Cynthia Erivo says they’re trying to create "something new" with the Wicked movie

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — (Image credit: Lionsgate/Fox)

Cynthia Erivo has shared some new insight into the upcoming adaptation of the hugely popular Broadway musical Wicked for the big screen. Speaking while promoting Luther: The Fallen Sun, the actor shared how the movie will be different from the show, as well as teasing the possibility of new music.

"I don’t know that you can compare them," Erivo told Collider about the comparison. "It’s like apples to oranges. The show is its own thing. The show is its own legend. I think this film is both an homage to the show and the book. We also get to create something really new and slightly different to what you’d be used to seeing. We’re lucky, in that we have the space to really fill the world and to really fill these characters. You’ll be able to get into the psyche of these women. You’ll get to know them more. You will live with them a lot more, and you’ll live with them a lot longer. I think it’s really special that we get to reintroduce these two women to you, in a slightly different way."

Erivo will play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the musical movie directed by Jon M. Chu. Opposite her, as Glinda the Good Witch, is Ariana Grande, while Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey will be Prince Fiyero. The wider cast includes Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Aaron.

Alongside some of the memorable songs, Erivo also teased the potential for new music. Asked about it by Collider, she replied: "I cannot tell you that. I cannot possibly tell you that. But I think you’ll be pleasantly pleased."

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.