Ariana Grande's 'Best Dress' Mysteriously Got Cut From Wicked: For Good & We Won't Let Her Outfit Be Forgotten

When director Jon M. Chu's magical fantasy "Wicked: For Good" hit theaters on November 21, fans across the globe were thrilled to visit the magical land of Oz again — and, of course, see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande back in their glorious roles. While the film has only been in theaters for a few days, it's already garnered blockbuster status, earning $150 million at the box office during its opening weekend in the United States alone (surpassing the $114 million the first installment, "Wicked," made during its first weekend). The two leading ladies once again gave us breathtaking performances, and it's safe to say that we'll watch this sequel over and over again.

Universal Studios

That said, we tend to pay extra attention to costumes, and we couldn't help but notice that one of Glinda's best dresses didn't make the film's final cut. The look remains a part of the promotional posters and trailers, but the spiraling bubblegum-pink dress that ends in an Elphaba-green hue was entirely cut from the sequel. "Literally her best dress," one fan gushed on X. "So sad this was cut," another fan commented under an Instagram post of the dress on the film's official account. 

This dress showcases incredible craftsmanship, but it's the subtle addition of green tulle underneath the pink that makes this costume instantly memorable to us. It's a clear nod to Elphaba's impact on Glinda, which we can only imagine Madame Morrible (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh) would despise — but now we'll never know if this green would have her seeing red. Ultimately, the fact that we've been deprived of seeing this dress on the big screen should be considered a fashion crime. Too harsh? Perhaps, but costumes play a big role in fairy-tale worlds like Oz — and leaving this one out was some truly wicked behavior considering it's a perfect bridge between her preppy days and her period of character growth.

Even though we're incredibly disappointed that one of Glinda's best looks was cut from the film, we can't deny that the costumes that did make it were fabulous. Many Ariana Grande outfits scream Glinda from "Wicked," and the first film's costuming was beautiful, so we expected the character's wardrobe to be incredible this time around, too. And thankfully, it was! Costume designer Paul Tazewell put together gorgeous ensembles, even describing Glinda's first outfit in the sequel (pictured left above) to Harper's Bazaar as a "Marie Antoinette meets Dior" look. "It reflects back to a time when goodness was aligned with politeness, was aligned with beauty," he explained. "It was very curated, and it didn't actually reflect reality. There's great depth, and I think that that's what comes out so beautifully in the way that that character is written for Glinda, but also in the way that Ariana Grande plays her role."

Perhaps the most significant fashion moment for Glinda in "Wicked: For Good" is her failed wedding to Fiyero (played by Jonathan Bailey). Tazewell revealed that the original wedding dress looked entirely different from what ended up being in the film. "We started with a silhouette that had more going on. There was more going on in the upper part, and we made the conscious decision to strip much of that away, because we needed to see more vulnerability in her character," he detailed, adding that the piece reminded him of Audrey Hepburn. The final dress ended up being perfect in our eyes, especially given the chaos that ensues on her wedding day.

Overall, Tazewell was the best choice for this project, and his vision comes to life perfectly on the screen. Now, we just hope that an extended version that features the cut dress is released at some point.