Video: Cynthia Erivo Flies and Sings Live in WICKED's 'Defying Gravity'

Defying Gravity is one of the most memorable songs in the Wicked stage musical and, for the new movie, the filmmakers and performers didn't cut any corners when bringing the sequence to life. 

"I knew, going into this, that stunts would be needed," Elphaba star Cynthia Erivo shares in a new video. "And I knew that I wanted to do my own stunts," the performer adds. For the big number, Erivo wore a harness and sang the vocals life on set, all while flying through the air. "Has it ever happened in a movie before?" asks director Jon M. Chu in the behind-the-scenes video. 

In the video, viewers can clearly see Erivo's many skills on full display as she films the musical number against a blue screen. "When it works, it really does feel like magic," she shares. Watch the new video now.

The Wicked film adaptation stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. The first part will be released on November 22, 2024, with Part Two hitting theaters on November 21, 2025.