The Wicked: For Good promo cycle is well underway. Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), and Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard) have started doing several interviews. The lead actresses are also hosting a TV special in honor of the Wicked saga.
Meanwhile, Universal Pictures has been releasing different variants of the Wicked: For Good poster based on theatrical experiences like IMAX, D-Box, Cinemark XD, and 4DX, among others. They’re all absolutely stunning, but one of them in particular activated Oz fanatics in a really beautiful and meaningful way: The RealD 3D poster.
A wise woman named Laganja Estranja once said, “Oh, y’all wanted a twist, eh?”
There are two noteworthy Easter eggs in the RealD 3D poster. One of them is more obvious: Elphaba’s silhouette is the background for the actors on this Wicked: For Good poster.
But “there is another,” a Jedi Master once said.
Over the last 24 hours, Wicked and The Wizard of Oz stans have been dissecting the poster and claiming that it includes a nod to Margaret Hamilton — the actress who played the original Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 musical classic The Wizard of Oz. On the other hand, many fans are still having a hard time finding what everyone is talking about.
If you didn’t immediately clock that second Easter egg on the poster, fear not! This discourse started almost a full day after the poster dropped, precisely because it wasn’t that obvious. Even placing them side by side doesn’t immediately reveal this hidden reference, as seen below.
(LEFT) Margaret Hamilton in-character as Miss Gulch, a.k.a. The Wicked Witch of the West, in MGM’s 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz; (RIGHT) the RealD 3D poster of Wicked: For Good.Virgil Apger/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images; Universal Pictures
In order to actually see the reference, you have to flip the poster upside down.
As seen below, a Margaret Hamilton silhouette can indeed be identified on the poster. What's more, Erivo’s profile silhouette and Hamilton’s profile silhouette are beautifully intertwined.
(LEFT) Margaret Hamilton in-character as Miss Gulch, a.k.a. The Wicked Witch of the West, in MGM’s 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz; (RIGHT) the RealD 3D poster of Wicked: For Good. (ELEMENTS) Arrows by Out.com.Virgil Apger/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images; Universal Pictures; Out.com
The role of the Wicked Witch of the West was famously turned down by several huge actresses in the 1930s who didn’t want to be seen as witches. The characterization of the character — green skin, prosthetic nose — were other key factors that actresses took issue with.
Margaret Hamilton, who hadn’t yet done that many huge roles in film and was mostly known as a theater actress, did not have those concerns. And, by taking that chance, Hamilton ended up originating one of the most iconic characters in film history.
Given how much thought and care has gone into the Wicked movies whenever it references the classic The Wizard of Oz film, this is yet another gorgeous nod to the original MGM musical film. The two actresses who played different versions of the same Wicked Witch on the big screen are, in this poster, reflecting each other.
To quote Drag Race star Laganja just once more: “If it ain’t green, ha! I’m not interested, OK?”
Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on Friday, November 21.
Years before Stonewall, a cafeteria riot became a breakthrough for trans rights
All about the Compton's Cafeteria riot, when drag queens and trans women rose up against police at a diner in San Francisco.