Movies

Cynthia Erivo says splitting Wicked into 2 movies allows more time to expand on central friendship

"The story gets to be opened," she says. "We've expanded on their relationship as friends."

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Published on February 12, 2024 11:00AM EST

Cynthia Erivo thinks that breaking Wicked into two films has changed the musical for good.

"What's wonderful about the show is that you get an insight into why this woman becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, but you have only three hours to do it in," she tells EW of the stage show. "With us, you have two movies."

Part One of Wicked hits theaters on Nov. 27, bringing the first half of the hit 2003 Broadway musical to the big screen. It tells the story of Elphaba (Erivo) and Galinda (Ariana Grande), the two witches of Oz, and their unlikely friendship in their school days. Erivo notes that the two films really allow them time to dig into the characters in magically meaningful ways.

Ariana Grande in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo in Wicked — Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in 'Wicked'.
Wicked Movie/Instagram (2)

"In this first movie, you get to really get to know [Elphaba] as a young lady and what pushes her to the thing that we get to know," Erivo elaborates. "The story gets to be opened. You really get to experience magic, and we can do that."

Additionally, it lets the friendship between the two witches breathe. "You can follow these women behind the scenes a little bit more, and you get to learn about the two of them," she adds. "We've expanded on their relationship as friends. That's a really important special thing that you have in the show, but here you really get to go with them in that. We've got something really special."

The first trailer for Wicked dropped Sunday night during the Super Bowl giving audiences their first glimpse of the film. Production on both movies only officially wrapped in January, but the project is already shaping up to defy gravity.

Jon M. Chu directs and the cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, and more.

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