It’s good to see them, isn’t it? The casting has finally been announced for the film adaptation of Wicked, and we have our Elphaba and Glinda: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively. Wicked has been in development for years, but forward momentum on the project finally began when Jon M. Chu (In the Heights) was tapped as director.
Interestingly, Erivo recently participated in the PBS special “Wicked in Concert” singing one of Glinda’s songs (“I Couldn’t Be Happier”) while Grande previously appeared in the Wicked 15th anniversary special to sing Elphaba’s song “The Wizard and I.” Erivo is best known for her Tony Award winning role in The Color Purple, which also earned her a Grammy Award. In 2019 she was nominated for two Oscars for Harriet. Aside from her music career, Grande started her acting career on Broadway in 13 before appearing in Hairspray Live! in 2016.
There is no word yet on a release date for the film, but it will begin filming in summer 2022.
