Director Jon M. Chu gave Wicked fans something truly special during its appearance at the BFI London Film Festival. Chu surprised the audience with an exclusive clip of Evil: forever and revealed some fascinating behind-the-scenes details that have fans even more excited to return to Oz.
The new footage, shown during Chu’s “LFF for Free” speech, features an emotional reunion between Elphaba, played by Cinzia Erivoand Glinda, played by Arianna Grande.
The scene takes place on Glinda’s wedding day and sees the two meet secretly after the dramatic events of Defying Gravity. In the clip, Glinda tearfully begs Elphaba to make peace with the Wizard. Before the conversation can take place, Elphaba vanishes into the chaos as the Wizard’s flying monkeys approach.
Chu also shared surprising behind-the-scenes details from the film, revealing that the iconic characters of the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, formerly Boq and Fiyero, were created entirely with practical effects. Chu joked:
“By the way, wait until you see the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. These aren’t digital effects. This is real, physical makeup and hair and it’s amazing. I couldn’t show you any footage here, but when you see it, know that there was no room for error.”
Chu also explained how significant the film’s title song, “For Good,” became during production. Both Erivo and Grande deliver emotional renditions of the beloved number, what Chu calls “the most beautiful and emotional version I’ve ever heard in my life.”
“That song is literally about what they do with their eyes. It’s the most covered song, it’s the song that everyone has heard many, many times and many different versions, but the advantage we have in that is that you know these characters.”
He continued:
“The way they sang it wasn’t almost singing, it was just like communicating. And you just had to let them do it and let them lead. It became like, ‘Filmmakers, get out of the way.'”
Initially, Chu shot the scene using sweeping, cinematic camera movements. But after months of editing, something wasn’t right. “It never felt right,” he admitted, explaining that he ultimately reworked it into a much more “intimate” sequence that captured the emotional core of the moment.
Both Evil AND Evil: forever were filmed back-to-back in the UK at NBCUniversal’s huge Sky Studios Elstree complex. The first Evil The film, released in late 2024, became a cultural and box office landmark, earning more than $750 million worldwide and earning 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Before concluding his speech, Chu teased his next big project: a film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice film Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat for Amazon Studios.
“It’s something that’s close to my heart. It’s my favorite show, but right now it’s hard to have any preconceptions.” [decide] how to do it with tone. But I love it so much and I think we’ve created something really fun.
With Evil: forever Promising practical magic, heartfelt performances and powerful emotional payoff, it’s shaping up to be another fascinating chapter in Chu’s cinematic journey through Oz.
Evil: forever arrives in theaters November 21st.
Source: variety
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
