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In this whimsical scene from “Wicked: For Good,” Jeff Goldblum performs a little magic, as well as his own stunts.
As the Wizard, he sings the song “Wonderful” alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda. The two are trying to convince Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) to join the Wizard and be content within his deceptive world.
The sequence involves a variety of practical effects, including an early moment in which the Wizard springs into the air on a weighted contraption. Goldblum was actually put on a rig to fly up toward the ceiling. “He had to train for that,” Chu said in his narration.
The sequence also involves a long Steadicam take (shot by Karsten Jacobsen) with a bit of a trick, in which Glinda disappears behind a green cloth and then reappears out of a bookcase. Chu said that this was executed in real time, with Grande running behind the set to arrive at the bookcase in time for her entrance.
A later moment, involving Glinda and Elphaba moving through a colorful room on a bench swing made from broomsticks, was meant to evoke something akin to a Disneyland ride, according to Chu. That swing was “a major engineering feat,” Chu said. “We literally built a ride.”
Read the “Wicked: For Good” review.
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Mekado Murphy writes about the world of movies and produces the Anatomy of a Scene video series.
The post Watch a ‘Wonderful’ Moment From ‘Wicked: For Good’ appeared first on New York Times.
