Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked Connections Prove They’re Perfect For Their Roles

The film adaptation of Wicked stars Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and a new teaser proved they were perfectly cast for their roles. With Grande and Erivo in the lead roles, Wicked has a star-studded cast that includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and more. Wicked was perfectly cast 21 years ago with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel when it first premiered on Broadway, so there was a lot of pressure for the movies to nail the casting as well.

The upcoming Wicked movies will be split into two parts, Wicked – Part 1 to be released on November 24, 2024, and Wicked – Part 2 to be released the following year. Though the two-part split caused some controversy among those familiar with the stage show, splitting Wicked into two films will allow more development for the story and characters. Wicked is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novels, which were based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The books provide much to be adapted, and Wicked could even improve on the original musical.

Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Have History With Wicked The Musical

Both Actresses Have Emotional Connections To Their Roles

A new Wicked trailer will be released on May 13, 2024. Ahead of this release, the official X/Twitter account for the Wicked movies posted a behind-the-scenes teaser that included new shots from filming, interviews with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and even their live reactions to finding out they’d been cast in the films. The post was captioned “the dream of a lifetime,” referencing Grande and Erivo’s connection to the stage musical and how they feel about starring in the Wicked movies.

Grande, 30, shared that she first saw the Broadway production of Wicked with the original cast when she was 10 and felt an “immediate bond” to the material. Erivo, 30, first saw the show on her 25th birthday and had “never heard anything or seen anything like it.” For both Grande and Erivo, Glinda and Elphaba were dream roles that are now finally coming true. They had very emotional reactions to being cast, showing just how much being a part of the Wicked films means to them.

Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Want To Do Wicked Justice

The Movies Will Honor The Original Stage Show

The video served as a teaser and behind-the-scenes look at the Wicked films, but it was also a tribute to the stage musical, which is a good sign for the adaptation. As director Jon M. Chu put it, he wants people to see Wicked and “experience it in a way they’ve never experienced it before.” They don’t just want to remake the Broadway version of Wicked for the screen, they want to honor and improve upon it. Chu added that he wants viewers to “feel what [he] felt going into that theater for the first time.”

The leads and director of Wicked were fans of the show first, which means they’re approaching the project as people who love it. Thus, they have Wicked’s best interest at heart, which should allow other fans to take a deep sigh of relief. The best adaptations come from those who truly love the source material, as they know what makes it special. With Wicked having such a long history and a large fanbase, the teaser video is the perfect way to get them excited for what’s to come.