Wicked: Biggest Changes Between Musical and Movies

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Warning: This story contains spoilers from Wicked, Wicked: For Good as well as the Broadway musical.

The Yellow Brick Road is paved with changes.

Adapting the musical Wicked for the big screen involved significant changes. The first part premiered in theaters in 2024, and the second, Wicked: For Good, followed in November 2025. The film has already received critical acclaim, earning seven Critics Choice Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande, and Best Costume Design.

Both movies made changes to the original story, which came from the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked. That musical was, in turn, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

When Wicked was released in 2024, fans could finally see the first part of the musical. Although the film was nearly twice as long as the original stage show’s first act, the story and songs remained largely the same.

A major turning point in the film happens when Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) travel to meet the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) during the song “One Short Day.” This musical number was significantly expanded for the movie, featuring new music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz. It even includes a special appearance by the original Elphaba and Glinda from the stage production, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

The 2025 film version of Wicked made even more changes when adapting the second act of the musical, including the addition of three new songs: “Every Day More Wicked,” “No Place Like Home,” and “The Girl in the Bubble.”

The movie went beyond the stage version by developing the characters’ backstories with new scenes. This included a wedding for Glinda and Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey) and the introduction of the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo), a character who isn’t fully grown in the musical.

The movie For Good changed some details of Nessarose’s story (played by Marissa Bode). In the musical, Elphaba uses magic on Nessarose’s silver shoes to help her walk. However, the film shows Elphaba casting a spell that makes Nessa float, reminding her of a happy moment with Boq (Ethan Slater) from the first movie at the Ozdust Ballroom.

I’m so excited to find out which Creative Arts Emmy Awards Wicked: For Good wins when it airs on TopMob and USA Network on January 4th! And I’m really curious to learn about all the changes they made bringing the story to the big screen – I’m definitely going to keep reading to find out more.

(TopMob and USA Network are both part of Versant Media.)

The Time Dragon Clock, a puppet show featured in the novel Wicked, appears at the beginning of the Broadway musical. However, in the movie adaptation, it’s only briefly mentioned by Glinda when she tells the people of Oz that Elphaba has died.

The stage musical hints at Elphaba’s birth, but doesn’t show her childhood. The movie, however, explores her upbringing and reveals her powers developing from a young age. It also introduces Dulcibear, a talking bear who helps raise Elphaba after her father is shocked by her green skin. Dulcibear’s presence explains Elphaba’s strong connection to animals and her fight to protect their voices – a key theme in both the movie and the stage show.

In the Broadway musical, Elphaba is already a student at Shiz University, attending to support her sister, Nessarose. However, in the movie, she only goes to help Nessarose move in. It’s there that Madame Morrible notices Elphaba’s magical abilities and pushes for her to enroll. After that, the story follows a similar path: Glinda ends up as Elphaba’s roommate, and the musical explains this happened because of an administrative oversight.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by the details in storytelling, and Wicked is no exception! Doctor Dillamond, the talking goat and history professor at Shiz, is a key figure in both the stage show and the movie, alerting students to the growing danger facing animals in Oz. Now, the movie expands on that world by introducing other talking animals who seem to be organizing a resistance – something you don’t see in the musical. Interestingly, the location of the song ‘Something Bad’ differs between the two versions. On stage, it’s performed in Doctor Dillamond’s classroom, creating a sense of public awareness, while in the movie, it’s a more intimate moment shared between him and Elphaba in his private rooms.

Both the stage musical and the film feature a love triangle involving Glinda, Elphaba, and Fiyero. However, the way Fiyero is introduced and first meets Elphaba is different in each version. In the musical, he nearly runs her over with his carriage after arriving in Shiz. In the movie, he almost tramples her while riding his horse in the woods near the university, and he jokes that she was camouflaged by the plants.

When Doctor Dillamond is fired from Shiz University, a new professor arrives and demonstrates new animal cages, using a distressed lion cub as an example. Elphaba is outraged. In the stage version, she makes everyone move uncontrollably while she and Fiyero free the cub. The movie adaptation has her magically put everyone to sleep using poppies – a nod to the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy and her companions fall asleep in a poppy field.

In the movie version of the story, Elphaba’s father appears at the train station and meets Boq, who is introduced by Nessarose. This moment doesn’t happen in the stage musical; her father doesn’t come to see her off.

The film expands on the history of the Grimmerie, an old spellbook written in a language no one in present-day Oz understands. While it doesn’t include any completely new songs, a new segment has been added to the song “One Short Day.” The extended version of the movie deepens the Wizard’s backstory, suggesting he’s the only one who can decipher the Grimmerie – fulfilling a long-awaited Ozian prophecy. However, we later discover this isn’t true; the Wizard can’t read it, but Elphaba can.

“One Short Day” underwent the biggest changes between the stage and film versions, and it includes a special surprise. The movie version features a new performance by original Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, credited as Wiz-O-Mania Super Stars. They play characters not found in the stage show, offering musical fans a heartwarming moment as they appear alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the Emerald City.

