By Wicked enthusiasts likely had an inkling of how events were set to unfold in the latter part of Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda’s (Ariana Grande) narrative in Wicked: For Good. One element that had eluded observant viewers until the concluding moment, however, was the closing scene itself. Mimicking the legendary poster for the original musical, we witness Galinda whispering something in Elphaba’s ear, paying tribute to what preceded. As per director Jon M. Chu, it was a crucial shot that had always been in the plans for the tale’s final chapter, and one he was eager to keep under wraps. The moment was at risk of early revelation, though, due to the marketing division, which had intentions for the scene itself.
“Indeed. It was always part of the agenda. I had always intended to conclude with the whisper,” Chu shared with Variety. “Do you understand how challenging it was to persuade Universal to never utilize it in any promotional content? They even created a poster depicting it for the initial film, and I was like, ‘Why are we putting this poster out? We ought to avoid acknowledging the whisper. Never. Ever.’”
The strategy was to avoid any suggestion of the iconic image, thus leading audiences off the trajectory (or the yellow brick road) for when it would be used. “I wanted it to feel as if we disregarded it, then suddenly it’s the closing shot in For Good. Therefore, the studio was never shown that final shot. I enforced a strict rule: ‘Do not display this shot!’ They were eager for it.”
The poster’s backstory is peculiar since the image it illustrates never existed in the original musical, making it even more remarkable that Chu incorporated it into his adaptation. “That poster is among the most brilliant posters ever created. You don’t know what Glinda’s conveying because they never actually do that in the musical. But it’s somewhat the essence of friendship. That we possess these secrets,” Chu remarked.
Concerning the whisper in the film, even he has remained uninformed by his two stars from Oz. “And the actresses got to decide what they were truly saying in the scene. I don’t even have a clue about what they expressed.” Perhaps we’ll discover what was said, given that Universal is already contemplating venturing back over the rainbow for additional sequels. For more details, explore our Wicked: For Good ending clarified, or browse our compilation of film release dates.