Wicked, Universal Pictures’ film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, has found Elphaba and Glinda in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively. The film adaptation is being helmed by In the Heights director Jon M. Chu.
Erivo and Grande posted their reactions to hearing the casting news from Chu himself.
Erivo, who is near EGOT-status with her Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards for her role in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple, is no stranger to musical adaptations. The actress is also set to appear in Disney’s live-action musical, Pinocchio. She also recently appeared as Aretha Franklin in the anthology period drama, Genius. Erivo also performed at the Wicked 15th Anniversary Special.
Best known for her Grammy-winning music, Grande got her start on Broadway in the musical 13 and expanded her acting credits to television and film. Grande has a close connection with the musical. Like Erivo, Grande performed at the Wicked 15th Anniversary Special and happens to be good friends with Broadway’s original Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth. As a fan of Grande, I am excited to hear her version of “Popular” — especially since she was featured in Mika’s rendition of the song.
The project is currently in pre-production and is set to begin filming in the summer of 2022 in the U.K.
