A new Wicked: Part One video clip has fans debating whether star Ariana Grande is actually singing on the upcoming musical adaptation's set.The Wicked fanbase divided itself into two camps after Entertainment Tonight shared the behind-the-scenes clip on Twitter. One camp maintains that Grande, who plays Glinda Upland, is performing her own vocals in the scene being filmed. The other contends that the singer-songwriter and actor is really lipsyncing to pre-recorded audio by Glinda's original Broadway show performer, Kristin Chenoweth. Universal Pictures is yet to officially comment on whether Grande will sing live on the Wicked: Part One set, in addition to recording Glinda's musical numbers during post-production.
Wicked: Part One is based on the 2003 musical Wicked, itself based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. All three versions of Wicked offer a revisionist retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp. The Wicked musical is among the longest-running in Broadway history and its original production nabbed several awards, including seven Drama Desk Awards, three Tony Awards and a Grammy. Universal Pictures announced that a big screen adaptation of Wicked was in the works in 2012, with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu hired to helm the production in 2021.
Wicked Fans Get Their First Look at Elphaba and Glinda
Chu later confirmed that the Wicked movie was being split into two parts, which will target 2024 and 2025 release slots, respectively. Principal photography on Wicked: Part One kicked off at Sky Studios in England in late 2022, with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba opposite Grande's Glinda. Other Wicked: Part One cast members include Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero Tigelaar), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Ethan Slater (Boq), Marissa Bode (Nessarose Thropp), Colin Michael Carmichael (Professor Nikidik), Bowen Yang (Pfannee), Aaron Teoh (Avaric) and Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard of Oz).
Chu recently gave fans their first look at Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked: Part One via a pair of stills shared on Twitter. The stills only offer a partial glimpse at Erivo's Elphaba, who has her face turned away from the camera. That said, it's nevertheless clear that Chu and his crew have faithfully recreated the Wicked Witch's iconic look, including her green skin and pointed black hat. By contrast, Grande's full profile is on display, although Glinda is too small in the frame to easily make out her outfit's finer details.
Wicked: Part One arrives in cinemas on November 27, 2024.
Source: Twitter