Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey cut passionate scene from ‘Wicked: For Good’

Note: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good, now in theaters.

Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey had a romantic scene in Wicked: For Good, but it was ultimately cut from the final film.

The film’s screenwriter, Dana Fox, told Deadline that Grande, 32, and Bailey, 37, filmed the scene in which their characters, Glinda and Fiyero, kiss.

As Fox, 49, explained, the scene didn’t make the cut because it cuts to Fiyero’s final decision to side with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and go all-in on her romance with the so-called Wicked Witch of the West.

“There was a scene where Fiyero and Glinda kissing that was cut out. It was romantic and beautiful, but it was a little too passionate,” Fox said when asked which scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film that he wished had remained. (The screenwriter revealed that he felt the film’s deleted scenes were “cut for exactly the right reasons.”)

“It was too painful to watch that and see him make the choice to be with Elphaba and to be okay with Elphaba running away with him,” Fox said.

“It was so real that he and Glinda actually felt something together. It felt like he really loved her. That’s how much he cares about Glinda. Don’t get me wrong, he loves her in a different way.”

Never miss a news. Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to human interest stories.

PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, 37, plays Fiyero, a prince whose loyalty and love are divided between Grande’s Glinda and Erivo’s Elphaba during the two-part version of Wicked.

In Wicked: For Good, Fiyero and Glinda become engaged as the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) tries to maintain control of the land during his conflict with Elphaba.

Elphaba interrupts Fiyero and Glinda’s wedding by freeing the animals imprisoned by the wizard, and Fiyero leaves his engagement to Glinda and eventually joins Elphaba. Fox wouldn’t reveal to Deadline when the scene between Fiyero and Glinda took place, but told the publication, “The scene was too romantic.”

“It was like, ‘Oh, we don’t know that, because in the end, if he doesn’t choose her, our brains will explode. And we’re going to hate Elphaba and Glinda and Fiyero,'” she added. “So I think this was a good cut because it was too adorable and out of hand.”

Fox also addressed the rampant speculation that a third Wicked film will be in the works, especially considering that For Good broke box office records in its opening weekend.

“Well, I would be honored if someone asked me to be in Wicked 3,” she said. “And I think they’re such beloved characters that I think what they were doing, the moment where Elphaba says in voiceover, for me, ‘I know she’ll never know we’re alive.’ I felt like someone was asking me to know that I was alive at some point. …I would be happy to see them again someday. ”

Fox said her daughter “personally hopes for a prequel” to the story, but added: “Sometimes I think the best things in life are the things you want to cherish, like the most delicate treasures.”

“And sometimes that means not stepping on something very good,” she added.

Wicked: For Good is currently in theaters.