Long before Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande signed on to star in Wicked, several other big stars were considered for the lead roles in the film adaptation of the book and musical.
According to Variety, Wicked was nearly adapted for the big screen with Ghost and G.I. Jane star Demi Moore considered for the lead role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked producer Marc Platt explained that the project had been with Universal for decades before finally making it to the screen in 2024. Platt shared, “I am going to try and get the timeline right if I can remember, but I believe when I became the president of production at Universal, the project was already here. It had been optioned initially by Demi Moore’s company.” Gregory Maguire, author of the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, was reportedly interested in casting Demi Moore as Elphaba due to her star status at the time. Additionally, Moore’s production company, Moving Pictures, had optioned the book.
Veteran film producer Suzanne Todd also revealed that Moore faced competition from Whoopi Goldberg, who wanted the rights for herself. “Whoopi Goldberg’s manager wanted to buy it for her. But I really wanted it.” Goldberg’s publicist confirmed that statement by adding, “This is true. Whoopi loved the book and tried hard to get the rights.” The novel author, Maguire, also shared that, “Salma Hayek had some interest.
Who Was Originally Considered for Glinda?
For the role of Glinda, now played by Grande, Todd revealed that several big stars were previously considered for the coveted part in Wicked. Todd shared, “Michelle Pfeiffer, Emma Thompson, and Nicole Kidman” were among the actresses originally eyed for the role in the film adaptation. The producer also noted that Back to the Future trilogy director Robert Zemeckis had been in the running to direct Wicked during its early development. In the unrelated 2013 project from Sam Raimi, Oz the Great and Powerful, Mila Kunis portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West, Rachel Weisz played Evanora, and Michelle Williams starred as Glinda.
The Wicked movie, directed by Jon M. Chu, finally reached the big screen in 2024 after decades of development challenges. Upon release, it earned critical acclaim for its performances and visuals, grossing over $500 million worldwide. The film builds on the success of the Broadway production, which has been a cultural phenomenon since its debut in 2003, becoming one of the highest-grossing and longest-running shows in theater history.
Wicked is currently playing in theaters.
Source: Variety
