Photo: Getty Images
Ariana Grande has reportedly arrived in the UK to start filming the highly-anticipated movie musical Wicked. On Monday, July 11th, Ariana took to her Instagram Stories to share some Wicked-related teasers just as production and filming are starting to take place. According to the Hollywood Reporter, filming was supposed to start in March in Atlanta but was pushed back to June 2022 on sound stages in the newly built Sky Studios in Elstree, England.
The pop star posted two photos, one of hot air balloons in a vast, open field, followed by a framed photo of one of the Wizard of Oz's main characters, the Scarecrow.
1 of 2 Photo: Instagram/@arianagrande
2 of 2 Photo: Instagram/@arianagrande
Fans have been eager for updates on the project since Ariana and the film's director Jon Chu announced that the story would be split into two separate films.
Back in April, he explained on Instagram, "Here's what happened: as we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of WICKED into a single film without doing some real damage to it... So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one WICKED movie but TWO!!!! With more space, we can tell the story of WICKED as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprises to the journeys of these beloved characters."
Since that announcement, Ariana has kept a low profile, likely rehearsing and preparing her voice for her role as Glinda the Good. Actress and singer Cynthia Erivo will take on the role of Elphaba. However, during a Q&A for some REM Beauty promo, Ariana did talk about her experience auditioning for the dream role.
The two Wicked films will premiere on “successive Christmas holidays beginning December 2024,” according to Chu.