Based on the Broadway musical inspired by Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Evil stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda. The story is divided into two parts and Evil: forever is set to premiere on November 21, 2025. While fans have nearly a year to wait for the conclusion, Part 1 will be available to purchase or rent on Digital starting December 31. clips, deleted scenes and more.
Evil left fans with several lingering questions, which director Jon M. Chu teases may be answered in Part 2. While admitting it's all done with intention, Chu wants audiences to draw their own conclusions after watching the film. In addition to Erivo and Grande-Butera, Evil starring Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Peter Dinklage, Aaron Teoh, Grecia De la Paz, Colin Michael Carmichael, Adam James, Andy Nyman, Courtney Mae- Briggs, Sharon D. Clarke and Jenna Boyd.
In celebration of the home launch, TelaRant interviews Evil director Jon M. Chu and choreographer Christopher Scott on why Fiyero was unaffected by Elphaba's magic, the mysterious knight, and Gelphie's pivotal scene in the Ozdust Dance in Part 1.
Director Jon M. Chu wants fans to “seethe” on one of Wicked’s most frequently asked questions
"They'll have to figure it out along the way or come up with their own interpretation."
ScreenRant: What was the hardest scene to be in in the final cut of Evil?
Jon M. Chu: Each one. We had a three hour and 15 minute version of this film that I loved. I thought, “This is the movie,” and they said, “It can’t take that long, can it?” I was like, “I know, we should probably cut it.” So every scene was really difficult to cut. I thought the promise was probably one of the last things we cut between Elphaba and Glinda. Just: “I promise I’ll never leave you behind again.” I think their work on this is so impressive. That Glinda is giving in her vulnerability and trying to be a true friend to Elphaba, seeing Elphaba make that promise was just beautiful.
The reality is that two scenes later on the train we already knew she had made this promise, so inviting her onto the train didn't hold the tension we needed, but once we got it out, we were wondering how they were going to resolve this. And so for storytelling purposes, it really helped in those scenes. So there are many things. Boq and Elphaba's scene where they talk about the truth. I think Ethan is just amazing and watching him work with Cynthia, that scene is really profound. But you'll get more of that in movie two.
There have been many theories out there. Is there anything you can suggest about why Fiyero wasn't affected by Elphaba's magic in Part 1?
Jon M. Chu: Oh, I have a lot of answers that I consider to be, and it's probably not my place to convey that to people. They will have to figure it out along the way or come up with their own interpretation. That's the fun thing about movies. There's definitely intention and things in all of this, whether it's a subconscious intention on her part or whether it's a real thing that's happening. I'll let people think about that for a little while longer.
People also wondered about the pilot at the beginning of Part 1. Is that something we'll find out in the second film?
Jon M. Chu: I'm surprised they didn't realize it the first time. It took people three times to realize there was a person on that horse, and what horse is that? There are a lot of tidbits in movie one that you might not already know about until you watch movie two. So this could be one of those.
Source: ScreenRant Plus
Choreographer Christopher Scott shares why Glinda and Elphaba's moment at the Ozdust Ball had to feel real
“It’s not about being a bad dancer. It’s about her being a different dancer.”
I'd love to see if you have any advice for anyone trying to recreate the dance from "What Is This Feeling?"
Christopher Scott: My biggest advice is to just have fun with it. People are like, “Oh, I messed up at that step.” I'm like, "I love it. Do it how you do it. Do it how you want to do it." The steps had to be created so that the professional dancers and professional actors in the film were done exactly as we wanted. Now it's yours. Have fun with it, dance, involve your family, gather your co-workers. I love seeing it bring people together. That's what it's all about.
We also have to talk about the dance between Glinda and Elphaba. What emotions were you trying to portray when you put this all together? It's a little silly, it's really exciting, and it's a turning point in their story.
Christopher Scott: For me, it was always like, “What makes sense in this real moment?” It just needs to be real. I think when you're on camera and dealing with film, and you can get straight to the point, you just have to come from a place of reality. I had a lot of deep conversations with Cynthia, and there was always one thing where it was like, she's not going to be a bad dancer in this, because she's not like that. It's not about being a bad dancer. It's about her being a different dancer.
So that was the approach. And from then on, it was just a process of experiencing it to know if we were on the right path. It wasn't just like, “Okay, here's a dance. Let’s hope it works.” It was like, "Here are some ideas. Here are some moves. Let's develop them. Let's keep everyone else out of the process. Let's bring Ari in when it feels right. We're not going to teach her anything too much."
If she really should follow Elphaba, then let's let her really follow, and let's see if that's reality, because musicals are sometimes difficult, and people always have that thing where, “I don't understand why they start singing and to dance. " So for me, that's my job, is to make sure there's a reality to it, so that when people watch it, even if they still believe in musicals, they can at least watch it in a way like, "Oh, that didn't surprise me." And to do that, you need to have a process.
Source: ScreenRant Plus
More about Wicked Part 1 (2024)
Produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Jon M. Chu
Evilthe untold story of the witches of Oz, starring the powerful Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway's The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has not yet discovered her true identity. power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University, in the fantastic Land of Oz, and create an unlikely but deep friendship. After an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unwavering desire for popularity causes her to be seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself and those around her will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately lead them to fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Check out our others Evil interviews here: