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One of Broadway’s most popular musical productions,Wicked, will finally hit the theatres soon. Fans have been waiting with a lot of anticipation for this movie, and the trailers and glimpses from the flick have ignited the excitement even more. The main plot of this film explores another side of the classicWizard of Oz. It delves into the untold story of the Wicked Witch of West’s life and origin.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – two major names are going to headline one of 2024’s most anticipated movies. The Broadway musical not only has an incredible soundtrack but it will also transport you to the mystical and magical world with its mesmerizing visuals. Now, before the film gets a theatrical run, let’s explore how much Grande, Erivo, and other cast members have received as their paycheck. And, we can assure you, the amount will leave you stunned.
Wicked: Plot, Characters & More
Before we delve into the cast salary, here’s everything to know about the movie’s plot. Inspired by Gregory Maguire’s novel,Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Broadway musical-turned-movieWickedis made. The storyline is set in the magical land of Oz beforeWizard of Oz‘s Dorothy Gale comes into the picture. It explores Good Witch Glinda Upland and Wicked Witch Elphaba Thropp’s tales.
Ariana Grande plays Glinda, the Good Witch, who is bubbly, a very pampered and popular student at Shiz University. On the other hand, Cynthia Erivo portrays Elphaba Thropp, the green-skinned intelligent but socially outcast student who moves to the same University. The story of the movie revolves around these two characters and how they become friends and the two most powerful witches.
Ariana Grande’s Role in Wicked: What’s the Whole Controversy Around “Voice Change” About?
It shows how despite being so different from each other, they form a bond that changes their course of life further. Eventually, they evolve into the characters from Wizard of Oz – Glinda the Good Witch and Wicked Witch of the West.
Ariana Grande’s Salary For Glinda InWicked
Grande is one of the most famous pop stars in the present times who is ruling over millions of hearts with not only her musical career but also her acting prowess. The7 Ringssongstress made her Broadway debut in 2008 with13 the Musicalwhen she was only 13 years old. After watchingWickedas a Broadway show, she wanted to be a part of it so badly that it seems her manifestation has turned out to be true. Now,Ariana Grandeis playing Glinda in the movie.
In Jon M. Chu’s directorial, Grande earned quite a sum of money for playing the Good Witch. Although there hasn’t been any official confirmation, as per a report inSpoiler Bolavip, according to Showbiz Galore, the pop star received $15 million as her paycheck. Ariana Grande is not only acting in it, she has also sung the iconic tracks of the movie, includingDefying Gravity,Popular, and more.
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TheDangerous Womansinger will also be seen doing the legwork for the film – going for the promotions, attending premieres, and more. However, there was some backlash and controversy regarding her voice in the movie. Clapping back at them, Grande in an interview withVanity Fairsaid,
There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something.
She further continued,
When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed. There are definitely jokes that are made as well, but it’s always after being led with praise: ‘Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.’ And that’s just a part of the job, really. Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry. You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t.
However, despite all the negativity, the Grammy winner has always been proud of her work and has been vocal about it.
How Much Did Cynthia Erivo Get Paid ForWicked?
Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba Thropp, aka the Wicked Witch, in the musical drama. She is another lead actor and is portraying a character as important as Grande’s role. Erivo is not only an amazing actress, she is also a great singer. Her rendition ofI’m HereinThe Color Purpleis proof.
Her green-skinned look fromWickedcreated a lot of buzz and assumptions about whether she used paint or if it was CGI. However, talking about it in a 2022 interview withEntertainment TonightCynthia Erivo shared that she didn’t know before the cameras started rolling,
I haven’t seen myself as Elphaba yet. We’re sort of trying to decide, like, how green we’re gonna go and, like, what the stages are and whether or not it changes as she changes. [Jon M. Chu is] really open to making this as creative as we possibly can. He asked me at one point if I wanted to be actually green or CGI green and I was like, ‘I’d like to actually be green because I’m not sure that the CGI will sit the way you need it to sit.’ I want it to still feel like it’s my skin.
Erivo got paid a whopping $1 million as her salary, according toShowbiz Galore.
How Much Did Other Wicked Cast Members Get Paid?
Apart from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo,Wickedhas a stellar star cast. This includesMichelle Yeoh, who will portray Madame Morrible onscreen in the musical drama. The Academy Award winner, who previously worked with Chu onCrazy Rich Asians, will bring life to Morrible. Reportedly, she has earned $2 million, the second highest-paid actor after Grande. The fans are eagerly waiting to see Yeoh donning a different kind of character.
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Iconic actorJeff Goldblumis also a part of the star cast. He is playing the Wizard of Oz and has reportedly earned $2 million as well. Though he kept his character details under wraps, the star revealed his feelings about being on the sets ofWickedand said onJimmy Kimmel Live,
I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But it’s been out and about. I was shooting one day and I found myself tearing up in fear, a childhood fear came back to me.
Bridgertonstar Jonathan Bailey will be portraying Glinda’s love interest Fiyero Tigelaar. Despite his massive fan following and past performances, the actor didn’t receive a huge amount as salary. As per reports,Jonathan Baileygot paid $450,000.
Then there’s Ethan Slater who first gained popularity for his titular role in the Broadway,SpongeBob The Musicaland will now play Boq in Wicked. In the musical drama, the munchkin will have a crush on Glinda but in return, she will set him up with Thropp’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). However, Slater as Boq received $350,000, reportedly.
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Marissa Bode (Nessarose Thropp) and Bowen Yang (Pfannee) earned $250,000 each, as per reports.
What is the Budget ofWicked?
After discussing the salaries of the cast members, now it’s time to talk about the overall budget of the movie.Wickedis the first of the two-part franchise and the filming of the musical drama began in 2022. Some were shot at exquisite locations and some were curated with CGI. With such a massive production, there’s no doubt that the budget will also be huge. As per reports stated inScreen Rant, the budget stands at $145 million.
There are a lot of things that go behind the production cost. This includes the star cast’s salaries, massive sets, special effects, music production, choreographical set pieces, and so on.
Now, as the theatrical release date is coming closer, the audience is growing impatient. According toDeadline,Wickedalready ranked the second best-selling PG-rated movie on Fandango’s first day of advance ticket sales in 2024 afterDeadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel movie made $96.1M on its first day and 3-day, it grossed $211.4M. It also became the third-best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of all time, afterFrozen IIandLion King– these two movies posted a 3-day gross of $130.2M and $191.8M, respectively.
Wickedis all set to hit the theatres on the Friday before Thanksgiving on June 10, 2025, in the U.S. According to reports, the sequel of the musical drama,Wicked Part Twowill get a next year release on August 04, 2025.
Ankita Mukherjee
Articles Published :61
Ankita Mukherjee is a movie buff and a K-drama lover. After being in the entertainment genre for more than 3 years, her knack for digging up breaking news and writing featurish articles about her favorite celebs have become her most preferred job and now she is working as an author in FandomWire. But, when it comes to MCU, you might find her go a little nuts.
