Fans are eagerly awaiting to see Ariana Grande take on the role of Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming movie adaptation of the Wicked musical. Tony Award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba a.k.a. The Wicked Witch of the West, has nothing but praise for her co-star.
“I love her, truly,” Erivo told Variety. “She’s funny and unbelievably talented and unbelievably sweet and truly working hard. We’re both working really hard together.”
The Pinocchio actress added, “I’m excited for both of us.”
The upcoming Wicked adaptation has been split into two films, with the first half arriving in 2024. Erivo supports the move, adding, “It means that we have more of the story to tell — more room, more real estate to tell these two stories.”
The British actress noted that when she first heard the announcement, “I was like, ‘Well alright then, I guess we’ve got our work set ahead of us.'”
Wicked the Broadway musical was based off the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. So, it could be assumed elements from the book could make it into the movie adaptation.
As for Ariana, she previously told fans via her R.E.M. Beauty YouTube channel that it’s likely she won’t come out with new music until the Wicked movies are done.
The Grammy winner has coveted the role of Glinda since she was a child and is dedicating “every piece of me, every minute, every ounce of my heart, my time, my everything that I can give” to the role. “I am spending all my time with Glinda,” she previously said.
Ariana also praised Erivo, saying that starring opposite of the legend is “the most incredible gift of my entire life.”
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