Wicked: For Good’s Jon M Chu explains mysterious Glinda ending change

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Spoilers for Wicked: For Good follow.

Okay, so I finally saw Wicked: For Good in theaters this weekend, and wow, it really delivered! It’s the second part of the Wicked musical, with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, and it wraps up the story. They made a few changes from the stage version, but it still felt super emotional and amazing to see on the big screen.

The movie’s ending hints that Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, may have given her magical powers to Glinda, played by Ariana Grande.

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The director explained the importance of a particular scene: Glinda receiving Elphaba’s spellbook right before Elphaba flies away on her broom.

Okay, so this book used to only work for Elphaba, but now it’s responding to me, Glinda! It’s like Elphaba passed some of her magic onto me, which is… wild. I can actually get the book to open now, something it wouldn’t do before. It’s a huge clue about what’s going on.

According to director Jon M. Chu, when Elphaba gives Glinda the book, it’s her way of acknowledging that Glinda understands her own strength and the truth about things, as he explained to Entertainment Weekly.

You know, fans really had a good feeling about a certain connection, and honestly, they weren’t totally off base. But Chu explained that when it comes to what actually happens with Glinda, there isn’t a simple, straightforward answer.

The movie doesn’t offer a definitive conclusion. Instead, it poses a question – ‘What will you become?’ We don’t see what happens to the character Glinda, but the film suggests her future is full of wonderful potential, as the director explained.

The director also talked about the last scene in For Good, explaining it was a tribute to the famous poster from Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 musical.

The movie concludes with a shot mirroring the iconic poster: Glinda leaning in to whisper something to Elphaba.

Chu felt this was the only fitting conclusion to the two-part story, although it was difficult to keep the ending a surprise until the very end.

“Yes. It was always the plan. I was always going to end on the whisper,” he told Business Insider.

It was a real battle to convince Universal not to use that thing in any of their promotions, honestly! They’d actually made a poster with it for the first movie, and I just lost it. I was like, ‘Seriously? We can’t let that see the light of day! We have to pretend it never happened, completely ignore it.’ I was adamant – never, ever mention it!

I aimed for a casual, unconcerned vibe, but then the scene unexpectedly became incredibly emotional – like the final moment in the song ‘For Good.’ The studio never even saw that last shot because I specifically instructed them not to include it, even though they really wanted to.

Wicked: For Good is out in cinemas now.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available! You can find Ariana & Witches at all good newsagents or order it online for only £8.99.

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2025-11-25 18:19