What's Going on with the Wicked Movie?

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[@uncarley]

hey yall this video hitting with a NEW audience which i love but it’s making me anxious lol so I'm gonna pop on here to say a few things! i make light silly commentary videos so if it feels like i glossed over some aspects, that’s why. i’m not a journalist or academic - i’m merely a jester! so if you want a really in-depth exploration of ariana’s past or the race implications of her actions i’ll link an article here written by someone much smarter than me: berkeleybside.com/thank-u-next-to-racial-identity-pop-star-ariana-grandes-record-of-racebending/ i also want to hold space for cynthia’s experience while discussing her reaction to the fan edit. i generally discuss stuff in a purely chaotic way but i do thinks it’s important point out that she experienced a lot of racism regarding her casting and has had to deal with so much vitriol for her entire run with wicked - so her reaction exists in the context of that. thank you to the people who had concerns about this! i think i glazed over that issue more than i would have liked to in the pursuit of a ~snappy video~ which is lame! so i apologize! anyways i love the chaos of the production and i hope you loved learning about it! thank u as always for watching!

[@meddler-gz1ks]

Loved this video, super fun! Wanted to let you know that the website on the box requires age verification before you see anything so it really was a victimless crime, dont worry about the kids too much

[@louise3953]

@@meddler-gz1ksloll yes plus the site is more like walking through the Family Video “adult” section, like just movie covers, not being bombarded by graphic content straight of the bat😂

[@vanillac0keh3ad]

I dislike people entirely blaming her reaction on that though. Some people are just egotistical and difficult regardless of their race.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

literally didn’t know arianna grande was white until she got cast as glinda and stopped brown fishing.

[@TheNinjapancake14]

Seeing this and another comment talking about Cynthia experiencing racism in a very similar past situation, her reaction makes more sense. Granted, it was still a bit extra, but as a black woman myself I probably would have felt the same way given the context

[@thoughtsofaleo2916]

"Elphaba is like green...and black. Glinda is like....pink. Y'know?" -this is literally the only note on the entire Wicked marketing plans

[@danielpeyrou]

and it lowkey works

[@jamiegdubois]

@@danielpeyrouas they say “Pink goes good with green!”

[@Clearskies3848]

It’s simple. It makes sense. The characters fit their colors so well and it’s a good market tactic

[@VorpalSpider69]

They’re Cosmo and Wanda coded

[@sincerelyrizy]

They’re Cosmo and Wanda coded

[@RyeKrstic]

all the drama with this movie makes me feel like im working tech on a show in high school. like im not directly involved in what’s going down but i absolutely need to be kept up to date with the latest developments

[@Marmalade-_-]

It's truly taking me back to my years in stage management.

[@vinconspicuousvicky2236]

and don’t leave out the pit orchestra on that sweet tea!! cuz omgggg🫠🫠✨✨✨

[@janekatevandyke4355]

i’m on costuming and our one seeing machine is jammed for a week

[@janekatevandyke4355]

⁠@@ville-c4ui don’t think it’s kind to say you make better content on someone else’s page. will not be interested in your content.

[@zyerkos]

​@@janekatevandyke4355 any user with "ville" as their name is a bot! they've been seen on dozens of channels before as well. just report and ignore next time u see one^^

[@goblinfeet]

I couldn’t care less about ariana or her love life but i actually feel a deep pit of just sorrow when i think about that man’s long term wife, with a newborn, being left like that for someone … so famous. it feels deeply wrong and cruel to do that to someone.

[@HolyGround777]

Totally

[@SKNSH2]

this

[@thegraciest_]

yup, and nothing to do with ariana. ethan is his own person and makes his own decisions. nobody forced him to leave his wife 😂

[@payita6931]

Exactly

[@djadelaney]

yes like at least leave your wife and baby for a hot nobody so it won't be all up in every tabloid

[@averyeml]

The poster drama is hilarious because the first tweet I saw about it was like “the reason she’s pissed is because the designers wanted to do it right and she pitched a fit to get her face in it, and then the internet told her she was wrong”

[@nanalove3819]

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case lol.

[@soufflesilk]

oh 1000%, it makes no sense for her to have that reaction otherwise lol

[@myujmes]

100%, otherwise she wouldn't have had such a huge reaction being offended. She must have fought like crazy to get her face on the poster in the first place.

[@Story2ScreenMovieReviewPodcast]

And yet her face will be seen on tons of other merchandising/promotional material and the film itself.

[@tinanana-]

NGL, I thought there was something serious when I first read about it. Like something really bad then I got the story I was like "oh...anyway"

[@moontangirl]

i’m sorry but when cynthia said “to remove my eyes is to erase me” literally had me laughing so hard it brought me to damn tears like GIRL IT IS A FANN EDITT AHHAAGGAGAGA

[@ballerinaonamusicbox]

shes actin like she isnt a lead in the damn movie 😭😭

[@IsThisUsernameAvailable]

When you have no serious real life problems so you have to invent one 😂 can't relate

[@acidicreflux2658]

And also… girl is playing a role where she is painted green… like…

[@abbyk.6410]

Fully expecting her to never blink in the film so she isnt "erasing" herself.

[@j_0anna]

this is an in joke with me and my friends... whenever we are discussing the movie even if we're not talking about cynthia we will send a picture of her with "(picture of cynthia included as to not erase her)" at the end of the message

[@princembat]

i think one of the funniest parts about the poster drama is how it misunderstands the intent of the original, because the original is so mysterious. youre not communicating with elphaba through her eyes on purpose! but in the movie poster ariana is practically not even telling a secret with how low her hand is, and cynthia is just showing her whole self to you but with the most blank expression possible... like go girls give us nothing this isnt me criticising the two women lol idc about all that i just think its funny

[@ev3islost]

@@ville-c4uYou fr in all the comments this shit talking bout “sped comments” if comments in the i yet it bother u this much then u need to log off LMAO

[@BarbaraWalkerMom]

@@ev3islostits a bot

[@ev3islost]

@@BarbaraWalkerMom a bot with a LOT to say yet says nothing

[@akinaneon-xz6oj]

Yeah, the poster is just boring and conveys nothing.

[@c_harles.m_ontgomery_punk]

The poster gives me more ego than anything, it feels like it was changed because both women desperately want to be the center of attention

[@ZoeLittle-r7x]

i needed this video because i don’t feel like there has been a time in my life where this movie wasn’t being promoted

[@uncarley]

literally like the press tour has spanned generations

[@ryyaannn_]

it really hasn’t been that long

[@likony]

​@@ryyaannn_ They're being sarcastic!

[@cu8065]

@@ryyaannn_it’s been announced by universal since at least 2016 and even then everyone was trying to make a movie of it long before

[@SmartStart24]

There's probably an ancient cave painting in France somewhere foretelling the arrival of Wicked the movie.

[@danielharmon15]

I find it so funny how Carley explains the plot of Wicked without once mentioning The Wizard of Oz.

[@agroteraaaa]

i mean it's really optional lore

[@lammilyirl]

my boyfriend told me last night he had no idea wicked and wizard of oz were related which is so funny

[@Clearskies3848]

The wizard is kinda just extra in the wicked world. He wasn’t really important until “Dorothy and the yellow brick road”

[@Marinlss]

honestly I know a lot about wicked, book and musical, but barely know anything about the wizard of Oz never seen the movie

[@heathmlr]

no honestly I was starting to consider that I made that part up

[@oa4895]

I don't think Cynthia's insane reaction to the fan art is good fun. The person who shared it (not even the person who made it) got harassed, threatened, and doxxed as a result. I doubt that person is laughing.

[@loli_cvnt5622]

Who didn't get doxxed on Twitter yet tbh

[@eve7896]

This! I get so tired of people calling it "funny drama" or excusing millionaire Cynthia by saying "oh, she's had a bad day". The fan got doxxed, threatened and harassed, because of said "bad day". And, which is the most important thing, she did NOT actually apologized. This, combined with how she bad-mouthed women auditioning with her after Ariana got the role, paints not so pretty picture of her as a person.

[@annabv55]

I agree. I respect Carley’s take on the subject but I wish she could bring up the fact that this fan was absolutely HUNTED down and HARASSED online for weeks. That’s not ok and should teach celebs a lesson about the power they have and the responsibility that comes with it.

[@eve7896]

@@annabv55 I wonder if Cynthia gets more of a pass because she is Brodway star... Theater (together with, for example, opera or balet) is considered 'proper art', one worthy of admiration and respect. I have a feeling that if she were, let's say, a celebrity or a model, she would be dragged more severly on the internet. But since she is considered, consciously or not, "true artist" by many, she "had a bad day" or "lost her temper".

