Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the upcoming “Wicked” films, expressed her frustration over fan-made edits of the film’s official poster. The posters, which aim to resemble the original musical’s iconic logo, obscure parts of Erivo’s face, including her eyes, under a pointy black hat.
While some fans celebrated the altered version as an improvement, Erivo found it offensive. In an Instagram story, she stated, “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.”
Erivo further criticized the circulation of various “Wicked” memes, including a crude joke about Elphaba’s anatomy and an AI-generated video. “None of this is funny. None of this is cute,” she said. “It degrades me. It degrades us.”
Erivo’s co-star, Ariana Grande, and the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, stood by her sentiments, resharing the official poster on their social media pages in solidarity.
The fan response to the “Wicked” film has been mixed, with excitement and curiosity building ahead of its November 22 release. The film, the first of two parts, will cover the musical’s first act and culminate in the anthem “Defying Gravity.” The second installment is slated for November 2025.
