Fans of the Wicked film franchise have been dealt a devastating blow, as news emerges that a significant romantic scene featuring Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey was left on the cutting room floor.
The Cut That Shocked Fans
The eagerly awaited sequel, Wicked: For Good, which hit UK cinemas recently, has reportedly deleted a crucial love scene for being overly passionate. The scene in question featured a tender moment, including a kiss, between Grande's Glinda and Bailey's Prince Fiyero.
Dana Fox, the film's co-writer, revealed to Deadline that the decision was made because the scene was simply too convincing. "It was romantic and beautiful, but a little too passionate," Fox stated, explaining that the intensity of the connection between Glinda and Fiyero, as portrayed by Grande and Bailey, created a narrative problem.
Why The Scene Had To Go
The core issue, according to the filmmakers, was the film's central love triangle. Fiyero's ultimate choice to side with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch played by Cynthia Erivo, would have been difficult for audiences to accept if his bond with Glinda appeared too strong.
"Seeing that made it too hard to watch him make the choice he makes to be with Elphaba," Fox elaborated. "It was too real that he and Glinda were actually feeling something together." She maintained that while Fiyero did love Glinda, his connection with Elphaba was fundamentally different. However, leaving the steamy scene in the final cut would have given viewers the wrong impression and risked making audiences dislike all three characters.
Fan Reaction and Other Fiery Moments
Despite the removal of this particular moment, the sequel has not shied away from all romantic tension. Fans have already been buzzing online about a separate, racy scene featuring a topless Jonathan Bailey waking up in bed with Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba.
One viewer quipped on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Sitting in the theatre watching Wicked: For Good like damn there’s lowkey a sex scene in this PG." This confirms that while one passionate moment was cut, the film still delivers on the complex and fiery relationships at the heart of the story.
For now, fans devastated by the loss of the Grande-Bailey scene will have to hope that the footage is released as a special behind-the-scenes feature in the future. Wicked: For Good is in UK cinemas now.
