Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will be defying gravity in the upcoming ‘WICKED’ movie
I figuratively and almost literally couldn’t breathe when I found out about the news. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will portray Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the amazing world of WICKED.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The musical has a huge following since its debut on Broadway, based on the best-selling novel of Gregory Maguire. The original show won three out of ten Tony awards, including the Best Actress in a Musical for Idina Menzel.
Subsequently, the film will be led by In the Heights director Jon M. Chu. He has been attached to the project since February. Casting rumors for the film’s two main roles has long been debated for years now regarding who should play who.
Wicked, the novel it’s based on, is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of everything leading up to Dorothy’s arrival in Oz.
The iconic roles have been played by legendary broadway actresses Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Elphaba was the former, who would become the Wicked Witch of the West. Meanwhile, Glinda is the Good Witch, played by the latter.
The film has been long-awaited by fans
Fans of both the novel and the musical have been crying for the Wicked film for several years now (with the inclusion of me and my friend). Instead, we got the horrendous musical we won’t be mentioning here (whispers: Cats).
The film was most recently handled by Stephen Daldry’s departure as director last October due to scheduling conflicts. The iconic man behind the music, Stephen Schwartz, will be returning to adapt the screenplay with Winnie Holzman. Marc Platt, who produced the Broadway musical, is set to also produce the film.
The announcement of Ariana and Cynthia of their castings
The stars announced their castings in respective Instagram posts on Thursday evening.
The “Sweetener” pop-star Ariana Grande sent a pink and green floral arrangement which signifies the signature colors of Glinda and Elphaba. She wrote,
“Dear Cynthia, honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz,”
On the other hand, Cynthia herself sent a bouquet to the singer, writing,
“‘Pink Goes Good With Green.’ Congratulations Miss A, The Part Was Made For You, I Look Forward To Sharing This Musical Journey With You. Love, Cynthia.”
These two empowered women are huge names in the industry. Ariana is a Grammy-winning pop star who got her start on Broadway in the musical 13 and acting in shows like Victorious and Sam & Cat.
Meanwhile, Cynthia received a Tony, Grammy, and Daytime Emmy award for her role as Celie in the 2015-2017 revival of The Color Purple.
We cannot wait for Ariana and Cynthia to give life to the role of Elphaba and Glinda!
