Wicked is easily one of the biggest hits of the holiday season, and one of the most successful films of 2024. Both Broadway enthusiasts and casual moviegoers have flocked to see this whimsical retelling of the stage musical, translated by director Jon M. Chu and led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. We gave it a rave review, and can now say we are extremely excited for the second part, Wicked: For Good, to arrive in theaters as part of the 2025 theatrical slate. Grande, however, admits that she has been preparing to play Glinda for years now. And in a clip from the upcoming digital release of Wicked, she says that she dutifully covered every base… including the undergarments the witch would wear.
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked currently is available for digital download, as of December 31. In connection with the release, People had an exclusive clip featuring Chu and Ariana Grande as they talked about the audition process for Glinda. And according to Grande, she kept her ear to the ground for years waiting for a hint or a nod that Wicked was going to begin casting. As the former Disney star and pop singer explained on the clip:
I was like, ‘What underwear would Glinda wear today?’ (I) had a little portion of my closet that was all just little pink tops and stuff. Just in case. … I had been chasing [producer] Marc Platt down for about 10 years, wondering when this movie was going to happen, when I would have the opportunity to audition.
In the promotional clip for Wicked, Ariana Grande says that she went in and sang for both roles, prepared to play either, just to be part of the show. She admits that while she loves Elphaba, Glinda was the part she felt like she was born to play. Social media absolutely agrees, as the actress has become a meme thanks to her performance.
wicked 2024 ariana grande scene galinda glinda happy dancing singing ‘popular’ in hall pic.twitter.com/dZyWZ0T0AADecember 31, 2024
Based on how committed Ariana Grande is in the role of Glinda, we can see her going to extreme lengths to step into the part, even asking herself what kind of underwear the Witch would wear on any given day. It’s not exactly Method acting. But it’s taking that extra step to make sure that you are in the right mindset. Now I want to know if Cynthia Erivo thought more about Elphaba’s wardrobe. We know that the hat she wore was very important to her.
I wonder if Wicked arriving on home video will do anything to cut into the momentum that the movie has in the theaters. We know that the studio planned to release specific sing-a-long versions of the movie, so that audiences could belt out their favorite Wicked songs. They can even think about our ranking of the songs, if they wanted to do that. But right now, there’s no real competition at the box office for Wicked, so I could easily see it dominating through January, at the very least. Put on a pair of Witch Panties, and sit through one more screening of the long movie musical.