisper. Never. Never.’”

Chu’s determination to keep the image hidden from audiences was rooted in his desire for a powerful reveal. He insisted that the studio refrain from showcasing the moment, stating, “So the studio never saw that final shot. I imposed a huge thing: ‘Do not show this shot!’ They wanted it so badly.” The director’s approach aimed to mislead viewers, ensuring they remained unaware of this crucial detail until the film’s conclusion.

The poster featuring the whisper is particularly noteworthy, as the image it depicts never appeared in the original stage musical. “That poster is one of the most brilliant posters ever made,” Chu said. “You don’t know what Galinda’s saying because they never actually do that in the musical. But it’s sort of the key to friendship. That we have these secrets.”

In a further twist, Chu revealed that even he is left in the dark regarding the specifics of the whisper. “The girls got to choose what they are actually saying in the scene. I don’t even know what they said,” he admitted. This adds an element of intrigue as fans eagerly await the film’s release to uncover the meaning behind the moment.

With the film’s premiere approaching, there are already discussions about the potential for sequels, as Universal Pictures considers revisiting the beloved world of Oz. As excitement builds, fans are left to ponder the significance of the final scene and what it may reveal about the enduring friendship between Elphaba and Galinda.

For those seeking more insights, additional analysis on the film’s conclusion and a list of upcoming movie release dates are available.