Wicked
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Ariana Grande followed the yellow brick carpet, instead of the red carpet, on the way to the Nov. 3 premiere of Wicked in Sydney, Australia. Celebrating her role of Glinda, the pop star and actress aptly dressed in a pink gown that looks straight out of Oz — though it’s actually custom Vivienne Westwood. With […]
Ethan Slater has largely kept his romance with Ariana Grande private, but he took a moment to carefully gush over the “Yes, And?” superstar in his recent cover story with GQ. At one point in the interview, Slater responded to rumors that Grande’s Eternal Sunshine track, “Imperfect for You” is about him. “Messy, completely distressed/ […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Countdown to Wicked! Ariana Grande will make her debut as Glinda the Good Witch alongside Oscar winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, […]
Ariana Grande is weighing in on the Wicked memes after Cynthia Erivo called certain AI-generated videos and fan-made edits “offensive” and “deeply hurtful.”
While speaking to Variety on the Academy Museum Gala red carpet Saturday (Oct. 19), the pop star said that she thinks the situation is “very complicated.” “I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it’s just kind of such a massive adjustment period,” she continued. “This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits.”
“I think so,” Grande responded when asked whether fans sometimes go “too far” with their edits. “And I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much. It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”
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The R.E.M. Beauty founder’s comments come three days after Erivo made headlines for slamming one fan’s Wicked edit, for which they’d photoshopped the upcoming film’s poster to look more like the original poster for the Wicked Broadway musical. “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” the Pinocchio star wrote at the time. “Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me.”
Erivo went on to say that the altered poster was “equal to that awful Ai of us fighting” — referring to a viral AI-generated video that animated a fight between the Emmy winner and “Yes, And?” singer using their likenesses on the same movie poster — and “equal to” a long-running, vulgar joke in the Wicked community.
“None of this is funny,” she’d added. “None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
The premiere of the first of two Wicked films is set for Nov. 22, featuring Erivo as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the duology will also star Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang.
The project’s soundtrack — which also arrives Nov. 22 — will showcase the live vocals Erivo and Grande performed on set. While speaking to Variety, the “We Can’t Be Friends” artist confirmed that she’d “absolutely” love to work with her fellow-leading lady on more music beyond the films, saying, “I think we are stuck with each other, professionally and personally for the rest of our lives.”
Watch Grande share her thoughts on the Wicked meme situation below.
Ariana Grande on artificial intelligence and the #Wicked poster that Cynthia Erivo criticized: “It’s very complicated, because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it’s such a massive adjustment period…I have so much respect for my sister Cynthia, and… pic.twitter.com/J2YnHxfQ9w— Variety (@Variety) October 20, 2024
Cynthia Erivo has seen the internet’s Wicked memes, and she’s not a fan.
On Wednesday (Oct. 16), the singer-actress blasted a few of the viral edits of the upcoming film’s new poster, which finds Erivo staring at the camera as costar Ariana Grande whispers in her ear in a reimagining of the original Broadway poster for the Wicked musical. When the new poster dropped earlier this month, however, some fans were unhappy that it wasn’t a more exact recreation, which led to people editing the new poster so that it looked more akin to the original — but Erivo isn’t letting it fly.
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” said the artist — whose album Ch. 1 Vs. 1 peaked at No 77 on the Top Album Sales chart in 2021 — sharing one of the edits on her Instagram Story. “The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer …because, without words we communicate with our eyes.”
“Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me,” she continued. “And that is just deeply hurtful.”
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Erivo added that the edited posters were “equal to that awful Ai of us fighting” — referring to a viral AI-generated video that animates a fight between the EGOT winner and “Yes, And?” singer using their likenesses on the movie poster — and “equal to” a past meme joking about the color of her famously green-skinned character’s private parts. “None of this is funny,” she wrote. “None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
The Pinocchio star plays Elphaba — aka the Wicked Witch of the West — in the upcoming film duology, the first installment of which hits theaters Nov. 22. Grande is locked in as Glinda the Good Witch, with Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang and Ethan Slater rounding out the cast.
After saying her piece on the edits, Erivo shared the Wicked movie’s actual poster on her Story to “cleanse your palette,” she told viewers. About three hours later, Grande also shared the poster on her own Story.
See the official artwork below.
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Make room in your budget, Target just dropped new Wicked merch! The Stanley x Wicked collection of limited-edition Stanley Quenchers inspired by characters Elphaba and Glinda were released exclusively at Target on Sunday (Oct. 13).
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The collection features two cups, available in glossy pink and green colorways representing Glinda and Elphaba. The tumblers are available in 40-ounce ($55) and 20-ounce ($$20) sizes. Stanley cups are known to sell out quickly, and the Wicked collection will be no exception. The collection is currently available in limited supply online and in Target stores.
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Target
Wicked x Stanley 40 oz Stainless Steel H.20 FlowState Quencher Tumbler
Target
Wicked x Stanley 20 oz Stainless Steel H.20 FlowState Quencher Tumbler
Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, hits theaters on Nov. 22.
In honor of the film, Target announced over 150 Wicked-inspired pieces including apparel, accessories and beauty releases such as OPI’s Wicked nail polish collection, film inspired It Cosmetics Ulta x Wicked brushes, Beekman 1802 bath, body and skincare and makeup, and Grande’s r.e.m. beauty Wicked collection available Ulta Beauty at Target for a limited time.