[@jessm96297]

@@annabv55she obviously didn’t know that calm down

[@mollymcdade4031]

I was deep in the SpongeBob musical fandom so the whole Ethan Slater thing was wild to experience. Ethan really had everything going for him to be a big star, especially on Broadway, and the news he was in Wicked was amazing. But now it feels like he’s scuppered his future career over a theatre-kid showmance. I don’t think him and Ariana will last, and when she drops him he’s going to have an uphill battle to regain career momentum because all he’s going to be known for is ‘the guy who left his wife ahd newborn baby for Ariana Grande’

[@captaincrunch784]

I still can't believe she was banging Spongebob, who looks like her brother.

[@maki1404]

tbh they might last bc they’re both in it together for the notoriety… yk? i think they should just stick together if they want to save face any longer

[@ДарьяВолкова-ш4ш]

@@maki1404 As soon as she become bored she`ll find one more man for fun. He would be in trash immediately. She is not family oriented person.

[@hotsexyangel]

Who says they’re even together??? Nothing was ever confirmed 😭😭 it’s all just rumors that started from insane people and the media; and we all know the media spreads rumors for a paycheck. Or even if they are a thing (i kinda doubt but we’ll see), Ari isn’t a homewrecker and he didn’t leave his family for her. We don’t know the story. Maybe he was already on his way out when they met. Like these rumors are so out of hand and yet no one was ACTUALLY there to witness any of it💀

[@hotsexyangel]

@@ДарьяВолкова-ш4ш that sounds misogynistic as hell 💀💀 get offline jfc

[@cocorebbecca]

the fan art poster drama might be one of my fav things ever. Like THIS is the most offensive thing you've EVER seen? girl WHAT

[@gissellept]

When Cynthia played the Blue fairy in Pinocchio 2022 a lot of people weren't happy. Mostly because she was a black woman and they wanted an Aryan white woman to play to role. So what those mad white folks would do is they'd use photoshop or AI to distorte the image to make it seem like the Blue fairy wasn't being played by Cynthia but by a blonde hair blue eyed woman. Being that a lot of it was racial Cynthia took it personally and wouldn't you take it personally too? Actors put some much into their craft. So when fans were doing the edit and making it look like the OG Wicked poster Cynthia took it personally again. I think for her it was a "Look a black woman in playing this INONIC role again and you're going to see me" type of moment. As a woman of color, I get it. If I was playing that Role I'd want you to see my whole face on all those posters too.

[@elilivizfan]

i@@gisselleptthank u for this perspective.. i thought it was a lot sillier before but honestly its way more understandable w that context

[@kelseypeavyhouse9584]

Which was rich coming from the lady who played Celie AND Harriet Tubman

[@dovelynight]

@@gissellept absolutely!! like i think she absolutely overreacted for the situation but i understand it - nothing against her for it, its more so just embarrassing imo. and she said she wanted to show elphaba's eyes because of the power it holds and i see that direction! as carley said, i think the edit was just the straw that broke the camel's back for her because there are genuine racist and disgusting hate for her playing elphaba and it sucks so i understand her being upset and frustrated, even though she took it out on a random fan very publically (but she has since apologised and admitted she overreacted and should've kept it private which i think is admirable, even if it is just the bare minimum to some). i will also say the fan edit barely changed ariana grande despite her looking different to the broadway poster? it seems like the edit is focused on cynthia so i think that also could have played a part - that only the black woman is the one that must be changed. obviously, that's not the intention but could very well be an interpretation that impacted cynthia's reaction.

[@MELLMAO]

All of the main cast seems so emotionally unstable and volatile, it's exhausting

[@Melpomium]

As a non theatre kid, I appreciate your recap because who doesn't love incredibly niche drama

[@uncarley]

niche drama makes the world go round

[@danielpeyrou]

is this incredibly niche it feels like my whole world😭😭 - kinda a theater kid

[@lolkthnxbai]

I'm a book girlie who has never seen the play and has zero interest in it and the movie but read all the books and I am living for this niche drama.

[@danielpeyrou]

@ omg u should watch the movie it looks very promising :)

[@avr7120]

@@lolkthnxbai as someone who has only ever seen the soviet stop motion version of the wizard of oz, never the american movie or the musical, i am still somehow interested in this drama

[@willow95]

As a doll collector, when I first caught wind of the doll scandal, I went out to my local Walmart at 9pm and grabbed them. Like, I don't think they'll be worth anything, I just want a piece of history hahahaha

[@LEMON-bo2bq]

They will probably be worth something in a couple years if you keep them in their boxes

[@willow95]

@LEMON-bo2bq Oh that's not my style haha. I always unbox my dolls to display them.

[@thapelosishi]

Lmao I think it's one of the biggest mainstream doll dramas. Along with MGA getting sued by whoever those girls were over the O.M.G dolls

[@frithfiver]

I read this a "doll doctor" and was trying to figure out what your job entails. HOW did I read that

[@rhettmitchell]

I think they might be worth something if they’ve recalled them

[@2000-very-small-ants]

the MOMENT it came out that ariana grande cheated on her husband with spongebob i knew i would never be able to take this movie seriously 😭😭

[@livelaughForte]

I agree. I'm not going to see the movie for this specific reason. I feel like if they wanted people to respect this movie, they should of picked someone with a better reputation. Not someone known for cosplaying different races and stealing other people's men for funzies.

[@mikalahallen24]

@@livelaughForteno fr and she hasn’t been acting for YEARS. Dove and Amanda were SUCH good candidates.

[@202cardline]

This is literally the SpongeBob cheating movie to me. I don’t know wicked. I gave wicked broadway tickets to my little brothers because the show was on the last day of ironically, a musical rehearsal for a national conference I was soloing at. They are fans to this day and I still don’t know who that green lady is 👍🏽

[@imaymellow]

You guys need to CHILL, the accuser confirmed on Twitter that the drama is fake and that they created it out of jealousy. I mean it also just does sound a bit stupid? Why would Ari want anything to do with that actor? Seems like anyone could make up a story like this.

[@saouer]

confessed bc they were getting doxxed by ariana fans i bet and were trying to backtrack for their own safety, more like! ​@@imaymellow

[@gabbygold2692]

26:00 the “is your p**** green?” meme has been a thing for years, before Cynthia was cast, before the movie was in the works, it was just a joke about what Glinda was whispering to Elphaba in the poster

[@daltongibson1033]

The doll thing is the absolute funniest to me, because I work at Barnes & Noble and we sell the dolls, and- in the middle of a busy weekend, we get an urgent internal statement to pull our Wicked dolls, and at first we don't even know why- and then we find out, and the news spreads through each of us, and with each new person who learns about it, we just. Die of laughter. I think i spent five minutes straight laughing about it, and then another ten minutes when my coworkers found out. It was the highlight of the month, honestly

[@ShirleyTimple]

Things like this almost make it worth having a job lol, I'm envious of your fun at work 😅

[@ShirleyTimple]

@@ville-c4u go play in traffic

[@ShirleyTimple]

@@ville-c4u sad little NPC

[@ev3islost]

@@ShirleyTimpleily, doing lords work

[@uncarley]

it's such a piece of history

[@jessenichole78]

You just totally hit the nail on the head as to why this press tour has felt like it's been going on for approx 57 years. It's because I swear I first heard rumors of a Wicked movie in like senior year of High School and I'm fully a 30 year old woman now 😭 You just blew my mind because I couldn't figure out why it felt like this press tour is never going to end 😂

[@uncarley]

bro this press tour has spanned my entire lifetime

[@KylaA5952]

Girl same!! I got the book for Christmas in anticipation of the movie in like 2012

[@welephantsoup]

we were fan casting harry styles when zayn was still in one direction and they were like 2 albums deep

[@Shalyn-ln9tu]

Same (28 years old) lol

[@windsroad-]

the fan edit of the poster honestly looks... way better... I think there was a reason the original poster was designed like that, and that's because it's good

[@hopelessromantic3786]

Not using the iconic red lipstick in the new movie is a huge part of the problem, I think.

[@windsroad-]

@ the contrast from the red lipstick was super important!

[@gavinneedham2013]

I don’t actually know why you think that? It looks so cheap and bad.

[@gavinneedham2013]

@@hopelessromantic3786the red lipstick is stupid. It doesn’t even exist in the musical.

[@windsroad-]

@ it’s not necessarily about the quality of the edit (though I disagree, I don’t think it looks cheap or bad, no more than the official poster does) but about the composition of it. The original Broadway show’s poster has a better layout and more interesting composition, so the edit, by looking more like that, is better, imo.

