Wicked director Jon M. Chu reveals that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's auditions for Glinda and Elphaba brought him to tears. Since its Broadway debut back in 2003, audiences have been calling for the musical phenomenon to be adapted for the silver screen. The Tony-award-winning show saw Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originate the now-iconic roles that made Wicked the beloved musical it is today and propelled it into theatres across the globe.
Rumors have circulated for years of a Wicked movie adaptation, with several big names being thrown around in discussions of who would secure the highly coveted lead roles. Last November, more than a decade on from the very first announcement that Wicked would one day hit the big screen, fans finally got confirmation that Grande and Erivo were heading to Oz, tackling the roles of Glinda and Elphaba, respectively. With In The Heights director Chu set to helm the project, which will begin filming this summer, many were delighted that the long-awaited adaptation would finally begin moving forward.
Now, Chu offers some insight into the rigorous casting process for Wicked and reveals just why these two stars were chosen for their parts. Taking to Twitter, he shares a series of screenshots that provided some more background to the Wicked audition process. Chu explains that everyone had to audition, stating that "nobody had a free pass" and that there were no straight offers. The director calls the entire process "ridiculously moving" and says the "whole room was in tears" as Grande and Erivo "earned their roles." Chu goes on to express his appreciation for every actor that came in to audition for the roles of Glinda and Elphaba and teases that filming would be starting soon. Check out Chu's tweet below:
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Confirmation of Grande and Erivo's castings hit the internet with a series of screenshots of the pair finding out they had got their parts via Zoom. Original Elphaba actor Menzel even reached out to congratulate the stars and wish them luck within the role that the Frozen star says changed her life. Fans were also quick to point out that, back in 2011, Grande had tweeted about "how badly" she wanted to play Glinda in a very sweet full-circle moment for the pop singer. Many of the details surrounding Wicked's adaptation have been kept under wraps up until this point, and this secrecy is expected to continue until much closer to the film's release.
Given that the story of Wicked centers around the idea of good vs evil and focuses heavily on the unlikely friendship that blossoms between Glinda and Elphaba, it's not surprising to hear that the auditions were an incredibly emotional time for Chu and the casting team. As for who will join Grande and Erivo, that remains to be seen, as very little else has been confirmed at this time. However, it is likely that any co-stars will also have experienced a similar in-depth casting process as the film's two key stars. As for now, audiences will likely be hoping for a little more clarity on the film's projected release, as production on Wicked draws closer.
Source: Jon M. Chu/Twitter