After four years in the making Wicked finally released in the cinemas to great acclaim, breaking box office records with a $114 million opening at the US box office – the most for any musical adaptation ever – part of a global take of $164,180,000.
Yet the film itself hasn’t been as big of a talking point as the bizarre press tour that’s accompanied it, with the cast being caught up in a series of embarrassing blunders, gaffes and mocked for their constant crying.
Leading the charge have been Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – who play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South respectively, in the movie adaptation of the hit book and Broadway musical.
The pair have been leaning into their roles, donning show-stopping pink and green gowns on red carpets over the world and pushing the franchise’s merchandise.
Yet it’s their behaviour in the press junkets that has baffled fans and turned the pair into memes across the internet.
Now MailOnline takes a look back at all the cringeworthy moments that the cast no doubt hoped would magically make go away.
Wicked’s stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have defied normality with bizarre gaffes, unexpected outbursts and plenty of tears on the promotional trail for the new musical movie
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
One Wicked fan came under fire from Cynthia after they edited the movie’s poster to make it look more like the iconic Broadway print.
Fans had been left unimpressed with Ariana and Cynthia’s effort, noting that in the original poster Elphaba’s hat covered her eyes and she was wearing a slick of red lipstick.
Yet after a fan altered the movie poster with these adjustments, Cynthia was left enraged, takin to Instagram to share: ‘None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.
‘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… because, without words we communicate with our eyes.’
The talented actress then went on to describe the differences between the original musical and the theatric version.
‘Our poster is an homage not an imitation,’ she said, before adding, ‘to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.’
Cynthia’s reaction was labelled ‘irrational’ and ‘overdramatic’ by fans and she later confessed that she ‘probably should’ve called friends’ rather than take to social media.
Meanwhile, the fan who created the post insisted that they had not done so with any malice, posting: ‘While I deleted initially as I felt it was the right thing to do, fan posters have been around for as long as movies have existed.
‘I never meant to cause any harm and the poster is just a homage to the original Broadway poster, just like the movie’s recreation is.’
Fans were unimpressed with Ariana and Cynthia’s Wicked poster, noting that in the original print Elphaba’s hat covered her eyes and she was wearing a slick of red lipstick
One Wicked fan edited the movie’s poster to make it look more like the iconic Broadway print but came under fire from Cynthia who branded it the ‘wildest, most offensive thing I have ever seen’
Cynthia’s reaction was labelled ‘irrational’ and ‘overdramatic’ by fans and she later confessed that she ‘probably should’ve called friends’ rather than take to social media
No One Mourns The Glicked
Movie fanatics were left cringing by the failed attempt to make ‘Glicked’ happen – which asks people to watch the films Wicked and Gladiator II on the same day.
Last year, Barbenheimer took over the world as film enthusiasts rushed to see Barbie and Oppenheimer in one day and even dressed up for the back-to-back movies.
After it was revealed that both Wicked and Gladiator II would hit movie theaters on November 22, some fans took to social media to suggest a new name for the two movies combined.
While it was largely mocked online, Wicked stars Ariana and Cynthia went against the majority as they shared their support for the trend.
While speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Cynthia said: ‘We are okay with that, it’s Glicked day, we like that day.’
Movie fanatics were left cringing by the failed attempt to make ‘Glicked’ happen – which asks people to watch the films Wicked and Gladiator II on the same day
Queer Old Shiz
Ariana was slammed for misunderstanding the meaning of ‘queer’ after she suggested that Glinda’s emotional attachment to Elphaba might be more than platonic.
In an interview, Ariana controversially claimed that Glinda ‘might be a little in the closet’ and cited the L. Frank Baum books that Wicked is based on.
She described Oz as a ‘celebration of uniqueness,’ gushing that ‘everyone is just so beautifully queer and that roots all the way back to the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘
Ariana added that ‘everyday in the Emerald City [the capital of the fictional Land Of Oz] is a Pride parade… even like the chickens, those chickens are gay.’
Furious fans were quick to rake her over the coals online, accusing her of engaging in ‘queerbaiting’.
Meanwhile, other observers pointed out that in the first two decades of the 20th century, when the books were published, the word ‘queer’ meant ‘strange’ and was not a reference to a person’s sexual orientation.
Ariana was slammed for misunderstanding the meaning of ‘queer’ after she suggested that Glinda’s emotional attachment to Elphaba might be more than platonic
What Is She Feeling?
Cynthia was subject to widespread mockery online when she had a baffling reaction in an interview with reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist last week.
Discussing fan reaction to the film’s closing number Defying Gravity, Tracy claimed people were ‘taking the lyrics’ and ‘really holding space with that,’ in an interview for Out.
Cynthia was visibly overwhelmed, putting a hand over her chest and choking back tears as she responded: ‘I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful. That’s what I wanted.’
‘I’ve seen it on a couple of posts,’ Tracy told Cynthia, adding: ‘I don’t know how widespread – but, you know, I am in queer media.’
The ‘holding space’ exchange became a viral meme on social media, where Cynthia’s overwrought behavior inspired widespread mockery.
Fans were also quick to question why Cynthia was emotional, given the film and soundtrack had yet to be released so the posts probably had nothing to do with her in the first place.
