“Wicked: For Good” director Jon M. Chu recently shared some fascinating behind-the-scenes insights about those two new songs everyone’s been buzzing about. And here’s the thing — he wasn’t initially sold on the idea.
The revelation comes as we’re heading into the home stretch before the November release (mark your calendars for the 21st, fellow musical lovers). Chu’s candor about the creative process feels refreshingly honest in an era where Hollywood tends to play things close to the vest. “Even after we recorded them, even after we put them in the movie, we kicked the tires on them,” he admitted, showing a dedication to authenticity that’s becoming increasingly rare in big-budget productions.
Let’s put this in perspective. The first “Wicked” film absolutely crushed it at the box office — we’re talking $750 million globally. That kind of success usually leads to playing it safe with sequels, but Chu and his team clearly had other ideas.
The new musical numbers aren’t just there to pad the runtime or chase Oscar glory (though don’t be surprised if they end up in that conversation come awards season 2025). One of them, co-written by Cynthia Erivo herself, apparently left the entire cast and crew in tears during filming. Though Erivo, in characteristic humility, wondered if everyone was “just emotional that day.” Sure, Cynthia — whatever helps you sleep at night.
What’s particularly striking about these additions is how they tackle the concept of “home” — a theme that’s always been woven into the fabric of Oz stories, but perhaps never quite like this. The songs dig into questions that feel eerily relevant to our current moment: What happens when the place you’ve been fighting for doesn’t want you back? When does a dream become a dead end?
Chu made another gutsy call by reuniting our favorite witches — Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda — earlier than the stage version does. His reasoning? “It’s the girls, stupid!” (Sometimes the simplest answers are the best ones, aren’t they?)
The new song for Glinda, titled “Girl in the Bubble,” seems particularly intriguing. It’s about confronting privilege and, well, popping one’s own bubble — metaphorically speaking. Meanwhile, Elphaba’s number explores the lonely side of self-discovery. As Chu puts it, “She’s now surrendered to who she is… But she did not realize how lonely it would be to become who you are meant to be.” That’s the kind of universal truth that hits right in the feels.
Perhaps most telling is Chu’s summation of the sequel’s theme: “If Part 1 is about choices, Part 2 is about consequences.” In a world where consequences seem increasingly optional, there’s something oddly refreshing about that premise.
The November release can’t come soon enough. Until then, we’ll just have to speculate about these new songs — and maybe practice our own witch cackling, just to be ready.
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