Ariana Grande Reveals The ‘Best Line’ From Wicked That Was Ultimately Cut From The Movie
Wicked has taken the world by storm since its November 22nd release. The fans have pronounced their love for the film, with some liking the movie more than the Broadway show even though there are some notable alterations. As for the cinematic cuts that had to be made, one of the biggest Ozians out there, Ariana Grande, revealed that one of the ‘best lines’ was taken out of the end version.
With award season happening and Wicked Part 2 on the 2025 movie schedule horizon, the movies’ cast and crew are still booked and busy. Grande attended the Palm Springs International Film Awards and shared with Variety while on the carpet her favorite line that got nixed. She claimed she loved them all but a particular moment during the train departure scene won her heart. She said:
I love them all. They all have a cozy spot in my heart. I love the train station scene with Boq (Ethan Slater) and Elphaba (Erivo). That’s one of my favorite lines.
This point in the movie is a huge hinging scene where a lot is going on below the surface but not present just yet. It’s no surprise the singer and actress gravitate toward this time and place within the story.
She specifically shared that the exchange happens between Boq and Elphaba and wanting one another to share their truths. And that when she and her acting coach read through it for the first time, marked the line.
The first time I read the script that line Boq says, ‘Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought we were being honest,’ me and my acting coach Nancy Banks, we put so many hearts around because we were like, ‘That’s the best line in the whole movie.’
It is arguably one of the most important key parts of the story overall. In this cut scene, Boq and Elphaba confront one another about who they love and while he owns up to her assumptions, she denies his claims. You can find the deleted scene online, and its a sequence that doesn’t exist in the Broadway musical. Grande and her acting coach aren’t wrong, it highlights an incredibly important part of Elphaba’s character and complexity in a way some viewers may not have grasped. Hopefully, that deleted scene, amongst the others Grande promised director Jon M. Chu had stored get released soon.
The reception of the movie from big directors, including George Lucas, has been affirming and exciting for Chu to receive. The Crazy Rich Asians director has been sharing teasers for Part 2 and has me excited with what he’s promising, not to mention being able to watch it in its entirety. And now, the Oscar race for Part 1 got more interesting after Wicked only received a single Golden Globe.
We’ll just have to wait and see once everything is released–films and footage–to see for ourselves, hopefully they’ll have an extended version someday. As for the cuts, I’m glad they are being released online, including the ‘best line.’
Wicked is playing in theaters now and is available on VOD services, and the second film will arrive on November 21st.
