Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo To Star In Jon M. Chu’s ‘Wicked’ Musical Adaptation

With films like Dear Evan Hansen and In The Heights coming out in 2021, it appears Hollywood is well into the business of adapting major Broadway musicals for the big screen. Up next, Universal Pictures will adapt Wicked and, as first reported by Variety, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will lead that film’s cast.

Per the initial report, Grande will portray Glinda while Erivo tackles the role of Elphaba. Moreover, In The Heights director, Jon M. Chu will direct the feature. Stephen Schwartz, who wrote both the music and lyrics to the Broadway show, is adapting the script alongside Winnie Holzman (Once and Again).

Wicked is a Broadway musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, itself a retelling of the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The production tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch as they struggle through opposing personalities. Its original stars included Frozen star Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda.

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Ariana Grande is a two-time Grammy Award-winning performer known around the world for hit songs like “Thank U, Next” and “34+35.” Additionally, the former Sam & Cat actress will next appear alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Netflix’s Don’t Look Up. Meanwhile, Cynthia Erivo’s honors include an Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award. The multi-hyphenate will next join Tom Hanks and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Disney’s upcoming remake of the animated classic Pinocchio.

What do you think? Are these the best choices for the cast of Wicked? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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