Wicked: For Good stops short of ever showing Dorothy's face, but the actress who played her, Bethany Weaver, was understandably delighted to take over the role made famous by Judy Garland in 1939's The Wizard of Oz.
The events of Wicked: For Good unfold concurrently with The Wizard of Oz, but are widely accepted as an alternate take on that classic movie (trying to make the two stories fit together perfectly is near-impossible). Still, the sight of Dorothy walking down the Yellow Brick Road is iconic, and Weaver has now broken her silence on the role while sharing several behind-the-scenes photos.
"This has been a life changing experience, it’s changed me in so many ways and most importantly, for good," she wrote on Instagram (via SFFGazette.com). "It’s been an honor to carry the legacy of the brilliant women before me who have stepped into these shoes, and embarked on the yellow brick road."
"I hope I have made them proud. Thank you for the sheer volume of love, kind messages and support from all of my friends and family and the glorious wicked fans, I love you all so much," Weaver concluded.
Weaver, a relative newcomer who makes her feature film debut in Wicked: For Good, went on to thank filmmaker Jon M. Chu, writing, "A huge thank you to the best filmmaker of all time for choosing me to be your Dorothy in this wonderfully wicked universe called Oz. Thank you for contributing to starting my beginning.
She also expressed gratitude to Wicked: For Good's casting director, costume designer and make-up artists for helping her land and transform into the role of Dorothy. The Wizard of Oz is tangled up in complicated rights issues, so chances are we won't be seeing Weaver's Dorothy on screen again.
This past weekend, Wicked: For Good opened to $147 million in North America and $223 million worldwide. The sequel has set a record for Broadway adaptations domestically, shattering the debut of 2024's Wicked, which reached $112.5 million over the same pre-Thanksgiving frame.
Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.
Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award-nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.
Wicked: For Good arrives in theaters on November 21.