‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu explains subtle changes in ‘I’m Not That Girl’

Wicked director Jon M. Chu explained the different pacing and final note of the song I’m Not That Girl.

It's a heartfelt ballad where Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) shares her feelings of being an outsider.

It’s been 20 plus years since Wicked debuted on Broadway and the song has gained significance for many young women who feel overlooked or unchosen in romantic situation.

Chu wanted to emphasise the emotional impact of I'm Not That Girl in the Wicked movie.

"She's starting in the forest, and it goes silent, and she's the one who brings the music in," Chu explains.

"That takes a lot of collaboration with [composer] Stephen Schwartz to say, 'Hey, what if we don't have that intro music? Can we come in differently?' It's a little discussion, but I'm always looking for how to make it feel like you slipped into it rather than 'Stop. Dance break. Come back into the movie," he continued.

The filmmaker slow down the song’s pacing in order to give it a melancholy touch.

"It's much slower," he says. "We wanted to pace it down because it was a different type of song.” He said that,' I'm Not That Girl.' You just wanted to hesitantly explore this question."

Wicked: For Good is slated for release on November 21, 2025.