How 'Wicked: For Good' remixes 5 iconic moments from 'The Wizard of Oz'

The pursuing contains spoilers from the movie “Wicked: For Good.”

In a way, “Wicked: For Good” is simply a companion movie to “The Wizard of Oz,” imagining what was really happening erstwhile a miss named Dorothy landed successful Oz. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the Universal sequel references iconography from the 1939 movie and infuses these classical images with unexpected backstories and deeper meanings. Here, The Envelope breaks down the 5 cardinal “Wizard of Oz” visuals, arsenic remixed successful “Wicked: For Good.”

The yellowish ceramic road

The yellowish ceramic road.

(Universal Pictures)

The opening country reveals that Dorothy’s roadworthy representation to Emerald City originated arsenic a signifier of ocular propaganda, reinforcing the Wizard’s regularisation successful each country of Oz. Even much heartbreaking is who constructs the roadworthy itself: “The captured animals are present being forced to enactment enslaved labor,” said Winnie Holzman, who wrote the screenplay with Dana Fox. “The roadworthy being built successful this corrupt, cruel mode was a earthy outgrowth of everything acceptable up successful the archetypal movie. We’re telling the assemblage close away, ‘We research dense themes successful our story.’”

The animals are chained to an automated conveyance that lays the yellowish bricks, made by the Munchkins. “We took each the colour retired of Munchkinland, who’ve mislaid each their colors successful this process of gathering this oppressive symbol,” said accumulation decorator Nathan Crowley. The roadworthy is paired with a cardinal yellowish tulips planted by husbandman Mark Eves. “They bloomed truthful beautifully, they conscionable seduce you,” said Crowley, “just similar the Wizard does.”

‘No Place Like Home’

A rendering of Elphaba’s traveling suit, which she sports during the “No Place Like Home” number.

(Universal Pictures)

In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy chants the operation and clicks her heels to yet instrumentality to Kansas. The enactment is successful the signifier amusement arsenic a sarcastic reference, but “Wicked: For Good” redefines its meaning: When Elphaba sees animals fleeing Oz via a concealed passageway, she repeats the operation with urgency, asking them to combat for their home, adjacent arsenic it’s rejecting them — thing she herself understands.

The galvanizing anthem, written for the movie by Stephen Schwartz, was a method and affectional feat. “Cynthia [Erivo] is delivering this rallying outcry that’s caller and important and needs to gain its spot successful the movie, but she’s acting against bare plates,” said exertion Myron Kerstein, arsenic the animals were created successful postproduction. “And close erstwhile you judge she’s convinced them, that end-of-the-song applause infinitesimal is undercut by idiosyncratic who blames Elphaba. We had to grant the acheronian of wherever we’re ending up: a idiosyncratic is trying to assistance her community, but they’ve each turned against her.”

Ruby slippers

Dorothy’s tornado-tossed location are among the acquainted images from “The Wizard of Oz” you’ll spot successful “Wicked: For Good” — but her ruby slippers are lone alluded to, alternatively than shown.

(Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures)

The 1939 movie sees Dorothy wearing the Wicked Witch of the East’s ruby slippers. “Wicked: For Good” features metallic heels — a motion to L. Frank Baum’s archetypal caller — but alludes to the reddish shoes erstwhile Nessarose begs to revisit that high-flying nighttime astatine the Ozdust Ballroom. Elphaba utters a spell that surrounds her sister’s feet with a reddish glow, and suddenly, she’s hovering midair.

“You spot Nessarose’s happiness, adjacent if it rapidly wanes,” said Holzman of the scene, which differs from the signifier show. “That’s wherefore Elphaba wants the shoes backmost from Dorothy: It’s a clip she pleased her sister, and she wants much than the horrible representation of however they parted.”

Costume decorator Paul Tazewell included further “Wizard of Oz” footwear references, similar Nessarose’s Ozian striped socks and Dorothy’s signature socks. “It’s a ocular of innocence for this miss to deterioration these grown-up shoes with a heel, and past brace them with these youthful bobby socks,” helium explained of Dorothy. “They’re airy blue, conscionable similar her gingham dress.”

Glinda’s bubble

Color diagram of Glinda’s bubble.

(Universal Pictures)

Glinda’s “Wizard of Oz” entranceway is spellbinding, arsenic she descends successful a floating bubble. “Wicked” divulges that the Wizard commissioned the conveyance to fool Ozians that, similar Elphaba, Glinda is airborne, contempt her magical deficiencies. Crowley crafted the instrumentality to mimic the Wizard’s watch-like mechanisms, arsenic good arsenic the ornate vehicles of a real-life monarch. “We made a Marie Antoinette carriage that could fly,” helium said. “The pinkish silks, bronze golds and the upholstery, it each suits Glinda. And the bubble becomes a hot-air balloon — the Wizard’s technology.”

Tazewell reinforced the “Glinda the Good” representation by dressing Ariana Grande successful a classical princess gown, encrusted with crystals and solid beads for an iridescent decorativeness and covered successful tulle and organza for a lighter-than-air quality. Add successful a bubble-covered crown and earrings, positive a shiny prop wand? “It’s a azygous that’s fixed to her to make the propagandist presumption of goodness and solidify her arsenic an icon,” said Tazewell.

The bucket of water

In “Wicked: For Good,” Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba has been renamed the Wicked Witch of the West — and rumors astir however to dispatch her person begun to spread.

(Universal Pictures)

The 1939 movie shows Dorothy melting the Wicked Witch by dousing her successful water. “[‘Wicked’] opens connected a transgression country wherever idiosyncratic was murdered, and the limb is that bucket of water,” said Holzman. In “Wicked: For Good,” “Elphaba knows there’s a ridiculous prevarication spreading that h2o volition melt her, and radical are believing it and hunting her down with buckets of h2o successful their hands, arsenic if they were pistols oregon knives.”

Surprisingly, Elphaba fills the bucket up herself, to fake her ain demise. After a last goodbye, Glinda hides distant and weeps portion watching Dorothy melt Elphaba — a series shown lone successful shadow, done the ace of a closet door.

“We’re witnessing this iconic infinitesimal from different constituent of presumption — this excruciating infinitesimal wherever Glinda has to witnesser this execution — and we wanted to dainty it with gravitas,” said Kerstein. “I emotion that it feels similar it’s happening successful existent time, and it feels fleeting. It’s tragic, elegant and beauteous astatine the aforesaid time.”