Ariana was also ribbed for her behaviour after she showed emotional support for her co-star by grabbing Cynthia’s index finger.
Cynthia was subject to widespread mockery online when she had a baffling reaction in an interview with reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist (left) last week
Not As Popular?
Fans were left shocked this week when it was claimed that Cynthia was paid substantially less than her co-star, earning just $1 million in comparison to Ariana’s $15 million fee.
While Ariana is more well-known than Cynthia, fans were left shocked by the gap, given Glinda is the supporting role to Elphaba’s lead.
After a huge backlash online a spokesperson for Universal was quick to clear up the rumours, stating: ‘Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder.
‘The women received equal pay for their work on ‘Wicked.’
However, it is still unclear exactly what salary they were both paid.
Further unsubstantiated rumors had suggested that Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, who play Madame Morrible and the Wizard, respectively, reportedly earned $2 million each.
As for the rest of the main cast members, the viral list alleged that Jonathan Bailey, also known for playing Prince Fiyero, is reportedly earning just under half a million.
His rumored pay is $450,000 while Ethan Slater, who plays Boq and met his now-girlfriend Ariana while working on the movie, is reportedly earning $350,000.
Marissa Bode and Bowen Yang’s reported salaries are $250,000 each, per the rumoured list.
Fans were shocked when it was claimed Cynthia was paid substantially less than her co-star, earning just $1 million in comparison to Ariana’s $15 million fee. This was later debunked
I’m Not That Girl(friend)
Eyebrows were raised when it emerged in July last year that Ariana had ended her marriage with Dalton Gomez and was dating her co-star Ethan Slater, who had welcomed a son with his wife less than a year before.
Later that month, Ethan filled for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay – who was ‘completely blindsided’ by the news, according to TMZ.
At the time, it was reported the ‘heartbroken’ new mother felt ‘betrayed’ because Ariana had previously spent time with herself and her husband when they were still married.
A source claimed Ethan informed his ex-wife about his romance with Ariana and asked for a divorce ‘a few days before the news broke’.
Lilly Jay went on to lash out at Ariana, claiming she wasn’t a ‘girls’ girl.’
Ariana and Ethan’s relationship was met with so much backlash from fans that studio executives to step in – amid fears their romance could taint the blockbuster, which had an eye-watering $145m budget.
Insiders claimed the couple were instructed to ‘disappear for six months’ in the hope that the backlash would die down before the long-awaited musical hit cinemas.
Last month, Ethan broke his silence on the situation in an interview with GQ – as he and Ariana began appearing in public together to promote the film.
He told the publication: ‘It’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love.’
Eyebrows were raised when it emerged Ariana had ended her marriage with Dalton Gomez and was dating her co-star Ethan Slater, who had welcomed a son with his wife a few months before
Later that month, Ethan filled for divorce from his high school sweetheart Lilly Jay – who was ‘completely blindsided’ by the news (pictured in 2018)
Ariana shocked fans when she announced her split from ex-husband Dalton Gomez, whom she was married to from 2021-2024
Something Bad Is Happening In Shops
Ahead of Wicked’s release, Universal Pictures partnered with a range of brands – including Crocs and Stanley cups – to promote the film.
However, Mattel’s highly anticipated Wicked doll collection had fans talking for all the wrong reasons when it was pulled from the shelves due to an X-rated mistake on the packaging.
A link at the bottom of the box directed customers to a porn site – wicked.com – instead of the movie’s landing page, wickedmovie.com.
The dolls, which were being sold in major markets including the US and Australia, were pulled from the shelves immediately.
A Mattel spokesperson released a statement that read: ‘We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.
‘Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children.
‘Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel customer service for further information.’
Mattel’s highly anticipated Wicked doll collection had fans talking for all the wrong reasons when it was pulled from the shelves due to an X-rated mistake on the packaging
A link at the bottom of the box directed customers to a porn site – wicked.com – instead of the movie’s landing page, wickedmovie.com
A Sentimental WoMan
Ariana and Cynthia have not been afraid to let their emotions out during the press junkets, often bursting into tears during the lighthearted chats.
During on interview with Jake’s Takes, host Jake Hamilton referenced their duet For Good as he asked: ‘In what ways has the person sitting next to you changed you for good?’
The pair instantly burst into hysterical tears, with Cynthia responding: ‘When we first started, each of us was missing a little chunk, and I think we’ve been able to see in each other a bit of a reflection, and so, I think I got a bit of her softness.’
Ariana, so consumed with emotion that she could barely speak, managed to choke out: ‘Her strength.’
The pair were pulled up on their outbursts during an interview on the Heart Breakfast show, with host Amanda Holden telling Cynthia: ‘Every interview I’ve read Cynthia of you and Ariana, it just says that you end up in tears all the time.’
Cynthia responded: ‘We do! And I think it’s because people have come in with such energy and they come in, their responses, their emotional responses come into the room with us.
‘It’s the first time we’ve been able to talk about it, so we’re both reliving and rehashing all the things we’ve been through and the journey we’ve been on.
‘We can’t help it, we get very emotional about it.’
Ariana and Cynthia have not been afraid to let their emotions out during the press junkets, often bursting into tears during the lighthearted chats