[@JH-kw8zy]

The competitive ED (source: I'm literally locked away in involuntary treatment bc my bff and I decided to have a skinny-off in Hschool over a decade ago and I still can't recover) between Ariana and Cynthia is so bleak and embarrassing like the snapping at fans over twitter, stealing a married man to make yourself like you more, the hamd holding trauma bond dry eyed boohoo every other sentence in interviews, always exhausted and loopy looking. Babe. Thats a long term caloric deficit if ever I've seen one. PSA don't try to give yourself an ED. At best you fail and cause psychological damage. At worst you succeed and torture yourself for innumerable years and die gruesomely. You do not have Ariana's money to fix the irreversible damage of an ED. Make smart choices. Eat what you need. Trust food science.

[@djadelaney]

I hope you get all the help and recovery you need!!

[@robotanon]

Bless baby!! Sending you hope aand strength. Recovery to your soul and body 🫶

[@MintyDragonfly]

You got this babes, you CAN overcome all this bullshit and enjoy food, enjoy life and enjoy yourself - sending you love and luck from one stranger to another ❤

[@annas4277]

I know next to nothing about Ariana Grande but it seems obvious that she needs help. Like I can't hand-wave her behavior as smug pop princess like you can with someone famous who is simply narcissistic and out of touch. She was a child star on a Dan Schneider show, her ex-boyfriend died, and there's obviously the terrorist attack at her concert where /her fans/ died because they were there to /see her./ I can't fathom what that combination experiences does to a person, physically and psychologically.

[@leedouglass4106]

Well said!!! - B.E.D. haver/recoverer

[@dizzydaydreamwishes]

I just want to point out that the fan poster reaction was not as harmless as it seems. So first off, the poster edit was made by one fan, but that edit was found and loved by a small Wicked fan site from a small group of Wicked fans in Mexico. Fans, which in their excitement of the fact that the Wicked movie is coming to Mexico, posted that edit and tagged Cynthia. Cynthia in turn, tagged this teeny tiny fan site, and posted this overreaction, weaponizing a lot of her fans. Members from that fan site have since been doxxed, harassed ( threats and such). All that for simply tagging Cynthia on an edit, that they didn't make, just because they thought she would like it as much as they did. 😮‍💨 Cynthia has a massive fan base and to punch down like that kind of turned my stomach. I will however, of course, acknowledge the fact that as a woman of color she absolutely is dealing with some of the most vile, disrespectful, and incessant behavior from incels on a regular, but this was not that. She could and should have known better. This is why PR management is so important. I really feel for that tiny fan site. They were really hurt by her response, and they were some of the movie's biggest fans. 😟

[@jacksim5759]

cool context, awful awful internet

[@jjadac3529]

Jesus...that is frankly disgusting and is another reason to why I just can no longer bring myself to see the movie in any theatre :/

[@charablue2611]

Not even just that. They were harassed for weeks on end. They were so excited, and it's so heartbreaking for their excitement to hurt them like this. Even though she was getting awful comments, it does not at all excuse what she did

[@brennaschultz7905]

Also there are all these clips of Ariana and Cynthia crying and looking so sickly during the press tour. They seem so exhausted and emotionally drained, which feels accurate to theater kids everywhere lol.

[@vainpiers]

Tbh I'd question what was going on behind the scenes because they've both lost a concerning about of weight at the same time.

[@welephantsoup]

AG has been DEEP in the snow and a severe ED for many years now and it’s showing

[@kay-de6vz]

​@@welephantsoup wait, like, as in drgs? How do you know?

[@welephantsoup]

@ it’s not a secret darling

[@sla6hed]

yall are so comfortable talking about real people's bodies its concerning & needs a whole video done on you people itself. even IF they were suffering from EDs, which lets face it we'll never know because WE DONT KNOW THEM, do you really think thousands of people on the internet making public remarks about it all the time is going to help in the slightest? like at all?

[@tortle216]

ariana is so deep in her method acting that her real voice jumpscared me

[@Honeydoyou]

I do t think we know her real voice nor her real skin color because she changes them both so often

[@tortle216]

@Honeydoyou ariana grande in pop culture is a concept not a person lmao

[@Clearskies3848]

@@Honeydoyouplease get a life

[@Honeydoyou]

@@tortle216 she’s not going to see you defending her in KZbin shorts comments babe

[@tortle216]

@Honeydoyou i was trying to agree with you i just worded it weird 😭 i'm not an ariana stan and not spending my energy defending celebs in youtube comments lmao

[@glass.hammer]

Cynthia having a bit of an uncalled for meltdown really cemented into my mind that she is the theatre kid for the most seminal roll in the last 20 years. This is 100% my highschool/university theatre experience where the most drama-embroiled, out of pocket actresses will also bring down the house with their talent.

[@janedoll3237]

Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy

[@luckyspurs]

The behind the scenes is starting to feel like the actual film of Black Swan.

[@zeddy2284]

im sad cuz she was so cool b4 this

[@angles18]

anorexia does crazy things to you lol

[@sayloraks9334]

it's giving Rachel berry

[@aspacelex]

I'm sure originally the poster was supposed to be an exact recreation of the original, but then their managers lobbied to make it so their faces aren't covered because they're too famous for that.

[@digitalchapel]

Cynthia saying she chose to look at the camera for the movie poster shoot... as if there were absolutely no art directors on set between the brand team or even just the photographer themself. like they obviously were fine with it if they chose one of those shots but like. if you're the subject of a photo for a massive entertainment brand, you're the subject, not the captain of the ship 😭

[@katla_phc]

Exactly - like literally everything is storyboarded in one way or another

[@thirstaefortae5057]

I found that so funny because her eyes were blank and doesn’t convey anything 😂 the original - whilst an illustration- gave a sense of cheekiness

[@smartmarketing173]

25:33 It’s not even a good pic- the original is mysterious in a playful way, BFFs sharing secrets, the eyes hidden and sly smile is ICONIC, whereas Cynthia’s face just looks angry and the eyes are somewhat vacant. It’s giving MeanGirl instead of Oz prequel

[@smartmarketing173]

@ 😂

[@Maplebear1203]

Honestly it reads to me as I threw a hissy fit when they wanted to recreate the original poster correctly so they just gave in because it was easier you know

[@littIeprincefan]

12:44 kristin chenoweth also played dove's mom in descendants !! she played maleficent and they sang a song together so i think thats also a contender to kristin vouching for dove as hard as she did

[@starpower4842]

omg thank you i was searching for someone to comment this 😭😂

[@r.h.1988]

They were also in the live Hairspray as the Von Tussles!

[@aruvius]

I’m sure Ariana Grande will be great, but I can’t help but feel like Dove Cameron got robbed

[@eliza2247]

I love their song duet in Descendants ❤️

[@Usycjsga17]

Exactly. This incompetent KZbinr is acting like Kristen did not thing Ariana was perfect for the role

[@charjane619]

i want to apologise to charli xcx for complaining about the amount of ‘brat green’ i’ve seen this year. this wicked green and pink is worse. so much worse.

[@caroline7420]

i just visted NYC and the whole of uptown manhatten is one big add for wicked. billboards on buildings, and bus stops, green and pink flags everywhere. it was wild.

[@emaaboo]

You have no life or what? Complaining about unimportant things

[@jordinagel1184]

@@emaaboopeople are allowed to complain about things they find annoying. Zip it.

[@p3nnyroyalteaaa]

@@jordinagel1184if anyone can complain and say whatever (since this is a public comment section), it's quite hypocritical of you to tlel them to "Zip it." 💀

[@jordinagel1184]

@@p3nnyroyalteaaa it’s not hypocritical if the other person is telling someone they “have no life” for “complaining about unimportant things.” It’s not about how productive they’re being or not, it’s about the disrespect (plus their own hypocrisy of saying all that while complaining about an unimportant thing)

[@nicolegray4874]

imo the worst thing about this press tour is that it's going to go on for another year bc this movie is just part 1 and part 2 is coming out next year (also a fact i feel like no one knows and soooo many people will be disappointed)

[@emilineharris3724]

Thank you!! I've been wondering this (not knowing really anything about it), because why in the world would Ariana keep that atrocious hair color?

[@Lina-ti6qt]

@@emilineharris3724 I think she is keeping the blonde hair just for the duration of all press appearances to match her role in the movie! because I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that both parts were filmed in one go, so filming for the second one has already wrapped!

[@JoannaEve]

@@emilineharris3724I thought Ariana recently dyed it back to brown?