Also available at Target, Bitty Boomers Elphaba and Glinda speakers, Mattel’s Elphaba Singing Doll and Fiyero Fashion Doll, Fisher-Price Little People Collector set, Glinda and Elphaba Funko Pop! collectibles, a Target-exclusive Wicked soundtrack and more. Starting on Nov. 3, Wicked-themed displays and instillations will debut in Target stores.
“Like so many people, the Target team can’t wait for ‘Wicked’ to hit theaters, and we have everything you need to embrace your inner Elphaba or Glinda,” said Jill Sando, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of apparel and accessories, home and hardlines. “When it comes to big cultural moments like this, there’s no place like Target. With a captivating shopping experience and the largest assortment of retailer-exclusive products, this is Target at our best and I’m so excited for families to celebrate ‘Wicked’ with us.”
This Thanksgiving is about to get a whole lot more musical. Republic Records and Verve Records announced on Wednesday (Oct. 8) that Wicked: The Soundtrack, which accompanies the upcoming film, will be released on Nov. 22. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The soundtrack, which features music and […]
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Travel with a dash of whimsy. Béis and Universal Pictures are partnering to release a magical collection that’ll add a dose of magic to your next travel adventure.
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“I’ve always believed that travel is a magical experience, and collaborating with Wicked allowed us to really lean into that idea. Creating pieces that add a bit of magic to every journey,” Béis founder Shay Mitchell said in a statement announcing the collaboration on Wednesday (Oct. 2).
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The Béis x Wicked collection, launching on Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. PT via the brand’s website, features four new silhouettes — the Wicked Weekender, Wicked Tote bags, a Wicked Backpack and Wicked Toiletry Kit — available in a Wicked-inspired green, pink with an iridescent, ombre finish. There’s also a classic black colorway.
Priced from $68-$378, the collection includes two bubble-inspired editions of Béis bestselling Rollers in an ombre finish, a new key leash, card wallet, a mirror and removeable Wicked-themed charms.
Wicked, a silver-screen adaptation of the hit musical, stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yao, Jonathan Bailey, Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum. The film, directed by Jon M. Chu, shares the story of how Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, became unlikely friends.
“We wanted to pay homage to the gorgeous Glindas who have come before me while also creating our own version,” Grande said of the character in a Vogue interview last month.
“My pop persona is such a characterized version on its own. Beauty really helped me deconstruct that person and find Glinda. I just wanted to live in the DNA and mindset of the character. Now I love the color pink and it feels like part of me. I think it’s something I’ll be forever intertwined with in a very special way.”
Before the film hits theaters on Nov. 22, Wicked fans can shop movie-inspired merch such as the Wicked x r.e.m. beauty collection, Wicked x Opi, Wicked x H&M, Wicked Lego sets, Wicked dolls, Wicked: The Game and Wicked Funko Pop! figurines.
Ariana Grande is bringing some Wicked good makeup items to fans with her upcoming R.E.M. Beauty collection, which is inspired by the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical in which Grande portrays Glinda the Good Witch. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I pulled inspiration for […]
Bowen Yang can say for sure that he’s been changed for good after becoming friends with Ariana Grande on the set of Wicked last year.
In a new interview with The New Yorker published Monday (Sept. 16), the actor-comedian got candid about struggling with his mental health while shooting the Jon M. Chu-directed musical duology in England throughout 2023, during which he was also flying back and forth to work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live on the weekends. Luckily, there was someone looking out for him during that time.
“This cannot sound anything but name-droppy, but Ariana Grande was reaching out and going, ‘Are you OK? Come over! Let’s just watch a movie. Let’s get you better,’” Yang recalled. “She was there for me in a true way.”
The “Yes, And?” singer also recalled thinking that her friend’s hectic schedule was “worrisome.” “I understand what it feels like to travel back and forth so often and then have to perform the next day, with no time for your body or mind to figure out what’s going on,” Grande told the publication. “It is incredibly hard and unusual. So I just wanted to make sure he had an ear and a hug and the support he needed.”
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The interview comes just a couple months ahead of the first Wicked film’s Nov. 22 premiere. As recently announced, the second installment will come almost exactly one year later.
Just like in real life, Yang and Grande’s characters (a Shiz student named Pfannee and Glinda, respectively) are friends in the Wicked movies, which take inspiration from both the Broadway musical and Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name. The Fire Island actor has also proven that he’s as much of a ride-or-die for the two-time Grammy winner as she is for him, with Yang coming to her defense on a March episode of his Las Culturistas podcast with Matt Rogers.
“The narrative is wrong,” Yang said on the show of last year’s tabloid frenzy surrounding Grande’s romance with another Wicked actor, Ethan Slater. “I can tell you for a fact that what people out there seem to be clinging on to is incorrect.”
“If you think this invites karma, I’m here to tell you, your set of facts – I’m not going to reveal the actual facts, because they’re not mine to reveal,” he continued at the time, directly addressing critics who ran with the unsubstantiated narrative that Grande “home-wrecked” Slater’s relationship with ex-wife Lilly Jay, with whom the Broadway alum shares a young son. “But I can say that the matrix of information that you are using to draw a line to the karmic outcome you want is not existent.”