Warning: Some Spoilers lie ahead for Wicked!Wicked may have taken audiences back to the magical world of Oz, but Elphaba star Cynthia Erivo has revealed how the movie’s depiction of magic was very much rooted in the real world. Given that this year’s musical adaptation only adapted the source material's first act, leaving part two to be depicted in 2025’s Wicked: For Good, the first movie concludes after Erivo’s Elphaba discovers that the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are merely using her to read from the sacred Grimmerie spellbook to further their plans to subjugate Oz’s Animal population.

Speaking with Elle, Erivo revealed how she helped shape the critical scene when her character is seen reading from the Grimmerie, and unintentionally causes the Wizard’s monkey guards to sprout wings. Explaining that the original spells were based on Latin, Erivo asked to...