[@JoannaEve]

Ngl I originally was going to watch this movie because of Ariana being cast. But now I should actually read a screenplay of it.😅

[@fr4nkensk4nk]

@@JoannaEve from what i hear the story is actually good fun. it's based on a book but its very different from it (example: pretty sure Glinda and Elphaba are actually lovers in the book)

[@watchcloudspassmeby]

Could you even IMAGINE of it was Lea Michele as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda. 2013 teenager fever dream casting, battle of the divas, they may kill each other before it ends, etc etc

[@tinachristine4573]

You know that black actors rarely get any roles and without even listening to Cynthia's gorgeous voice, you've already shoved her to the side for a Lea Michelle. Okay.

[@watchcloudspassmeby]

@ Angel I am saying that that casting choice would be a nightmare because Lea Michele sucks, please read it again

[@mushroomcitizen]

​@@tinachristine4573 it was literally a joke, can't you read?

[@zellalaing5439]

Dove Cameron and Lea Michelle wouldve been wild casting given the OG Glinda and Elphaba have played their mums in other things. Would be so up for them two in a revamped return to broadway version.

[@emgreen815]

i feel like dove is the only age appropriate person on the list for the roles

[@ffloriu]

i saw the movie last night and ariana did so good in the role!!

[@pup_master66]

The only controversy-less person on Wicked is Jonathan Bailey at this point (Furiously knocking on wood rn)

[@tluvsbeauty1]

I believe in him🤞🏼

[@godabandonedthisuniverse]

I don't think anything happened involving Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum either

[@halane4790]

I imagine everyone having meltdowns on set and both Bailey and Yeoh kinda chilling. With Jack the horse, of course.

[@godabandonedthisuniverse]

@@halane4790 I swear that horse is the MVP of the movie. When the horse is on screen I will cheer like it's an MCU movie.

[@halane4790]

@@godabandonedthisuniverse yeah, Bailey is so charming, he did well selling the horse 😂

[@rue...whenwasthis]

God the layers of pop culture references to Leah Michele wanting to be elphaba is just so perfect

[@taegan1831]

Ironically Idina Menzel is her mother in Glee lol

[@ev3islost]

@@taegan1831it always connects back to glee

[@emitorresbun]

@@taegan1831yes my same thought 😅

[@lycianempire]

If she could read this comment, she'd be real mad about it.

[@endorkugo]

Can't stand Lea.

[@Mattyvanz]

I’m a doll collector and literally got sent every one of the wicked dolls as part of a promotion, and I think it’s hilarious that between collectors and general consumers it took a full month of them being on shelves for anyone to follow the tiny text on the back of the box

[@uncarley]

you are a HERO for this

[@SieMiezekatze]

Not me thinking your profile pic was a dig at Cynthia😂

[@DirtBikePastrana]

18:47 “Crying on main, let those girls live, they did not book.” Legit laughed out loud 😂😂😂 A phonic delight of a sentence. Hahaha

[@VIOIYTIOE]

Given that Ariana spent the majority of her career blackfishing, I suppose I find it amusing that she was portrayed as a pink Barbie witch.

[@DirtBikePastrana]

@@VIOIYTIOE literally tho

[@sugarplumfairycakes]

The way Cynthia pretzel twisted the meaning of that poor fans movie poster edit was honestly predatory. Girl is do desperate to be offended she doesnt care how much damage it does to innocent people.

[@aspannas]

Not the first time she's done this, she's known for being cruel to fans online.

[@allegauri]

Girl you are so right 😭 it's like there has always been wicked promotion, and there always will be

[@uncarley]

we will always have wicked promo

[@NicholasLock]

Can't wait for the groundhog day realness that will be Wicked part 2 promo next year

[@NotD-kp3by]

We still have a whole year to go 😋(plus there's no way they're not gonna do a documentary or some kind of attraction with that set)

[@thj_5046]

ariana grande continuing to shift her whole apperance and personality is frankly terrifying to me

[@Clearskies3848]

Sigh. Y’all never learn to move on

[@estinaviv]

@@ville-c4uwhy do you keep copying people’s comments??

[@sweetness371]

Same. I've heard people say" Well, it's ok for men to change their personality for a role. So, why can't a woman do it?" Like no, hun. It's terrifying when men do it too.

[@sweetness371]

@@ville-c4u How so?

[@cloudyyybear]

its crazy how ppl continue to defend her with their life. why cant ppl just admit to having kinda problematic favs? as a black girl, i dont personally feel comfortable supporting ariana for her weirdness but im not gonna judge her fans if they would just admit what she did was weird. instead a lot of her fans dismiss her personality and skin colour colour changes as nothing, thus dismissing the opinions of a lot of black women.

[@CrocusSeal]

If anything I think Ethan is getting a lot more attention than Marissa who plays Nessa which is dissapointing. I hate that the B.S is taking away attention from the fact that for the first time Nessa is being played by a disabled actress. That's a huge win. I wish Marissa was getting more interviews and press. It really just feels like Ethan is getting interviews because of his link to Ariana.

[@202cardline]

Yup, you’re the first time I heard about any disabled actress. Not that they need to parade her around like a show pony, but SpongeBob and Grande have overshadowed absolutely everything.

[@leena75]

they push him to make him and ariana as a couple likeable, thats why we have "no one spreads themselves thinner for others" kinds of interviews and many "sweet" moments like helping ag w her dress or smth

[@marisaher1642]

Also there’s a sense in celebrity cheating drama where, as long as you end up together, cheating is kind of “accepted”. So the relationship being pushed to center stage gives me that vibe. But I hate that it is overshadowing an actress with a disability (coming from a person with a disability)

[@ck-0662]

Cynthia is kinda notorious for being stuck up and self-righteous. Her poster debacle, and comments on the “other girls” she was auditioning with just demonstrate how highly she thinks of herself 🙄

[@kickflipindi]

Black women in the industry often get a reputation like that because of the disproportionate pressure and high level of scrutiny they're subjected to. She may not "think highly of herself" it may be the only way she's managed to survive and become successful without losing her self-confidence all together. I'm sure she sees it as standing up for herself. It's just misdirected because she's dealing with so many undercover and relentless slights that it's hard to not see them everywhere. And when every little misstep is blown out of proportion because people are predisposed not to trust you, you get a reputation.

[@joellezima3506]

⁠​⁠@@kickflipindi while I think this is very well stated and I’m sure true of many famous African American women’s stories, I don’t think it applies to Cynthia. She has a reputation for being a bit narcissistic in the theater, and I say this fully acknowledging the existence of people like Lea Michelle as well. There is a niche group of people in show business who are all about themselves and their self image. In my opinion, constantly being defensive and deflective worrying about small things shows more so insecurity than it does a desire to stand up for herself. And she’s way richer and more privileged now than a TON of people, and getting constant publicity, so I don’t understand the need to be snappy to defend herself against criticism that comes with the industry, not just with race. Ok off soap box

[@kickflipindi]

@@joellezima3506 But again, you're only using her reputation as evidence of this. I'm saying reputation is not a reliable metric when commenting on very public Black women. We as thoughtful and conscientious fans are still not immune to the influences of public opinion, and public opinion is not immune to the influence of racism. The way we see her is always going to be influenced by her race, and how she is portrayed by other people is always going to be influenced by her race. My other point is that the defensiveness and deflection and worry could easily be built up from years of dealing with covert, overt, and relentless racism. We don't see the majority of what she deals with. The majority of racism Black women experience can't even be pinned down to specific instances, but it is always felt. So when we don't see the entire iceburg hiding under the surface, her overreactions to tiny slights seem ridiculous and completely unwarranted. I do think there's a combination of the self-centered diva tendency many successful actors in leading roles develop and years of dealing with subtle or blatant racism that's lead to this attitude and reputation. But I have to be suspicious of the diva label being applied to successful Black women in entertainment, because it's such a common tactic to tear down their reputations that I just can't trust it. And as for the behaviors she's displaying that fit into that role, I have to be sympathetic even if I find it annoying. I understood immediately why she felt slighted by that poster edit, and it wasn't about being conceited or having grand artistic ideals. I also understand that she completely misunderstood the intent and overreacted in a stupidly hilarious way. She's under a level of stress the majority of people have never experienced and can't comprehend, and no one is giving her the benefit of the doubt. You can't judge the actions of someone going through something you can't comprehend as if they were ruled by the same factors as a white person in the same position. It's not the same, and no level of money or success can solve any of that. Privilege doesn't work like that. Money doesn't erase racism. If anything, being int he public eye exacerbates it wildly.

