Wicked: For Good is one of this fall’s most anticipated releases, but truth be told, there’s already a lot of pressure riding on this project to live up to the legacy of its source material: The Wizard of Oz. The musical presents itself as an alternative history of Oz, drawing inspiration from both L. Frank Baum’s original text and Gregory Maguire’s spinoff novel.

A sizable legacy follows anything even remotely adjacent to The Wizard of Oz. It’s one of the most popular movies of all time, and fans will understandably want to see the story done justice in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming sequel. However, those concerns about legacy and integrity should actually be directed elsewhere.

An ongoing Wizard of Oz exhibition at The Sphere in Las Vegas has recently come under fire for using generative AI to “enhance” the classic family movie for a 4D viewing experience. This included reducing the existing film grain, clearing up visuals, and even expanding certain scenes with new images to fill the huge screens at the Sphere.

This AI-modified exhibition sparked a heated debate about the importance of maintaining The Wizard of Oz‘s legacy without spoiling the beloved film. The update claims to be doing right by the Hollywood classic, but in one swift motion, Wicked: For Good has already proven that it better understands how to handle the weight of Oz’s legacy.

Wicked: For Good Will Reduce Dorothy’s Role From The Original Production

One of the most exciting aspects of Wicked 2 is the prospect of Elphaba and Glinda’s narratives finally lining up with Dorothy’s, as the story of Wicked catches up with The Wizard of Oz. This is a key aspect of the original stage production, and the early trailers for Wicked: For Good have confirmed it will also happen on-screen.

However, it was also confirmed through Empire that Wicked: For Good will significantly reduce Dorothy’s role in the story, ensuring she’s only seen from long distances or from behind. This means we may never even see Dorothy’s face in the movie. Cynthia Erivo explained the decision as ensuring that “everyone gets to keep the Dorothy they know.“

While many fans will be disappointed to see such a beloved character sidelined, the decision speaks to a much more important dynamic that Wicked has always wrestled with: its position within the Wizard of Oz franchise, and how to handle the heavy legacy of Victor Fleming’s acclaimed 1939 film.

Not showing Dorothy’s face is a very subtle, effective way of proving that Wicked isn’t trying to replace The Wizard of Oz in any way. It would have been almost impossible to improve upon Judy Garland’s original performance, so the movie isn’t even trying to. Wicked understands the weight of her legacy, and knows that altering it would never work.

Wicked 2 Is Handling The Wizard Of Oz’s Legacy Much Better Than The Sphere Show

Through this one simple decision, Wicked 2 is doing a far better job at interacting with The Wizard of Oz‘s enduring popularity than The Sphere’s controversial AI show. Where Wicked recognizes the importance of the film and refuses to change it, the show exists solely on that principle and hinges entirely on controversial, modern technology, rather than the movie’s own merit and quality.

While it’s great that the Wizard of Oz Sphere production is providing an opportunity for new audiences to watch this Hollywood classic in an immersive arena, with the necessary sound and visual design to bring it to life, it’s the use of generative AI to expand the visuals that most audiences rightly take issue with.

This dilutes the magic of The Wizard of Oz and undermines the creativity and inspiration that went into the original project. It’s hard to truly appreciate the staggering effort that fuels The Wizard of Oz — not to mention the deeply human performances — knowing that so much of the original product has been artificially altered.

Wicked: For Good could have easily cast one of Hollywood’s biggest names as Dorothy, including her in the trailer and plastering her all over the marketing to get audiences even more excited about the upcoming sequel. But, much like the Sphere show, this would have been exploiting the legacy of The Wizard of Oz to sell tickets and make money.

Instead, Wicked is clearly trying to forge its own idenтιтy as a companion piece to The Wizard of Oz, one that is enhanced by viewers’ own relationships with the original film. There’s so much original storytelling and exciting new music in Wicked 2 that prove it’s capable of standing on its own two feet and leaning gently on The Wizard of Oz for inspiration, not as any kind of creative support.

This is exactly how spinoff projects and modern reimaginings should utilize the legacy of Hollywood classics — as guidance to tell an original story without changing or impacting anything about the original. There are admittedly some changes in Wicked from the source material, but these are human, creative decisions that guide the story, not the technical work of artificial intelligence.