Wicked
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Bowen Yang was announced Friday (Dec. 9) as the latest star to be cast in the upcoming Wicked movie, and the comedian has some thoughts about it.
After Variety reported the casting news, the Saturday Night Live star took to social media to share a photo of “Galinda” — the birth name of the Good Witch before she rebrands herself as “Glinda” in the musical — written on a whiteboard in pink marker and surrounded by a giant heart. “What the f— is a ‘hoi polloi’????” he wrote in the caption, referencing the bougie phrase found in the lyrics of “One Short Day,” which documents the leading ladies’ very first razzle-dazzle-filled trip to the famous Emerald City.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo — who are playing Glinda and Elphaba, respectively — were quick to jump in the comments of Yang’s post, with the pop star writing, “I love you so much” and the Broadway actress sending her congratulations in the form of a bunch of green hearts and loving face emojis.
According to Variety, the SNL breakout will play a classmate of the two famous witches at Shiz University. Also joining the big-screen adaptation are Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s wheelchair-bound younger sister Nessarose, Aaron Teoh as Avaric, Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik and The Greatest Showman‘s Keala Settle as a new character named Miss Coddle.
Aside from Grande and Erivo, the star-studded cast also includes Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Broadway veteran Ethan Slater as Boq, and the newly announced Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible with director Jon M. Chu.
Check out Yang’s amusingly in-the-know reaction to his Wicked casting news below.
My dear, my dear! Director Jon M. Chu shared the news Thursday (Dec. 8) that Michelle Yeoh has been cast in the big-screen adaptation of Wicked as Madame Morrible.
“It took one tweet to convince the ICON (and dear friend) #MichelleYeoh to play our Madame Morrible in #WickedMovie,” the filmmaker tweeted along with an article by The Hollywood Reporter confirming the casting. (Variety was first to report the news.) “Am I the luckiest director in the world to get to work with her again?! Spoiler alert: yes I am. Welcome to Shiz.”
In the Broadway version of the beloved Wizard of Oz prequel, Yeoh’s character serves as the headmistress of Shiz and promises to introduce Elphaba to the famous Wizard himself, leading into fan-favorite number “The Wizard and I.”
As filming begins on the silver-screen musical — which is being split into two movies — Tony-nominated actor Ethan Slater was announced as Boq, joining Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. According to THR, Jeff Goldblum will also be playing the Wizard.
Grande celebrated Yeoh’s casting in her Instagram Stories, reposting Chu’s announcement along with dozens of exclamation points.
Idina Menzel, who originated the role of Elphaba on the Great White Way, revealed the advice she gave to Erivo and Grande via a November appearance on E! News. “Just always keeping in mind that what’s underneath it all is just a woman that wants to be loved,” she said. “Think of all the other little young women or men that are or anybody that are watching them to see what it’s like to be different but be beautiful and to own that.”
See Chu’s tweet welcoming Yeoh to Shiz below.
The filming for the highly anticipated Wicked films is officially underway, according to Instagram Stories from director Jon M. Chu as well as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are set to play Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch, respectively.
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“What a day today has been,” Erivo captioned a blank screen on her Stories on Wednesday (Dec. 7), tagging Grande and Chu. The director, meanwhile, shared an adorable Wicked-themed drawing made by his daughter “to commemorate the first day of shooting.” Grande reposted it, writing, “My heart.”
That’s not all the news going down in the land of Oz this week: Variety revealed that actor Ethan Slater has been cast as Boq, the love interest of Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose, who later becomes the doomed Wicked Witch of the East. As previously announced, the film also stars Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Elphaba’s romantic interest.
Based on the iconic Broadway musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked follows two magical enemies-turned-best friends played by Grande and Erivo. The project will be split into two separate films, the first of which is slated to hit theaters in December 2024.
“We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but two!” Chu revealed in a statement at the time. “With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”
From one witch to the next! Idina Menzel recently shared her advice to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are set to play Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West in an upcoming film adaptation of Wicked.
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“Just always keeping in mind that what’s underneath it all is just a woman that wants to be loved,” the actress, who originated the role of Elphaba in the Broadway musical, told E! News. “That has incredible power and that she just has to figure out how to harness that and get it out in the world.”
Menzel also told the witchy duo to “think of all the other little young women or men that are or anybody that are watching them to see what it’s like to be different but be beautiful and to own that.”
However, the star added that Grande and Erivo “don’t need myself,” as they are “so supremely talented.” She noted, “I just said, ‘Look, if you’re ever having a day and you need to kind of get back to what it’s all about, I’m here if you want to talk, that’s all.’”
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked follows two magical enemies-turned-best friends played by Grande and Erivo. The project will be split into two separate films, the first of which is slated to hit theaters in December 2024.
Last month, the “Positions” singer unveiled her newly blonde hair — dyed to match the golden tresses of her character — to Instagram.