[@EggsandHam-xg2bs]

@@kickflipindiOr she’s just rude and narcissistic. Why does there always have to be some kind of “excuse” or reason for black women to be assholes.

[@heyhi1546]

​@@kickflipindi Well, didn't she agree with one of her friends who made fun of African Americans calling them all Gheto. It seems like she thinks she better then other type of black people

[@ammdakin]

I thought the fan edit poster was the official one, and someone pulled a prank and put her face there for the laugh. Her blank expression looked so ridiculous compared to the fan edit one.

[@not_you_i_dont_even_know_you]

I guess I find it funny that Ariana was cast as pink barbie witch when she spent most of her career blackfishing

[@milkcatdog394]

and that’s the 🍵

[@alvafairchild13]

She was trying to be asian for a minute before she went back to being white again

[@h-di4qd]

das my cookie das my juice

[@dylansm1th]

having a tan ≠ blackfishing

[@micaelemagalhaes9274]

She had a blaccent and spoke in a deep voice when it was cool to be “racially ambiguous”, but now that she needs to go back to being a cute white girl, her voice has completely changed to innocent and sweet.

[@Scuuurbs]

Duuuuude *thank you* for actually having emotionally mature responses to the drama. No heavy-handed judgements, just genuine attempts to imagine the scenarios from each perspective. I hate how rare that is, but you nailed it.

[@misslittledove]

Maybe it’s just me but they both just give off mean girls vibes. It’s honestly dampened my excitement for the movie itself. Probably just going to wait for it to come to streaming.

[@Haunted_Plush]

There's not really a lot of "nice" celebs anyway

[@luckyspurs]

It's sad because horrible right wing people are desperate for this to fail. But it feels like if it does fail Cynthia Arivo's ego will have kind of deserved it.

[@sweetsartcorner]

Definitely get that, I never heard of Cynthia before but her PR has not been great and Ariana's brand in general never sits right with me. I was so looking forward to this for years and years and but the casting made me go "I'll go rewatch my bootleg" 😅

[@EvilDick1995]

​@@luckyspurshorrible right wing people? Lmao

[@avalasialove]

@@luckyspursPretty sure it’s not just right-wing people who want this to fail. Let’s not turn this into a Left vs Right issue.

[@partiya_vaginodictatury_Aliyi]

I can't believe how fast and easily people glossed over Ariana and Ethan's actions I personally won't support this movie (but I'm not blaming others, just upset that people don't hold other people accountable)

[@TheMoodyfire]

THIS! thank u for pointing this out. i hope this movie flops bcos it was the avenue for their homewrecking.

[@p3nnyroyalteaaa]

@@TheMoodyfirehey! so ariana and ethan arent the only people in this movie. this mindset is so numb lol

[@Boooooooooooooooooo1]

@@TheMoodyfire You do realize a lot of other people worked on Wicked right? Like a lot of people.

[@notonlyicarus]

Ariana as Glinda just gives me such profound uncanny valley vibes- Dove Cameron has that self-assured cotton-candy polish I associate with Glinda 😭

[@mabelfrench00]

Cynthia's story was so funny to me and maybe I'm missing something but that showed the unhinged path both her and Ariana went down on this tour. Them crying and screaming and hugging and kissing in every single interview together is also insane

[@mooma0912]

Just shows how fake they both are and how quickly she got triggered

[@alexdavis360]

😂😂

[@hana-rv6ru]

honestly the level of emotion they show is kinda concerning to me, it feels like they’re trauma bonded or something lmao

[@SpintoSopranoSexyYea]

It’s probably a trauma bond, tbh.

[@HuckleberryCyn]

I heard that Mattel switched to AI to write their packaging a few months ago soooooo literally no one cross checked it

[@uncarley]

nooooo

[@smartmarketing173]

Serves ‘em right then... I hope the lawsuits far outweigh the poor little Copywriter’s salary they saved by trying to ChatGPT the sh!t out of a major promotional campaign.

[@jbug1987]

The only thing that bothers me about the Ariana grande casting is how the director said she was the only interesting person to do it when I’m sure they were dozens of girls who worked just as hard to audition for this. Not knocking Ariana at all bc I know she can do it but I still believe it was a stunt casting simply to pander to general audiences. It’s similar to how idina Mendel was a replacement for the original elphaba. But I’m rooting for her and I’m looking forward to the movie.

[@fusetunes]

Totally agree, I mean it’s working because all the Ariana stans are coming out for this movie and kind of treating her like she *is* Glinda and nobody else deserved it. I know that she’s talented and everything but I can’t help but feel a little cynical about it at the same time

[@uncarley]

yeah i don't buy it that NO ONE else who auditioned had an interesting take like you can't convince me

[@ahvore]

right! my theory is that they were hesitant to cast ariana at the beginning until someone from universal pictures’ finance/marketing department found out how much money ariana would bring in from non-broadway fans. don’t get me wrong, ariana is extremely talented but there are also so many actresses who could’ve easily pull off glinda as well. it is so hard to have nuanced conversations about this movie with all the ariana stans defending her/the movie with their whole chests

[@olakeska7908]

We know that it was Dove Cameron and Taylor Louderman in the finale round! Renée Rapp, Amanda Seyfried also auditioned It's absolutely stunt casting!

[@justausername5749]

@@olakeska7908and that doesn’t even begin to mention thousands of the undiscovered actresses who would have killed it as well

[@lemnajcavite]

I love Ariana's talent but I've, since then, only ever saw Dove Cameron as Glinda. Like just as a personality-person-vibe fit. And she's literally played child-of Chenoweth's characters twice or more. So when Ariana was announced as, it was shocking but also it works, but it's legit not the best fit imho.

[@chriswildfire]

Dove Cameron would’ve been perfect why did they choose her 😩

[@username-jv1ux]

i think ariana did good but dove cameron would have been perfect

[@insomniatic991]

I just find it crazy that Dove Cameron auditioned for the role of Glinda and DIDNT get it. I remember the first time I saw Wicked in the theatres in 2016 (when she was still a Disney Channel star) when I saw Glinda her mannerisms instantly reminded me of Dove's acting roles. No offence to Ariana of course but it just seems strange.

[@jolynelovemail]

People talk so often about how Ariana Grande and Liz Gillies met on Broadway that it's genuinely shocking to me that people didn't think Ariana was suitable for the role

[@uncarley]

she is a broadway baby!! we know this!

[@Mrtekci97]

The only thing that doesn't fit is that she doesn't really look white naturally and looks way older than college age.

[@Authorrlee]

It could be that people are totally unaware that her career started on Broadway, leading them to the conclusion that her main acting experience is solely built on the Nickelodeon show she starred in with Jennette McCurdy. *Or* if they are unfamiliar with the show then it could be perceived that she had no acting experience at all before taking on this massively coveted role. I was unaware of her start on Broadway until watching *Miss UnCarley’s* Ariana deep dive video 💁‍♀️. My limited knowledge of her is from basic pop culture moments pulled from random headlines/articles that have come across my screen over the past 5+ years. I did not even know about the TV show until Jennette McCurdy’s book came out (I am 33 so a few years off from the target demographic). I would gather outside of her fans or those who would have watched a random video like Carley did, majority were probably unaware of this fact until the Wicked movie press tour. Edit: please remind me who Liz Gillies is 🙏🏻

[@olicityfan1150]

​@Authorrlee After 13, the musical Liz Gillies went to be on Victorious with Ariana Grande as Jade West. I don't know much about after that execpt for the fact she had a staring role on a cw show that was a reboot of Dynasty

[@rsync9490]

@@Mrtekci97 I don't get it. She looks white to me, but that is probably because I have been watching her since I was 14 years old. Also she still looks 21 to me.

[@canislunaticus]

26:27 has Cynthia NEVER been on the fandom side of the Internet? edits is a very common form of fanart, it in no way is used in a way to disrespect. 😂

[@canislunaticus]

What's worse about her getting ridiculously upset over a fan edit/fan art is that she started a witch hunt against a genuine fan. Very sad and pathetic.

[@justinm2697]

Why would she go to the fandom side of the internet? She has no fans. She has even less now.. Having said that, I hope she does well as Elphaba.

[@filthybonnet]

Even if she hadn't been on the fandom side of the internet there are better ways to react. There's a "Showpeople" interview with Sierra Boggess where they actually show a fan edit of her and Ramin Karimloo as Phantom and Christine to look like the cover of a bodice ripping romance novel. They are both like half naked in an embrace with "Beneath A Moonless Sky" set up as the title. Instead of going off about how this is inappropriate and the wrost thing she's ever seen, Sierra makes a few lighthearted comments like "Yeah...that's us making a baby. But that's not our bodies. We don't look like that."

