Director Jon M. Chu has confirmed that the wedding scene in Wicked: For Good, debuting in 2025, draws inspiration from his previous film, Crazy Rich Asians, particularly in its visual style and dramatic execution. The Jon M. Chu wedding scenes in the film have caught attention for their resemblance to the opulent and symbolic ceremony depicted in his earlier hit.
Visual Parallels and Creative Process Behind the Wedding Scene
Audiences and critics quickly pointed out similarities between Wicked: For Good’s wedding sequence and the memorable wedding in Crazy Rich Asians, as images of Glinda’s ceremony started to appear during the film’s promotional rollout. Both weddings are set in lush, forest-inspired environments and feature the bride walking alone down the aisle, a creative decision that Chu has openly acknowledged and discussed.
“I want a yellow brick road with yellow butterflies, and I want her to walk, and I want these butterflies to flutter up when she’s walking,”
said Jon M. Chu, via The Hollywood Reporter.
“I think it could be the most beautiful thing. And, yes, it did evoke a little bit of that Crazy Rich Asians feel, but in real life, because in Oz, it’s all possible.”
— Jon M. Chu, Director
The fantastical world of Oz provided Chu with creative freedom, sparking bold ideas for the scene—including concepts like an airborne orchestra accompanying the nuptials. However, production limitations related to time and budget shaped the final version, resulting in a wedding ceremony that, while still visually rich, was more minimalist than some earlier designs imagined.
Design Choices: Balancing Bizarre and Simple for Oz
Chu worked closely with the wedding design team, urging them repeatedly to amplify the imagination and eccentricity fitting for Oz. He described a process marked by numerous revisions:
“I think I brought our wedding design team in like six times,”
says Chu.
“killing each of their designs being like, ‘This is Oz. Think crazier. Think weirder. Think bizarre. This is not a regular wedding,’ and they did it every time. And I was never really satisfied. And in the end, I think we went back to one of the most simple versions.”
— Jon M. Chu, Director
The creative tension culminated in a ceremony that is both understated and atmospheric, reinforcing the emotional complexity at the heart of Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Fiyero’s (Jonathan Bailey) wedding.
Deeper Meaning and Symbolism Embedded in the Ceremony
The wedding scene is not just a visual spectacle; it also serves as a pivotal narrative moment. While Glinda, portrayed as the regime’s spokesperson, embarks on her wedding ceremony, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo)—depicted as a vigilante activist—is simultaneously unveiling a dark secret, discovering a chamber of caged animals within the palace. This subplot intersects with the wedding as Elphaba sets the animals free, causing a chaotic stampede through the ceremony. In the universe of Wicked, the yellow brick road itself is tainted, having been constructed through forced animal labor, which charges the imagery of butterflies fluttering along its path with further meaning.
Costume designer Paul Tazewell, discussing Glinda’s bridal look, emphasized the intentional delicacy and narrative layering:
“All of it is operating as someone like Glinda, her idea of a perfect wedding. It speaks of Madame Morrible and the Wizard and orchestrating this as an image of good.”
— Paul Tazewell, Costume Designer
Glinda and Fiyero, framed by Oz’s ruling figures as the ideal couple, serve as key symbols in the regime’s carefully orchestrated propaganda, their wedding staged to convey unity and benevolence.
Production, Cast, and the Lasting Impact of Chu’s Style
Wicked: For Good stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, with Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero. The cast brings depth to characters caught between personal desires and political manipulation, while Jon M. Chu’s distinctive directorial style is evident in each frame of the wedding sequence. His attention to aesthetic detail, as seen previously in Crazy Rich Asians, is now woven into the fabric of Oz, reinforcing his reputation for crafting grand and emotionally charged events on screen.
Much like his work on Crazy Rich Asians, Chu’s approach to the Jon M. Chu wedding scenes in Wicked: For Good merges lavish production design with rich symbolism. While not all original conceptual elements made it into the final version due to practical constraints, the result is both visually arresting and narratively layered, likely resonating with fans of Chu’s filmography and those drawn to the nuanced themes of Wicked itself.
As Wicked: For Good continues its theatrical run, viewers may find renewed appreciation for how Chu’s creative fingerprints bridge his past and present works, and for the intricate ways in which a single ceremony can reflect larger conflicts within the story.