In both the book and film versions of Wicked, the Wizard initially impresses Elphaba and Glinda. In the movie, he does this by showcasing a large model of Oz and announcing plans to build a road to the Emerald City. He even asks Elphaba and Glinda to choose the road’s color, which ultimately results in the creation of the iconic Yellow Brick Road.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by how stories evolve from stage to screen. In the film adaptation of Wicked, they really leaned into Elphaba’s pivotal musical moment. While the core of the climax remains true to the original play, the filmmakers expanded the song and added a beautiful, emotionally resonant flashback. We actually see a younger Elphaba, which gives her the push she needs to take flight, leave Oz, and forge her own destiny – a moment that’s incredibly powerful and doesn’t exist in the stage version. It’s a fantastic example of how film can add another layer of depth to a beloved story.

The movie Wicked: For Good starts right after the first film ended, with Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) flying off to use her powers and rescue the talking animals of Oz. The story opens with Elphaba actively working to stop the construction of the Yellow Brick Road and free the animals that are being held captive.

The first new song from the movie, “Every Day More Wicked,” is also revealed. This is a longer version of the song that plays at the beginning of the musical, and it features the main cast – including Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) – explaining how their characters have been handling the Wicked Witch of the West.

Similar to the stage show, the movie establishes Glinda as the public face of the Wizard of Oz. We see her get her iconic bubble and wand, solidifying her role as the Good Witch. The scene includes a flashback to Glinda as a child, receiving a wand for her birthday and playfully attempting magic. This mirrors a previous flashback of young Elphaba, highlighting the contrast: people were frightened by Elphaba’s powers, but Glinda’s friends celebrated when she seemed to use hers.

Elphaba has a heartwarming reunion with Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke) while trying to prevent the talking animals from fleeing Oz. During this scene, she performs a new song from the movie, “There’s No Place Like Home,” where she encourages them to remember the beauty of Oz and the importance of unity and compassion.

The song “Thank Goodness,” which starts the second act of the stage show, doesn’t appear until later in the movie. Here, it’s used to celebrate two things: the completion of the Yellow Brick Road and the engagement of Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey, who is Captain of the Gale Force in the film) and Glinda. This differs from the stage version, where Elphaba interrupts the celebration to warn the people of Oz about the Wizard’s wickedness. She uses her broom to write a message in the sky, similar to the Wicked Witch in the original 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.

The Cowardly Lion, played by Colman Domingo, has a larger part in the movie than he did in the stage show—though only his tail appeared in the original production. The film reveals that this lion was the cub Elphaba and Fiyero saved from Shiz, and now, as an adult, he confronts Elphaba, blaming her for turning him into a coward by disrupting his former life.

Similar to the stage production, Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode) becomes the governor of Munchkinland after their father, Andy Nyman, passes away. While the movie shows Elphaba already knowing this, in the musical, she learns it from her sister.

Because she’s still in love with Boq (played by Ethan Slater), she’s made him her servant, hoping he’ll eventually reciprocate her feelings. In the film, she tells Boq he’s free to go after Glinda, whom he still loves, but he soon discovers a new rule: Munchkins now require travel permits, preventing his departure.

He goes back to Nessarose just before Elphaba arrives, hoping for her sister’s assistance. Through new lyrics in the song “The Wicked Witch of the East,” Nessarose reflects on their time at Shiz and blames Elphaba for her troubles. In the stage show, Elphaba magically empowers Nessarose’s silver shoes, allowing her to walk again. The movie version differs, showing Elphaba enchanting the shoes to make Nessarose float, after which she returns to using a wheelchair.

The film differs from the stage musical by showing Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding. Shortly before this, Elphaba arrives in the Emerald City and meets the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Glinda try to persuade her to join them, singing a new, extended version of “Wonderful” – a song that’s performed solo by the Wizard in the musical.

The Wizard reluctantly agrees to release the flying monkeys, but they betray Elphaba by leading her to a secret underground area where he’s imprisoned talking animals – including Doctor Dillamond, as seen in the musical. Furious, Elphaba sets all the animals free, and they cause chaos, disrupting Glinda and Fiyero’s wedding before they can exchange vows.

The film shows the exact moment Madame Morrible creates the cyclone that devastates Oz. We witness the storm sweeping across the land before it ultimately drops a house on Nessarose, who was searching for Boq at the time.

Similar to the stage show, Elphaba transforms Fiyero into the Scarecrow while attempting to rescue him from the guards. This time, however, viewers actually see the transformation happen, watching straw gradually cover his body.

Dorothy (played by Bethany Weaver) and her dog, Toto, are present in the story. While they aren’t directly shown in the stage production, the movie briefly features them. Viewers don’t see Dorothy’s face clearly, but they do catch a glimpse of her and her companions – Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion – as they travel to the Emerald City and receive their task from the Wizard: to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West. Near the film’s conclusion, Dorothy also has a line as she rushes to the Wizard, asking him to wait so she can go home.

Elphaba isn’t the only one expressing herself through music; Glinda sings about her own disappointments in “The Girl in the Bubble.” This song helps her understand she needs to change her life, so she leaves the Emerald City to find Elphaba and warn her about the Wizard’s plans.

Similar to the stage show, Elphaba and Fiyero create the illusion of Elphaba’s death so they can be together. However, the movie expands on what happens afterward, showing Doctor Dillamond returning to Shiz, Glinda studying the Grimmerie, and Elphaba and Fiyero venturing beyond Oz. The film also includes a nod to the musical’s famous imagery, ending with a flashback scene of Glinda and Elphaba mirroring the musical’s iconic poster.

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2026-01-04 13:18