‘Wicked’ Musical Adaptation Taps ‘The Voice’ Judge Alongside Oscar Nominee in Lead Roles

Ariana Grande has a new job. Grande, who currently serves as a coach on the hit reality singing competition The Voice, is joining the musical film adaptation of Wicked. Also joining the cast is singer, actress and Broadway star Cynthia Erivo. Both announced on Instagram that they’ve landed parts in the film. Erivo will play Elphaba, while Grande will star as Glinda.

The two powerhouse vocalists made the announcement in a joint Instagram statement, each sharing to their own pages. Erivo shared a series of photos and wrote, “Pink goes good with Green,” with three green heart emojis. Grande’s post also included photos of Erivo and her getting on a Zoom call from the director giving them the news that they were cast in the big-screen musical. “Thank goodness,” Grande wrote, tagging the film, its director, and Erivo alongside a heart emoji. 

Wicked is currently in development. Production on the film is set to begin during the summer of 2022 in the UK. Marc Platt is producing through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions. Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers and Vice President of Production Development Lexi Barta is overseeing the project on behalf of Universal, per Deadline.

Wicked, the broadway show, is in its18th year. While this is Grande’s first major film project of this magnitude, Erivo isn’t new to the Broadway or film world. Erivo is one step away from being an E.G.O.T. winner — she currently has Emmy awards, Grammy awards, and Tony awards. She’s been nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG awards. She’s most known for starring in the Broadway musical, and recently playing Aretha Franklin in the anthology series Genius: Aretha. 

Grande is well-accomplished in the music industry. Also a Grammy-award winner, she is the first and only artist to have five singles debut at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Before dominating the music charts, she was known for her role in Victorious on Nickelodeon.