Despite the box office and critical disappointment of “Dear Evan Hansen,” Hollywood is still really excited about the possibilities of bringing famous Broadway musicals to the big screen. This year alone, we’ve had the aforementioned “Dear Evan Hansen,” “In the Heights,” and in December, “West Side Story.” And one of the biggest musicals of all time, “Wicked,” is now bringing in two incredibly talented singers to bring that show to life in film.
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According to Universal, director Jon M. Chu has cast Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to lead the cast of his upcoming film adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical, “Wicked.” In the film, Erivo will play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Grande will play Glinda the Good Witch. The musical is inspired by “The Wizard of Oz” but from the perspective of the witches in that magical land. In the original run on Broadway, those roles were played by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, respectively.
Erivo is no stranger to taking on incredible roles that require her to sing. Of course, she is a Tony-winning star from the 2016 revival of “The Color Purple.” And in films and TV series, she’s used her vocal talents in projects such as “Bad Times at the El Royale” and “Aretha.” She also earned an Oscar nomination for her recent portrayal of Harriet Tubman in the drama, “Harriet.”
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On the other hand, Ariana Grande is still fairly new to the world of film. She’s one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, selling millions of records, but she has a very limited filmography that includes “Zoolander 2,” “Underdogs,” and the forthcoming “Don’t Look Up.” Her role in “Wicked” is going to be the biggest film role she’s had so far. Of course, she’s no stranger to acting, having starred in the Nickelodeon series, “Victorious.”
Filming on “Wicked” is expected to begin in Summer 2022.