In the early stages of production for "Wicked," a different lineup was envisioned with pop stars Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes in the lead roles.
Originally slated to be directed by British filmmaker Stephen Daldry, the show took on a whole new dynamic before Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo ultimately took the roles to earn high praise from critics and audiences alike.
On several occasions, Gaga sat down with the production team to share her interpretation of the character.
According to an insider who spoke to Page Six, "They had meetings, the two of them, about the character and who she would be. [Gaga] was essentially cast in his version, and then it fell through."
In Mendes' case, although discussions about casting began early on, he has not gone into acting extensively yet, choosing to prioritize his music career at the moment.
Daldry's original plans for the project were derailed when he left in 2020 due to conflicting schedules. The reins were then handed over to Jon M. Chu, who stepped in as the new director and introduced a fresh perspective to the production.
Meanwhile, Gaga took on a leading role in the doomed follow-up to the movie "Joker."
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The casting news comes amid Elle's 2024 Women in Hollywood cover story where Erivo recently shared insights into the heartfelt and candid discussions she had with Grande prior to working together on "Wicked."
She revealed, "I remember the first day we got to come together. It was at [director] Jon M. Chu's house, and Stephen Schwartz [music and lyrics writer for production and movie] was over."
"He played some songs for us, and we sang together for the first time," she said. "It worked. It was one of the most gratifying things to know that there was someone who was that open and available because she was, and that meant I could be as well."
"We also had a beautiful relationship offscreen," she went on.
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