In a significant departure from the beloved stage production, the new film Wicked: For Good introduces a pivotal new scene that redefines Glinda's character arc and abilities.
Director Jon M. Chu has made a crucial alteration to the ending, incorporating a moment with the magical Grimmerie that fundamentally changes how audiences perceive Glinda's potential.
Why the Grimmerie Opened for Glinda
While the original musical concludes with Glinda committing to use her status for good after believing Elphaba died, the film adds substantial new context through flashbacks. These sequences reveal Glinda's deepest shame: her inability to perform magic.
In a powerful moment before their final separation, Elphaba gives Glinda the Grimmerie, the powerful book of spells. As Elphaba leaves Oz with Fiyero, having faked her death, an emotional Glinda activates the magical book in the film's climactic scene.
Discussing his decision to change the ending, Chu told Entertainment Weekly: "Elphaba giving Glinda the book is her saying 'You know the power that you have, and you know the truth'. But there's no answer at the end of this movie, it's a challenge: 'What are you going to be?'"
The director emphasized the open-ended nature of this addition, stating: "We don't know what Glinda does, we just know the possibilities are beautiful."
Ariana Grande Confirms Glinda's Magical Development
Ariana Grande, who portrays Glinda in both films, has confirmed that her character does indeed develop magical abilities through this transformative experience.
Speaking on the Shut Up Evan podcast, Grande explained: "I love it so much because I do believe that her magic at the end is earned. I think in this film, she's actually propelled into having a higher consciousness into not just sort of sitting with this fake facade."
The actress elaborated on Glinda's character development, noting how trauma and grief catalyse her transformation: "As each traumatic event takes place over the course of this film, it's propelling her to her true goodness. You learn from trauma, you learn from grief. You have no choice."
Grande concluded with a definitive statement about Glinda's magical payoff: "In the end the reward is that much greater, she does get her magic."
This revelation provides a satisfying resolution to a character thread established in the first film, where a deleted scene showed a frustrated Glinda complaining: "I didn't expect magic to be so hard," with Elphaba suggesting her privileged life made magic less necessary.
The addition of this magical awakening for Glinda represents one of several significant changes Chu has made in adapting the musical's second act for the screen, creating new depth for one of the story's most beloved characters.
