Deleted scenes from Wicked have been released, including one where Ariana Grande runs from flying monkeys. Watch them below.
- Read More: ‘Wicked’ review: hit musical makes gravity-defying leap to the big screen
The hit movie is an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name and stars Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba, two classmates at Shiz University who are on the path to becoming Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West respectively.
Wicked is set for a digital release tomorrow (December 31), and with it comes the reveal of additional scenes that were not included with the theatrical release.
Three scenes were released online over the weekend (December 27) via Entertainment Weekly and TODAY – one shows Glinda running Elphaba through social etiquette in order to be more popular, while another is a montage of the duo enjoying a train ride through Emerald City.
The last one, however, is more dramatic, with Glinda and Elphaba attempting to escape from the wrath of flying monkeys. Watch all three clips below.
Erivo recently revealed that she co-wrote a song that will appear in Wicked: For Good, its sequel and continuation of the musical adaptation due for release next year. She also confirmed that she will be releasing her debut album next year, not long before the second film comes out.
Wicked has been a major commercial hit in recent weeks and has been well-received by critics too. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “Wicked flags a little in the middle, but not enough to dampen a dramatic climax in which Elphaba and Glinda travel to Oz to meet the fabled Wonderful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Yeoh sell their brief musical numbers on twinkly charisma, but Erivo and Grande are both vocally extraordinary.”
“Crucially, they also have crackling chemistry punctuated by Erivo’s bursts of intensity and Grande’s slick comic timing. By the end, you won’t quite be levitating off your seat but you’ll definitely be enchanted enough to stream the soundtrack on the way home. Funny, colourful and full of empathy for outsiders, this film really is the Shiz.”
In other news, director Adam McKay has said that he thinks Wicked could be banned in three years’ time if the US “keeps going on the track it is”.