Director Jon M. Chu has revealed new insights into his approach to the song “I’m Not That Girl” in the highly anticipated Wicked movie, explaining how he changed its pacing and emotional tone to make it more impactful.
The song, a heartfelt ballad sung by Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo), expresses the character’s feelings of being an outsider—a theme that has resonated with audiences, especially young women, for over 20 years since Wicked debuted on Broadway.
For the film adaptation, Chu wanted to create a more emotional and personal experience for viewers. He explains, “She’s starting in the forest, and it goes silent, and she’s the one who brings the music in.” He adds that this shift in the song’s intro required collaboration with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, asking, “What if we don’t have that intro music? Can we come in differently?” Chu was keen to avoid the feeling of a typical musical break, focusing instead on a smooth, emotional transition.
Additionally, Chu chose to slow down the song’s pacing to deepen its melancholy tone. “It’s much slower,” he says. “We wanted to pace it down because it was a different type of song. You just wanted to hesitantly explore this question.” This slower version of the song is set to give I’m Not That Girl a new, more intimate feel that matches the emotional journey of Elphaba’s character.
The Wicked movie, titled Wicked: For Good, is slated for release on November 21, 2025, and fans can expect this new interpretation of the iconic song to be a key moment in the film.
