Wicked Songwriter Explains How Defying Gravity is a Big Reason Why the Movie is in Two Parts

The announcement that the big screen adaptation of Wicked was being split into two movies ended up splitting fans of the musical. While it seems strange to see why the under three hour musical would become two movies, and how that would impact big set pieces like the phenomenal central song of Defying Gravity, composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz has shed some light on why the movie had to become a two parter, and a lot of it comes down to that epic song.