Overview
- The film has topped $255 million worldwide after posting the biggest global opening weekend for a Broadway adaptation, reported at $223 million.
- Jon M. Chu confirmed Dorothy’s face was intentionally kept out of view; dancer Bethany Weaver plays the role, and footage revealing her face was shot but cut for being distracting.
- Chu said he screened versions without musical numbers before deciding the songs—along with new ballads No Place Like Home and Girl in the Bubble—were essential to the storytelling.
- A climactic farewell between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande originated from their improv and was preserved in the final cut, with Chu even altering the set to capture the moment.
- Universal’s marketing chief said “things” are underway to develop more films in the Wicked universe, with composer Stephen Schwartz noting he and Winnie Holzman are exploring adjunct ideas; no projects are greenlit.