Start spreading the news — charming Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is leaving today to go to Shiz University in this deleted scene from the blockbuster musical “Wicked.”
Most popular Shiz student Galinda (Ariana Grande) literally gets hit with the news as The Shiz Gazette, proclaiming Prince Fiyero’s arrival, flies into her beautiful face.
The dazzling scene that follows the floating newspaper around the buzzing university didn’t make it into director Jon M. Chu’s adaption of the beloved Broadway musical, which clocked in at 2 hours and 40 minutes (and it was only the first of two parts).
However, the moment and other deleted scenes will be featured on the “Wicked” digital release, due Dec. 31.
The ‘Wicked’ movie Biggest changes from the Broadway musical and book
Ariana Grande in “Wicked.”
The flying paper shoots past rollerbladers and key “Wicked” players around the magical university in the northern province of Oz, including Munchkin man Boq (Ethan Slater). It’s not defying gravity when it flies up to Galinda’s balcony; you can still see the strings in the unfinished scene.
The news is a huge deal because rebellious Prince Fiyero is the ultimate catch for the students and Galinda. His eventual love affair with Galinda’s frenemy, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), proves pivotal to the story, a revisionist prequel to the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Elphaba and Galinda’s adventures will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Granda is Glinda in “Wicked,” directed by Jon M. Chu
“Wicked” continues to stir up its own news since blowing into theaters like a Kansas tornado on Nov. 22, making $571.3 million worldwide in theaters. The cultural phenomenon is racking up honors like being named a 2024 best picture by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. The musical earned 11 Critics Choice Awards nods and four Golden Globe nominations and is a solid bet as a 2025 Oscar nominee.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Wicked’ deleted scene shows Ariana Grande’s Galinda hit with news
