Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wicked!
The Yellow Brick Road is one of the most famous pieces of iconography fromThe Wizard of Ozfranchise, and the 2024Wickedmovie has finally confirmed its true origins. Despite The Land of Oz being an incredibly fleshed-out world that has been explored in all kinds of books, movies, and TV shows, a lot of questions about the fantasy kingdom still remain. The origins of the Yellow Brick Road had never been fully explained in any piece ofOzmedia up until now, withWickedfinally putting a major franchise mystery to rest.
2024’sWickedis the first entry in a two-part adaptationof the beloved musical of the same name, with it focusing on Elphaba and highlighting how the Wicked Witch of the West became wicked.Wickedonly covers act one of the play, with it mostly taking place before the events ofThe Wizard of Oz, with the only exceptions being a few flash-forwards. Because of this,the Yellow Brick Road doesn’t exist yet during the events ofWicked, with the 2024 movie setting some time aside to explain how the iconic road came to be.
The Wizard Lets Them Pick
As it turns out,Wickedreveals that protagonistsElphaba and Glinda are actually responsible for choosing the Yellow Brick Road’s yellow color. Near the end ofWicked, Elphaba and Glinda finally make it to the Emerald City, with the duo finally getting to encounter the mythical Wizard of Oz. After realizing who they are, Oz drops his great and powerful shtick and decides to give the two a behind-the-scenes look at his plan for Oz. This is a big deal, as this choice leads to Elphaba and Glinda changing the Land of Oz forever.
Every Song In Wicked, Ranked
The Wicked movie brought all the songs from the Broadway musical’s first act to the screen, and though each is great, they weren’t created equal.
The Wizard shows Elphaba and Glindaa miniature model that he has built of Oz, with this model containing some major changes that he hopes to implement during his initiative to rebuild Oz. Among other things, this model contains a massive road that leads from the four provinces of Oz directly to the Emerald City. While the Wizard has already determined that this road will be made out of bricks, he explains that he cannot decide what color he wants the bricks to be, with him asking Elphaba and Glinda for some advice.
It May Be A Manipulation Tactic
The Wizard shows Elphaba and Glinda that he has rigged the model to light the road up with different colors, with him flashing through a few options. While the duo doesn’t seem to be wild about proposed colors like red, green, and purple, Glinda’s eyes light up when Elphaba turns them yellow. Glinda suggests that The Wizard choose the color yellow for the bricks, with The Wizard agreeing. This may seem like a small decision in the moment, but it actually led to the creation of the Yellow Brick Road.
While this isn’t explicitly explained byWicked, it can be assumed that this was a form of manipulation by The Wizard.The Wizard has already proven himself to be a manipulative con man, with it being clear that he wants Elphaba and Glinda on his side from the very beginning. By letting Glinda choose the colors of the bricks, The Wizard could be trying to show her the power that she will have if she aligns herself with him, something that seems to work based on where the story ofWickedgoes.
It Would Be Expected That She Would Pick Pink
One of the biggest questions surroundingWicked’s Yellow Brick Road scene has to do with why Glinda chose the color yellow. Up until this point,pink was the defining color of Glinda’s character, with her clothes, luggage, and even musical numbers being covered in pink. Because of this, it would be expected that Glinda would want the road to be pink, with her yellow decision seemingly coming out of nowhere.
10 Ways Wicked Is Different To 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz
Wicked is based on the world in The Wizard of Oz, but the new musical is different from the original film and book in several notable ways.
Although Glinda does love pink, she has an eye for fashion and aesthetics, with her knowing that things can’t just be pink. Glinda may have chosen yellow because it was the most aesthetically pleasing, with pink feeling less natural. The train of thought that led to this decision will probably never be explained in the nextWickedmovie, and while it is interesting to think about, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
