Wicked 2 cut the musical’s most iconic song from its opening: “We don’t need it”

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Jon M Chu, the director of the upcoming Wicked movie, revealed he made the surprising decision to leave out the musical’s most famous song from the beginning of the film, simply stating, “We didn’t need it.”

Although the movie’s soundtrack is set, the director, Chu, shared that he originally planned to begin the new film by revisiting the ending of the first one, specifically with a recap of the song ‘Defying Gravity’.

Chu explained he believed the song would re-engage audiences, but a test screening showed that wasn’t the case.

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After the initial test screening of Wicked 2, director Chu explained to Collider that he revisited the iconic song ‘Defying Gravity’. He replayed the end of the song to remind the audience of the story’s emotional core before continuing with the rest of the film.

You know, after thinking about it, I realized we really don’t need a rewind. I used to think people needed a reminder of what that old relationship felt like before getting into this new one, now that they’re apart. But after seeing everyone’s reaction, I get it – they’re ready to just dive right in! They’re already with us, and that’s all that matters.

Chu explained his decision to remove the song, saying that starting the film with a moment like ‘Defying Gravity’ wasn’t helpful. He felt the audience had already experienced that emotional peak and it was time to focus on what comes next.

That realization was a major turning point for me. Knowing I didn’t have to spend a lot of time getting buy-in allowed us the creative freedom to really focus the movie on the girls and their connection, and explore that relationship without holding back.

The movie has revealed the songs that will be on its soundtrack, including two brand new tracks written specifically for this sequel by Stephen Schwartz.

Cynthia Erivo will perform the new solo song ‘No Place Like Home,’ and Ariana Grande will sing ‘The Girl in the Bubble.’

Wicked: For Good is released in cinemas on 21 November.

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2025-11-04 13:19