Fans of the acclaimed musical Wicked are gearing up for an exciting new journey to Shiz University, as Jon M. Chu presents his cinematic interpretation of this beloved tale. However, not all fans are reacting positively.
The original Broadway poster of Wicked is considered a classic. It showcases a drawing of Elphaba with her signature black hat, her green face partially visible with a mischievous smirk, but her eyes remain hidden. Beside her is Glinda the Good Witch, whispering a secret into Elphie’s ear. When the movie’s poster was revealed, mirroring the original artwork, fans expressed their displeasure at seeing the eyes of star Cynthia Erivo. The intensity of their reactions was somewhat surprising.
In a rather extreme response, some individuals edited the poster to obscure Erivo’s features, forcing her into a smile, while leaving Ariana Grande unaltered. This backlash prompted Erivo to speak out on the matter. Taking to her Instagram stories, she expressed her offense, stating, “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, on par with that terrible AI of us fighting. Asking ‘is your ***** green’ isn’t funny. It degrades me and degrades us. The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION.”
Erivo continued by emphasizing: “I am a real human being who chose to connect with you, the viewer, through my gaze. Communicating through our eyes is powerful. Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. Altering my visage and concealing my eyes means erasing my identity, and that is incredibly hurtful.”
Erivo shared the poster again to emphasize her stance
Finding the mock-up posters unacceptable, Erivo shared the film’s original poster alongside her own message. She commented, “Let me place this here to remind you and cleanse your palate.”
Cynthia Erivo reacts to edits of the ‘Wicked’ poster and the viral AI fighting animation: “Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.” pic.twitter.com/R7jGz0Nxnx
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 16, 2024
The reality is that some musical enthusiasts were overly critical, and Erivo is unwilling to allow them to erase her identity from the promotional material. If someone had created a poster that truly resembled the Broadway version, perhaps it would have been more acceptable. Instead, people online have been unrelenting in their criticism of the new poster.
It was quite peculiar to witness individuals essentially urging Elphaba to smile.
stop telling women to smirk?
— Leah Marilla Thomas (@leahmarilla) October 9, 2024
Moreover, Erivo’s situation has sparked curiosity among her followers who are not always plugged into social media about the unfolding drama.
cynthia erivo’s non-chronically online followers trying to figure out what is going on pic.twitter.com/hdd9NW2VvW
— Tom Smyth (@Tom_Smyth_) October 16, 2024
Additionally, Erivo responded to Charli XCX’s post where the Wicked poster featured the singer transformed into Elphaba to promote her song “Sympathy is a knife,” featuring Ariana Grande.
In summary: Let’s celebrate the Wicked movie poster for its uniqueness without attempting to alter it. It stands as a distinct creation that deserves appreciation!
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