WickedDirector Almost Cast 'No-Namers' Before Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo: Why He Changed His Mind

Mar. 15, 2025

Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande attend the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 4th Annual Gala in Partnership with Rolex at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Emma McIntyre/Getty

Emma McIntyre/Getty

Elphaba and Glinda could have looked very different on the big screen.WickeddirectorJon M. Churevealed in a recent interview withSFX Magazinethat beforeCynthia ErivoandAriana Grandewere cast in the lead roles for the upcoming long-awaited film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical he originally considered “no-namers.““I wanted to have a very clear slate coming intoWicked,” recalled Chu, 45. “It’s a big enough property on its own, so we can discover two people. I was like, ‘We’re gonna find no-namers.’ ““But then we got calls from all these great actresses who wanted to audition and we saw everybody, and they were all really great,” he added. “Anyone could have done this role, except there weretwo people who were meant to do this role, for this particular movie at this particular time.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande inWicked(2024).Giles Keyte/Universal PicturesChu went on to say that “the songs” in the two-part film are “emotionally important…that the person who’s doing it has to get into song and out of song so easily that it’s like butter, like you don’t even notice it,” which is something they realized when going through auditions.“That means having good chops in their skill set,” he added.Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, bring to life the characters first made famous on The Great White Way in 2003, withIdina Menzelas the original Elphaba andKristin Chenowethas the original Glinda.The cast ofWicked’s movie adaptation also includesJonathan Baileyas Fiyero,Jeff Goldblumas the Wizard,Marissa Bodeas Nessarose,Bowen Yangas Pfannee,Keala Settleas Miss Coddle,Ethan Slateras Boq,Peter Dinklageas Dr. Dillamond andMichelle Yeohas Madame Morrible.The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the Australian premiere ofWickedin Sydney on Nov. 3, 2024.Don Arnold/WireImageApparently, filming the movie was an emotional experience not only for Grande buteveryone else on setas well, according to the two-timeGrammywinner.“Me, everyone, we all cried every day,” she recalled on the Friday, Nov. 1, episode of Broadway Podcast Network’sSentimental Menpodcast.Shouting out director Chu and costars Erivo and Bailey, 36, the"7 Rings"singer said, “Everyone cried. It was really beautiful.”“So that was terrible,” Grande added wryly.Wickedwill be released in two parts, with the first arriving in theaters on Nov. 22.

Elphaba and Glinda could have looked very different on the big screen.

WickeddirectorJon M. Churevealed in a recent interview withSFX Magazinethat beforeCynthia ErivoandAriana Grandewere cast in the lead roles for the upcoming long-awaited film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical he originally considered “no-namers.”

“I wanted to have a very clear slate coming intoWicked,” recalled Chu, 45. “It’s a big enough property on its own, so we can discover two people. I was like, ‘We’re gonna find no-namers.’ "

“But then we got calls from all these great actresses who wanted to audition and we saw everybody, and they were all really great,” he added. “Anyone could have done this role, except there weretwo people who were meant to do this role, for this particular movie at this particular time.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande inWicked(2024).Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Chu went on to say that “the songs” in the two-part film are “emotionally important…that the person who’s doing it has to get into song and out of song so easily that it’s like butter, like you don’t even notice it,” which is something they realized when going through auditions.

“That means having good chops in their skill set,” he added.

Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, bring to life the characters first made famous on The Great White Way in 2003, withIdina Menzelas the original Elphaba andKristin Chenowethas the original Glinda.

The cast ofWicked’s movie adaptation also includesJonathan Baileyas Fiyero,Jeff Goldblumas the Wizard,Marissa Bodeas Nessarose,Bowen Yangas Pfannee,Keala Settleas Miss Coddle,Ethan Slateras Boq,Peter Dinklageas Dr. Dillamond andMichelle Yeohas Madame Morrible.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the Australian premiere ofWickedin Sydney on Nov. 3, 2024.Don Arnold/WireImage

Don Arnold/WireImage

Apparently, filming the movie was an emotional experience not only for Grande buteveryone else on setas well, according to the two-timeGrammywinner.

“Me, everyone, we all cried every day,” she recalled on the Friday, Nov. 1, episode of Broadway Podcast Network’sSentimental Menpodcast.

Shouting out director Chu and costars Erivo and Bailey, 36, the"7 Rings"singer said, “Everyone cried. It was really beautiful.”

“So that was terrible,” Grande added wryly.

Wickedwill be released in two parts, with the first arriving in theaters on Nov. 22.

source: people.com