Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Acknowledges Crazy Rich Asians Easter Egg In For Good & Delves Into Scene Design

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Be warned, this article reveals key plot points from the new movie, Wicked: For Good, now playing in theaters. Director Jon M. Chu’s personal style, particularly his approach to wedding scenes in other films, is reflected in Wicked: For Good. The story follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as she fights for justice while on the run, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), who is publicly supporting the government and getting ready to marry Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey).

People quickly noticed that the wedding scene in the marketing for Wicked looked very similar to the one in Crazy Rich Asians – both feature a lot of forest decorations and a bride walking down the aisle alone. Now, the director of Crazy Rich Asians, Jon M. Chu, has confirmed the resemblance and explained the design choices behind the Wicked scene.

Chu described his vision for the upcoming film, saying he wants to create a magical scene with a yellow brick road and yellow butterflies fluttering around the lead actress as she walks. He believes it could be incredibly beautiful, and while it reminded him a bit of ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ he emphasized that the story’s setting in Oz allows for a sense of realism within the fantastical elements.

Because the story takes place in a fantastical world, the team initially brainstormed incredibly elaborate wedding ideas – they even considered having an orchestra suspended in mid-air! However, they had to simplify the wedding scene due to time and money limitations, and the final version is actually quite restrained compared to their original plans.

Chu explains that she repeatedly asked her wedding design team to rework their ideas, pushing them to be more imaginative and unconventional. ‘I kept telling them, ‘This is for Oz – it needs to be much bolder and stranger than a typical wedding,’ she says. Despite multiple revisions, she wasn’t happy with any of them. Ultimately, they ended up choosing a surprisingly simple design.

Image via Universal Pictures

Okay, so the wedding scene is really interesting because it’s happening at the same time as Elphaba stumbles upon this heartbreaking room full of caged animals. She frees them, and honestly, the resulting chaos – a full-on stampede – disrupts the whole ceremony. It adds a really dark layer to what should be a happy occasion. And it gets even more complex when you learn that in the Wicked movie’s world, the iconic yellow brick road wasn’t built with magic, but with animals being forced to work. That completely changes how you see that beautiful pathway of yellow butterflies – it’s not so whimsical anymore, is it?

Costume designer Paul Tazewell explained that Glinda’s wedding dress was designed to feel delicate and fragile, using butterfly details to represent her character. He says the dress reflects Glinda’s vision of a perfect wedding, heavily influenced by Madame Morrible and the Wizard, and crafted to project an image of goodness. This carefully constructed image of Glinda and Fiyero as the ideal couple is, in fact, a form of propaganda.

As a big movie fan, I have to say the wedding scene in both Wicked films is absolutely beautiful, but it’s clear there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. It’s full of symbolism! What I really loved, though, was seeing director Chu’s style shine through – it reminded me a lot of Crazy Rich Asians. He clearly has a knack for creating these incredibly lavish and visually stunning films, and it’s cool to see that connection validated across his work.

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2025-11-27 21:01