In a surprising revelation that has caught the attention of musical theatre fans, screenwriter Dana Fox has confirmed that a romantic kiss between Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande was cut from the highly anticipated film Wicked: For Good for being "too passionate".
The Kiss That Threatened The Love Triangle
During an interview with Deadline, Fox explained the difficult decision to remove the intimate moment between Bailey's Fiyero and Grande's Glinda. The scene, described as "romantic and beautiful" by the screenwriter, ultimately posed a significant problem for the film's central narrative.
"There was a scene between Fiyero and Glinda that we cut in which they kissed," Fox revealed. "It was romantic and beautiful, but a little too passionate." The intensity of the kiss created complications for the character dynamics that form the emotional core of the Wicked story.
Why The Romantic Moment Had To Go
The decision to cut the scene stemmed from concerns about how it would affect audience perception of the complicated love triangle between Fiyero, Glinda, and Elphaba. Fox elaborated that the passionate nature of the kiss made Fiyero's eventual choice to be with Elphaba seem unjustifiable to viewers.
"Seeing that made it too hard to watch him make the choice he makes to be with Elphaba, and made it too hard to make it okay that Elphaba ran off with him," Fox explained. "It was too real that he and Glinda were actually feeling something together."
The screenwriter further clarified that while Fiyero genuinely cares for Glinda, the deleted scene suggested a depth of romantic feeling that contradicted his ultimate character trajectory. "It was like a feeling that he really did love her, which he does care about Glinda a lot, don't get me wrong. But he likes her in a different way," she noted.
Protecting Character Arcs And Audience Sympathy
Fox emphasised that keeping the overly romantic kiss would have risked alienating audiences from all three main characters. The intensity of the connection shown between Fiyero and Glinda would have made his eventual choice seem confusing and potentially unlikeable.
"This scene was too romantic, so it was like, 'Oh, we can't know that because then our brains will explode when he doesn't choose her in the end,'" Fox stated. "And then we'll hate Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero."
Describing the cut as necessary for maintaining narrative coherence, Fox concluded: "So, I think it was a good cut because it was too adorable that you simply couldn't handle it." While the exact timing of the deleted kiss remains unclear, it's believed to have occurred early in the film.
This revelation comes as part of broader discussions about the creative decisions behind Wicked: For Good, the second instalment in director Jon M. Chu's two-part adaptation of the beloved musical. The expanded format has allowed for new scenes and character developments, though some, like the Bailey-Grande kiss, ultimately didn't make the final version.
Fans remain hopeful that the deleted kiss might appear as bonus content in future extended cuts or home releases, offering a glimpse of what might have been in the complicated romantic dynamics of Oz.