[@alexandreapetersen2301]

Oh she 100% has. She is downright infamous in some fandom circles for overreacting and being cruel to fans online. Between her role in Great Comet’s premature end and her reactions to excitable fancasts that imagine her as anything less than the lead, Cynthia does not have a great reputation online for just about anything she’s said online. Comparisons to Rachel Berry from Glee feel most accurate “She may be difficult, but boy, can she sing”.

[@olakeska7908]

​@@justinm2697 she's Tony, Grammy & Emmy winner. Also 2 times Oscar nominee. She isn't no name She is very talented but sadly she has big ego and is known to be not nice person!

[@namiz05]

also Cynthia did an interview days later laughing about the poster and saying it was indeed an overreaction and she should've just called her friends

[@alvafairchild13]

Ugh i hate this like it's either important to you or its not stand your ground if you're gonna speak up

[@dylancoykendall554]

@@alvafairchild13people are allowed to lash out occasionally

[@lise7538]

​@@dylancoykendall554No. When they are celebrities that can unleash a mob of angry fans on an innocent person who will then experience harassment and death threats they are not allowed to lash out. Or lash out "with your friends", if you're really that pissed off.

[@dylancoykendall554]

@@lise7538 I saw the opposite actually, she got clowned on hard. Not sure which mob you’re referring to.

[@namiz05]

@@lise7538 the only one negatively effected by this was Cynthia tho.... she has been painted to be bitter and aggressive over posting ONE instagram story. people act like overreacting isn't human lol

[@bunnylacy2097]

As a model / actress, Taylor’s feelings were so real! And she’s right! You have to care enough to try hard enough and do a great job, but not care too much to where it breaks your heart when you don’t get it.

[@davidvasquez2543]

Regarding the poster, I honestly think Cynthia's EGO played a BIG role. She had no problem sharing a meme where someone used her face on a soldier's illustration, making fun of her expression (which, admittedly, looks odd). So, that didn’t offend her because it showed her entire face. However, elevating the poster to the Broadway original seems to offend her because it doesn’t show her full face. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie's original poster concept was closer to the Broadway one. After all, Ari's pose is almost the same. However, Cynthia's EGO interfered, leading them to change it to show her entire face. As she mentioned in her post, SHE MADE the CHOICE to look directly at the public...

[@Cherrylady-g6]

Dove would have killed the role

[@_Ms.Sakura]

I know right! I really wished she have gotten it!! 🥺🩷

[@Myr642]

Dove was so perfect for the role that I’d convinced myself that she was playing Glinda until the trailer came out

[@jordan-my2vl]

i was just saying this to my mom yesterday like dove cameron would have been so perfect

[@Mrtekci97]

She also looks so pretty, the way I imagined Glinda to look like. Grande, not so much. Her face is below average actually.

[@Haunted_Plush]

​@@Mrtekci97I think Grande is pretty

[@GrainneMhaol]

It's a bad poster. It's just bad. The green lips and the slightly gormless expression on Erivo's face make it look goofy. It's not giving that she thinks.

[@faithanderson8505]

I've been confused why no one has brought up the fact that most of the main actors are very old for the age they're playing. I feel like they look their age (40s-30s) which is fine but how is that university??? It's weeeeiiirdddd to me

[@TheReverseAntagonist]

I feel like, since it's a two parter movie anyway with a timeskip in the middle, they should have just...casted two different sets of the characters? They all look way too old to be convincingly traditional college age, and the age gaps look WAY too big in the romances.

[@gaphic]

@@TheReverseAntagonistrecasting an adult character is a MUCH harder sell to the audience than casting a too-old actor. People’s faces just don’t change enough between early adulthood and middle age for a recast in that range to be believable- also, wildly age-inaccurate casting is a time honored tradition on broadway, and this movie is committing hard to a broadway vibe

[@m00nrac00n]

Yea. No front but Ariana looks sickly and just not what I think of when picturing Glinda. She does not look young enough nor nice enough for the role imo.

[@choufleur96]

​@@TheReverseAntagonist Imagine if we go see part 1 and it's fully different actors lmfao & Ariana & Cynthia were actually only cast for the "adult" versions in act 2

[@leena75]

@@gaphic college starting people are 18/19 and the cast is in their 30s, there is a BIG difference face structure-wise, 19 yo's still have round faces from baby fat

[@abbyshoenfelt6413]

just to add to the Dove bit, she also played Mal in Descendants, alongside Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent so their connection runs deep

[@Peoniesandstardust]

Another unhinged minor drama subplot for this movie were the Deuxmoi posts alleging that a certain actress was having a hard time emoting for her latest project due to how much botox she was using. Supposedly it had her team worried and the comments went crazy saying it was probably Ariana 😭

[@RitzySnips]

The thing is, I think Dove Cameron as Glinda would have been amazing, right. But Ariana as Elphaba wouldn't have been a bad idea. I think she would have done a good job, because yes, she can be a powerhouse and has a good voice. Cynthia is a good singer, and I'm sure she's a good actress, but from the trailers, she hasn't struck me as Elphaba as perfectly as I would hope. And her actions online are definitely disappointing.

[@hotsexyangel]

Absolutely. I don’t see Ari as Elphaba at all😭

[@isthisthekrustykrab4895]

It is exactly like high school theatre because the amount of drama, saturation of media and promotion of this show has somehow already ruined it for me. I’m exhausted by the concept before they’ve even premiered it 😂

[@randoperson5190]

The fact that Cynthia went through so much for years trying to recover her image after she killed Great Comet, to point where most people don't even remember she's the one who did it, only to go right back to trying to call out racism that isn't actually racism and all these backhanded comments the second she has a large platform... I wonder what her career will look like after Wicked due to the drama she keeps causing over and over again, especially if she wins the oscar and becomes an egot winner or not.

[@mooma0912]

She seems to be the person who loves all big words but knows no history and actual reasons for it...typical leftist

[@Beep974]

Imagine if Ariana got the Oscar and not her… instant Joker moment

[@Moocow2003]

she killed Great Comet? i have to Google this edit: ohh okay yeah she was involved. Crazy that she had a part in that despite not even being in that musical. I definitely wouldn't wholly blame her, though.

[@VestigeGG]

I think the thing that annoys me most about the casting, and maybe it's me personally, they're all so old. Like yes, it's a broadway production not a High School movie but Cynthia is nearly 40, Ariana is 31, Jonathon Bailey is 36. These characters are in their early 20's in act 1 and mid-late 20's in act 2. It would have been nice to see talented younger actors but maybe thats me. Also, naming a (clearly gay) character "fanny" gives me the ick

[@vcoutinhog]

You know Pfanee is an existing character from the book and was originally a girl right?

[@VestigeGG]

@@vcoutinhog I am aware. In the book it's and thats slightly better, because Fanny is a historic girls name. It's more that it's a (clearly) gay man it's ick.

[@ocnaturel]

Oh wow

[@SammieMousie]

I completely agree with you.

[@chriswildfire]

Was just saying the part johnathon is not a good fit he’s too old and looks it

[@hannahmaria6887]

Nahh the worst part is this is PART ONE! Which means this whole thing is gonna happen again next year 😢 (also, funny how the marketing hasn’t mentioned that AT ALL)

[@literallyanythingelseother]

9:15 broooo the blackiana voice holy shiitttt. Like i cant i cant its too much

[@heatherblack9744]

right???

[@SieMiezekatze]

NO yOu dont uNderstAnd she Is just taking care of her voice is a SINGER thing / sarcasm . tired of hear that nonsense that woman is empty of real personality she can only imitate

[@charlesintune]

It was a jump scare it needed a warning

[@NotD-kp3by]

Omg finally someone giving a nuanced response to the mess that is the Cynthia drama. every comment section even mentioning her is a mess. Like yes its hilariou and yes it was an massive over reaction but this is obviously a person who either a. Was dealing with a lot of rasic and misogynistic backlash for years and just snapped or b. Desperately needs media training like yesterday

[@ashleymc7959]

Just like Cynthia, people had an overreaction to what she said. I think she overreacted but people will not let it go either 😭 I’m sure she’s seen horrendous comments made about her and this is where she focused her energy. She needed an outlet and I hope she gets a publicist or media trained she needs some help.

