Filmmaker Jon M. Chu praises Cynthia Erivo's performance of Elphaba's big song in the epic musical movie. How Wicked: For Good director embraced a 'messy' mistake in 'No Good Deed' for emotional impact Filmmaker Jon M. Chu praises Cynthia Erivo's performance of Elphaba's big song in the epic musical movie. By Patrick Gomez :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/pgomezheadshot25b24b6c6d8948899ca9b24a6a9a6844.jpg) Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V.

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu praises Cynthia Erivo's performance of Elphaba's big song in the epic musical movie.

How Wicked: For Good director embraced a 'messy' mistake in 'No Good Deed' for emotional impact

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu praises Cynthia Erivo's performance of Elphaba's big song in the epic musical movie.

By Patrick Gomez

Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! News,' 'CNN,' and 'Nightline,' and can be seen frequently on 'Good Morning America.' Follow the Texas Native at @PatrickGomezLA wherever your media is social for all things 'For All Mankind' 'Top Chef,' and puppy related.

EW's editorial guidelines

November 26, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) in 'Wicked: For Good'. Credit:

- Director Jon M. Chu has high praise for Cynthia Erivo's performance of "No Good Deed," Elphaba's big *For Good* song.

- The filmmaker details how his star improvised new blocking that ended up in the final cut of the scene.

- Chu reveals the behind-the-scenes difficulties that made Ervio's performance even more impressive.

*Wicked: For Good* director Jon M. Chu is not one to play it cool when it comes to Cynthia Erivo's performance of "No Good Deed" in his new film.

"I think it's one of the greatest single performances of a musical sequence in a movie of all time," he tells **. "I just think she is a revelation."

"We already knew what she can do, she did it in 'Defying Gravity.' But 'No Good Deed' is not just a declaration, it is a struggle to find herself," he continues. "It is Elphaba surrendering to herself — and there's pain and anguish in that surrender. It's questioning her past."

Chu originally blocked Erivo on the move at the top of the song, something that required her to unrig from her harness mid-shot.

"She did those versions of it, but one time she was like, 'I don't want to unrig and do the whole thing, it's throwing me. Let me just do it here,'" Chu recalls. "And she does it, and she's just *in *it, and that's the take we use. That's why it's messy — because our camera [operator] didn't know it was happening. I forgot to tell them."

Using that take required some creative editing to get to the next shot, but Chu made it work because of the performance.

'Wicked: For Good' director explains why 'As Long as You're Mine' isn't intimate from the start

'Wicked: For Good' director reveals secret note Fiyero sent Elphaba that explains surprise ending

The director feels that "No Good Deed" could come across as "a one-note declaration," so he was eager to really provide the character a true examination of her past.

"When you go back and see Shiz again, it brings you back to her whole journey," he says of the flashback moments during the scene. "When you see Marissa [Bode] that way again, *Oh my God, Nessarose was so innocent*. And there was this moment where [Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero] looked back, and Elphaba looking at him, and then that creates this, *Did I miss my opportunity? How did this all go to s---?*"

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

There was practical production design, such as the columns, but also blue screen, so elements like the red lightning, fire, and flying monkeys could be added in later. (Chu also points out the cape with Fiyero's royal pattern on it.)

But ultimately, "every inch of it was about where Cynthia was taking us in this emotion," he concludes, still in awe of his star: "I mean, she's in a room alone, singing that while we're shooting this. There is nothing around her; she is making the whole f---ing scene. It's pretty awesome."

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

Read More

---

Source: Movies

Published: December 01, 2025 at 05:38PM on Source: ANDY MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle