Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo was not impressed with the fanmade redesign of a recently released film poster attempting to recreate the iconic Broadway one. Fans of the musical were particularly peeved about Erivo’s facial expression and the hand placement of Ariana Grande’s Galinda as she whispered into Elphaba’s ear, but self-made attempts to fix the issue didn’t sit well with the film’s star.
“The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real-life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer,” the British actress argued on her Instagram page while explaining her choice to keep her face uncovered for the promotional material. The edits, which have evolved from readjustments of the poster to AI-generated videos and other questionable memes, are “the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” Erivo stated, adding that she finds them degrading. Hiding her face was particularly hurtful for the performer as she felt it erased her.
To the fans who claim they just wanted to make the image more truthful to the original, Erivo says “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation.”
Wicked enthusiasts are torn on how to react to Erivo’s statement. Some argue she’s exaggerating, while others defend her right to express her feelings freely. Multiple people also pointed out that the actress had just posted a Wicked meme the day before, and that the edited poster was no more disrespectful than that. “They can’t pick and choose when to support fan edits,” an X user offered.
she’s so unserious cause she posted this yesterday ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/cAAmsm6RBi
— saph ✧. 💋 (@smthngboutuu) October 16, 2024
Those who respect Erivo’s objections still cannot agree that the live-action version of the illustrated poster is anywhere near an homage. “It doesn’t read as homage it reads as a base misunderstanding of the tone of the source musical,” one person contested. Elphaba’s smirk, especially, which is nowhere to be seen in the remake, teases the character’s arc.
Ultimately, it’s natural for both Erivo and fans of the musical to feel protective over their respective identities. Wicked is one of the most famous Broadway productions of all time and has gathered a legion of fans who will, undoubtedly, be the upcoming film’s worst critics, as well as its biggest admirers. Such is the case for every adaptation of a beloved play, book, comic, or video game, and Universal has no doubt kept that in mind for both the production and the roll-out of its film.
However, if die-hard fans are this concerned about a simple poster, they should buckle up because the movie has promised to change and/or further develop multiple elements from the stage musical. Both Elphaba and Galinda’s characters will be fleshed out and some musical numbers like “Dancing Through Life” will be staged differently. Still, theater and film are different mediums, and adaptations should be produced accordingly.
Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, and Bowen Yang all share the screen with Erivo and Grande. From Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, Wicked Part One will arrive in theaters Nov. 22, with Part Two following a year later.
Published: Oct 16, 2024 12:32 pm