[@VictoriaBeth]

My tinfoil hat theory is that the promotional dept wanted the poster to be more like the original (hiding Elphaba’s eyes) but Cynthia was committed to making eye contact and doubled down on it. Then when a fan edit that’s closer to the original comes out and does numbers… she might’ve been a bit embarrassed or something

[@maryyy222-z4j]

I feel like people just forgot of the online bullying she faced when she played the Blue Fairy on live action Pinnochio. It was bad. I felt so sorry for her. But yeah the Wicked poster fanart got a very weird reaction out of her. I was legit scared reading her statement, by how unbelievably offended she sounded. But hey, maybe she's defensive because she's faced online harassment before and not because she's a diva or a mean girl.

[@NotD-kp3by]

@VictoriaBeth I'm very sure she was insecure/embarrassed about it but I highly doubt it she had a lot influence on how it turned out, that's what creative teams are for, I even bet they had a version closer to the orginal but found it didn't work for what they were going for

[@leena75]

but cynthia made many racist remarks to black americans as well, making fun of "ghetto" accent on twitter

[@megan1026]

also thank you for playing the clip of how she used to talk bc listening to her on las cultch never break the galinda high baby voice fully gaslit me to think she always talked like that lmao

[@EvisceratingDoubts]

I mean she did voice Kat Valentine with a super high pitched baby voice for years on victorious and sam and cat

[@th1lls33ker]

@@EvisceratingDoubts but even when she was playing Kat, there are blooper clips of Ariana breaking in and out of character super easy and her natural voice always being deep. During this press tour it hasn't really stopped being high except for on the Penn Badgley podcast where she was quick to make her voice high after she spoke a little more deep lol

[@p3nnyroyalteaaa]

@@th1lls33kerdifference being Cat is not a Broadway character and vocally isn't demanding, whilst Glinda is. it's a vocal method - she and others have explained it. she talks this way for as much as possible to stay in that range, since wicked part 2 still needs to be done

[@junnybear957]

the reason her voice sounds different now is because she's been doing a blaccent for like 8 years and she decided she wanted to be white again to get this role

[@captaincrunch784]

Isn't she Italian? LOL

[@FrankFurther]

​@@captaincrunch784no she's American

[@captaincrunch784]

@@FrankFurther Italian American

[@futchslug]

​@@captaincrunch784 Italian white people are white ....

[@EggsandHam-xg2bs]

She’s always had a deep voice. It was originally deep back on victorious before she changed it to be high pitched.

[@maddie-ob7wb]

I am SHOCKEDD that Cynthia PUBLICLY INSULTED THOSE WOMEN. WHAT THE HELL

[@crystalkadletc1944]

Like wow! Fame already going to her head

[@slasla2345]

If I were one of the others auditioning, and saw this message, I'd be offended srs

[@emilineharris3724]

I just have to add another layer of drama- that both stars seem to have lost a concerningly amount of weight. Drugs? Stress? Overworked? I doubt it's illness because they both seem affected by it.

[@tluvsbeauty1]

Yeah… I haven’t mentioned it anywhere and have avoided most discussions, bc almost all discussions about people’s bodies online are kinda fucked up and hurt my feelings for the people being talked about, but, I appreciate that you aren’t assuming the reason why in your comment. I, too, can’t help but notice this, and I just really hope that they are healthy and okay (in both the mental and physical sense). I’m in no way even assuming that they are not okay, but just saying that I *hope* that they are, bc the weight loss *is* rather stark:/

[@mads597]

@@tluvsbeauty1I admire the grace of your comment here, and the intentionality of your words. Frankly, I wish the culture of body shaming and beauty standards didn’t eclipse the legitimacy of your point. Ariana, in specific, does not look well. She appears seriously ill. I personally think it’s a disservice to her as an individual, and to fans/audiences in general, to tiptoe around the obvious issues we can plainly see. I think people deserve help when they need it, not to have their problems covered up and denied for the sake of publicity. The public should value the humanity of performers above their own access to entertainment.

[@magnoliaskogen]

It could be illness, as eating/exercise disorders are illnesses 💔 Stress also causes illness

[@bcnotpc659]

evil eats you up from the inside out…

[@brrninja4811]

can’t believe it’s been like three years since the casting was announced bruh 😭😭😭 feels like yesterday but also ten years ago

[@rebeccaedkins9987]

Wait what? Time really is an illusion - I swear I never heard about this movie until like...earlier this year.

[@mjewrites]

*holds 🔫 to Warner Brothers*: I wanna see your marketing budget for Wicked

[@lrrroftheplanetomicronpersei8]

I feel like the Wicked marketing budget is at least eight times bigger than the actual movie budget. Wicked is everywhere.

[@zoekm]

I think this is going to bomb hard. No way is there enough interest in this movie, let alone one split into two parts.

[@hometomads]

Cynthia actually talked on the poster during a premiere carpet where she said she's very protective of the character but probably should've called her friends before posting, so was 100% just a last straw kinda moment for her

[@JustKrin]

Im not a theater wiz (or kid) but I was fascinated by the behind the scenes mess of this movie, and I was hopping you would make a video on it. You're like the human embodiment of those tumblr posts I used to read like 10 years ago

[@uncarley]

it's so messy! just fifty theatre kids beening given the platform of celebrities! who thought this was a good idea

[@happily_blue]

0:08 The way she's unrecognizable here bc she's not pretending to be a poc

[@livwake]

Also it’s like €200k of plastic surgery ago

[@ombrenightcores]

@@livwake I’m a clueless American high on the bath salts in the water supply but I’m assuming that’s a lot of money

[@mikaylasmith7600]

Okay, this is the petty person in me, but I hope this movie is an absolute flop. Not because I hate Wicked or any of the actors, but because it would be the most ‘cherry on top’ thing. All this drama and promotion just for it to be bad, it would be so camp.

[@fey0217]

it won't flop bc it is highly anticipated. the people have been begging for a wicked movie for years, it will make money. that and ariana starring in it will bring in a new audience. do i think it'll flop in reviews? after hearing ariana's version of popular, it is very likely. we'll see when that reviews embargo is lifted on tuesday.

[@mikaylasmith7600]

@ Yeah for the Movie to actually flop it would take some sort of supernatural force.

[@love4ari]

@@fey0217 93 on rotten tomatoes, oh wicked is gonna be TGAT MOVIEE

[@shantiaum5774]

Its definitely not gonna flop! But i feel you 😂

[@hotsexyangel]

Well… I have bad news for you😭😭😭 it definitely didn’t flop lmao

[@VesperOfRoses]

I feel like most people in their 20s and probably 30s should know that Ariana Grande can absolutely do light and bubbly because that was the entirety of her character when she played Kat in Victorious. Her being cast as Glinda makes perfect sense.

[@laundryweather]

Does anyone else think it's weird that we're still casting people in their thirties to play teenagers? This is a big side effect of the conflict between how many of our stories are about coming of age and the fact that actors need to work for their whole lives. But it does have an impact on young people who don't have the opportunity to see the awkwardness of youth in the bodies and faces of characters who they think are their age. I also have beef with short women playing Elphaba given her description in the book.

[@hankcatlove]

Tbh id rather adults play teens because minors should not be involved in all the exploitation big budget acting comes with

[@tallemajas]

@@hankcatlove They don't really have to be minors though. Wicked takes place at university, surely they should be 18-25ish

[@emmaiscooked]

literally the second i got the notification i screamed “i’ve been fed” and then almost dislocated my finger with how fast i clicked

[@uncarley]

thank you for your support

[@ashleighcalvert8937]

People also are forgetting the Popular remix song by Mika FT. Ariana! from 2012!! This is not out of the blue and is a honestly a nice full circle moment for her

[@megan1026]

i know it won't happen but ever since ari was cast i'm manifesting popular with mika and ari over the end credits it would really do something for me personally

[@bluewintersnow1802]

​@@megan1026 sameee!

[@m_here1]

The way people reacted to her casting just shows me they were not early fans of Ariana because they forgot about this remix and that she played Cat for years, a very Glinda-coded character.

[@justausername5749]

@@m_here1many people aren’t fans of her, no. And Cat Valentine isn’t Glinda coded. Those are two very different characters 🙄

[@butterflytaster5553]

legitimately popular by ariana and mika playing on nick was my first exposure to anything wicked as a kid. hell of a shock to finally hear the original after going into the cast recording blind a few years later

[@daesgatling1345]

"Because without words, we communicate with our eyes" She says as she goes to social media to make a statement. Though considering her rude ass comments about the women she auditioned with, maybe people should be telling her to dial it back

[@peacockcrowe2718]

Her BS on social media is making me not like her as a person

[@ar-tz8ot]

girl you are simultaneously sooo funny and express so much empathy in every point you make,,, im obsessed

[@lurlineart]

I had no idea about the Taylor Louderman thing, and I literally almost just cried. I've been a stage actor since I was 7, and since day 1 I've been experiencing that. For me it's on a smaller scale, but there are favorites in theatre who get every role. There have been times where I walked into an audition room, saw a favorite, and immediately lost hope. Or when I was too hooked on it, and got extremely crushed. There's this level of rejection when it goes to "the usual" that's kind of in a league of its own. And it's freaking heartbreaking.

