Jon M. Chu, the director behind the hit Wicked films, has confirmed that one of the musical’s most iconic songs, Defying Gravity, will not appear in the upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good.
The first part of the two-part adaptation, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, premiered last November to critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations.
The highly anticipated sequel, Wicked: For Good, will conclude the story and introduce familiar Wizard of Oz characters, including Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion, portrayed by Colman Domingo.
The movie will feature several beloved Broadway numbers like For Good and No Good Deed, along with new songs such as No Place Like Home and The Girl in the Bubble.
However, fans will notice the absence of Defying Gravity, the song that closed the first film and became a cultural touchstone of the stage musical.
Originally, Chu planned for the sequel to open with Defying Gravity, but after a test screening, he chose to remove it. “What I had done in that first screening was I dropped us back into Defying Gravity,” Chu told Collider.
“What I found out is we don’t need it. We don’t need to go back. I thought people needed to be reminded of the feelings of that relationship… but after that screening, I was like, ‘Oh, we just want to jump in.’”
He explained that the sequel focuses on Elphaba and Glinda as they navigate the fallout of Elphaba’s rebellion against the Wizard of Oz, played by Jeff Goldblum.
The cast also includes Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion.
“It’s all about the girls,” Chu added. “They get to shatter the dream, rebuild, forgive each other, and be reborn. That’s the reason we made Wicked.”