[@cakt1991]

I am curious about how much drawing attention away from the real life Ariana/Ethan situation played into the marketing. Granted, I haven’t looked into it much, as the only real investment I have in Wicked is that Jonathan Bailey is in it. But I think the marketing team lucked out that Ethan is playing Boq, and he’s not a main star, so they can have plausible deniability of him and Ariana not promoting together.

[@xDyxe]

I saw a video simping for him and being like, oh i see what could be attractive about him... Like what pr move was that... Also him playing Boq and her Glinda could be a whole thing considering their storyline...

[@cakt1991]

@ I guess if they hadn’t both been married prior to them getting together, I *could* see it being a PR thing. Ariana does tend to date people she works with, with Dalton being an outlier. E.g. Big Sean was a frequent collaborator in the early days, and she and Mac first met after working on The Way, although they didn’t officially get together until a few years later.

[@leena75]

@@cakt1991 she worked w pete too and dated a guest star on victorious that had a gf at the same time, ariana blocked this girl when she messaged her like "hi, this guy fools you, he has a gf - me" and sent her pics to prove it lol, that girl later on found out that both this guy (christian fortune) and ariana made fun of her via facebook :/ w ethan, a hard pr campaign is going on rn, like saying how nice he is and like he helps her w dress, she helps him w suit etc, anything to pain this "big, pure love" storyline

[@Stupidhorse3000]

I’m on the Salem witch trials part of girl historians rn so you dropping this is perfect timing

[@Speaking841]

Amanda Seyfried would've made an excellent Glinda, but I do agree that she's since aged out of the role.

[@BooksRebound]

I mean... Cynthia is almost 40 and they go to the same school in the story right?

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

Cynthia is 37 and Amanda is 38. I haven’t seen Wicked and only knew the broads strokes so I was so confused when I saw some advertising recently and realized they were all 30 somethings playing university students. Not that there aren’t older students at university but they all feel weirdly old for their roles especially since it seemed like some of the extras or secondary characters were younger. I’m curious how that will play out on screen.

[@filthybonnet]

@@lisahoshowsky4251 When I learned how old Cynthia was I was like "Why didn't we just throw Idina in there since they were using CGI. They could deage her as they throw the green on.

[@calebcostigan2561]

Amanda would have been the better choice, imo. Grande has too much personal baggage and is setting a terrible example for young women. She’s 30 with the plastic surgery of a 65 year old socialite, *gaunt* with a bratty attitude that makes her insufferable.

[@AlwaysM0ndayy]

I love her, but she definitely wouldn't have the range for Glinda. Most actresses don't.

[@healba6870]

I just love how the ORIGINAL BROADWAY POSTER has Elphaba's eyes covered. This is NOT an attempt to "hide" Cynthia Ervio. It was a way to make the poster look much more like the Broadway poster BECAUSE IT MAKES IT MORE MYSTERIOUS. By seeing her eyes, you don't get that mystery or intrigue. By seeing ELPHABA'S eyes (not Cynthia) you don't really get that intrigue anymore.

[@emgreen815]

totally more cryptic, i didn't know the plot when i watched it the first time so the twist was kept well hidden i think in the poster material

[@emgreen815]

the stage one, i feel like the new poster and trailers really hams up that they are both goodie

[@laura_444]

oh my god i feel like you need to make a separate video about the INTERVIEWS in this press tour. the "holding space for defying gravity lyrics" "i'm in queer media" the crying in every interview and holding hands. the 10 matching tattoos. its all😊 too crazy

[@maddielee1109]

YES was just about to comment this!!!!! i'm so glad i watched this anyway though bc there's So Much i did not know that my theater friends kept talking about lol

[@leonairm]

I work as a manager at a movie theatre and the amount of drama I’m fed from the customers is crazyyy- also that target ad has been playing in our lobby on loop so release day can’t come soon enough 😭

[@annaflaherty3771]

all that the wicked drama has taught me is that, all my love to her, but cynthia erivo might be one of the messiest people alive

[@pandaking9000]

Is that not a bit overdramatic??

[@aspannas]

@@pandaking9000 Not really when she's known for being cruel to fans and having a big ego, she never learn or change.

[@rebeccag8589]

My two cents about the Glinda casting- based on the most recent singing I've heard her do, Amanda has a sweet voice, but it's not a great voice. She is a wonderful actress and very pretty, but I'm not a fan that she keeps getting cast in musicals. She's an actor who can sing much better than most actors, but she really stands out (and not in a good way) when she's next to true singers. Plus Glinda is a super challenging role vocally, it goes incredibly high and jumps around all over the place and it needs to be effortless! It's great that she's aware that she does need to improve vocally if she wants to play certain roles and has been working on it, though, and and her voice could be much better now than it was a few years ago. This is all based on her last movie musical. I think Dove would have been the best choice but she's not famous enough, the film needed a famous Elphaba or Glinda to be guaranteed enough money to make back the insane amount that must have been put into this (I don't love that that's how the industry works, but it is). If they were going with Cynthia for Elphaba, they couldn't go with Dove for Glinda. I'm trying to keep an open mind for Ariana as Glinda. She does have a great voice and she's seemed good in the previews.

[@BellHope-bl6pp]

I agree with most of this. I like Ariana, I’m not a die hard fan, and I don’t dislike her at all. she’s pretty and she’s talented, but I only see her on the screen, I don’t see Glinda. I suppose ur right that they needed a famous and well known actress to guarantee an audience, but maybe bc I didn’t really know Cynthia’s work much before the movie, but Cynthia as elphaba is great to me she has an incredible voice. I have a slight ick from the drama, but yeah there’s a difference between a classically trained singer and a pop singer

[@rebeccag8589]

@BellHope-bl6pp You're right- I also don't see Glinda even though I don't dislike Ariana, I just see Ariana. I don't have strong feelings about her one way or the other. I think she is so famous that some people will have trouble not seeing her initially, but maybe that will get better during the movie? You're totally right- pop voices are not the same as musical theater voices. I'm not saying one is better than the other but there are definitely some different skill sets :) Cynthia has an amazing voice. If you haven't heard it, you should look up her Tony performance of "I'm Here" from the musical The Color Purple- absolutely incredible!!

[@laundryweather]

Are you kidding? Amanda is a classically trained singer and has more than enough range and quality to sing Glinda. Whether she's able to be expressive and "musical theatre-y" enough for the role is up for debate.

[@emaaboo]

Not really, I'm sorry but her singing in Les Mis was mid i mean it was good there but I couldn't imagine Glinda singing the way Amanda sings but she's a great actress tho that's for sure​@@laundryweather

[@havensohn3821]

Dove is the best choice in terms of acting but Ariana is the best choice in terms of vocals which is important because the movie is shot live and obviously they put emphasis on it.

[@S3-wq5cq]

ariana said in that 2018 (2019?) interview that elphaba was her dream role, but previously she had said in multiple interviews around 2013-ish that glinda was her dream role/she considered herself more ‘glinda’ in personality. she’s also talked about meeting kristen chenowith as a kid and idolizing her, there are old videos of her you can find online of her singing glinda songs, and she did a remix/cover of Popular (glinda song) with Mika on her first album. ariana sounds great as a powerhouse vocalist, but she also has always sounded great doing more high/airy vocals too. so really, her glinda casting isn’t actually too surpising!

[@haleytruslow7200]

I LOVED the play. I got to see Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in NYC. It was absolutely incredible. I will not be seeing the movie though. The cheating/ SpongeBob abandoning his family is going to distract me the entire time, and then the poster drama was just the cherry on top. I can’t stand either of the leading ladies. I wish it wasn’t this way

[@molly-katebritton9414]

The way Ariana Debose auditioning for Elphie wasn't even mentioned but it's my roman empire because the marketing could have been Ariana vs Ariana and then people get into the theatre and it's like... gay.

[@Kermitt_thee_frog23]

Moral of the story: theatre kids are messy.

[@daisymae6]

I’d like to thank whatever stars were aligned to allow me to be alive at the same time this movie was released

[@uncarley]

history is happening!

[@JDavi-nl1rc]

This 30 minute long video about a movie adaptation from a Broadway musical that I've never heard of before the movie marketing was a perfect watch for my lunch break, thank you Carley