Brighter Pap Pics Of Ariana Grande As Glinda In “Wicked” Are Here After Fans Complained That The Official Teaser Pics Were Too Dark
Jon M. Chu is directing the movie adaptation of Broadway’s Wicked and recently shared teaser pics of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. But just like the live-action Little Mermaid trailer and several episodes of Game of Thrones (except that one where ye olde Starbucks was clearly illuminated) that came before it, many fans complained that the images were too dark and worried that the whole film got the trendy dark Hollywood treatment. But Jon followed up and assured everyone that the finished product (part one will be released in November 2024, and part two in 2025) won’t be devoid of color, and then conveniently, pap pics of a brightly lit Ariana/Glinda surfaced shortly after.
Popbuzz says Jon posted the pics over the weekend, and since “No Good Deed” goes unpunished, social media did what it does and promptly objected to the darkness of the photos. Here’s what Jon shared initially:
You weren’t told the whole story. What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road? Here is your very FIRST LOOK of #WickedMovie … currently in production in Oz. 🌪️🫧🧹@WickedMovie @UniversalPics pic.twitter.com/pKdTTmi6kD
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) April 16, 2023
Fans immediately voiced their concerns that the lighting was dark, murky Shiz.
The very first glimpse at the new Wicked duo in costume as Elphaba and Glinda was shared by director Jon M. Chu on Sunday (Apr 16) but alongside the excitement for the live-action version, there was an overwhelming amount of people wondering why the images were so dark.
“Turn the damn lights on,” one user wrote. Another added: “Finally bringing the ‘you got bad seats and can’t see shit’ aspect of Broadway to cinema.” Several others compared the images to scenes from Game of Thrones, which were previously called out for being way too dark to see anything.
me trying to see anything https://t.co/Y5YjJstKFo pic.twitter.com/4ttZzqUihn
— Frank Costa (@feistyfrank) April 16, 2023
But Jon, who headed Crazy Rich Asians and In The Heights, both of which were praised for their vibrancy, came back through to promise the whole thing wouldn’t be a drab and dreary mess.
Don’t worry, color is in my DNA… this is just the first tease. Plenty of time to show more… stay tuned
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) April 16, 2023
And the very next day, The Daily Mail shared pap pics of Ariana as Glinda filming on the Buckinghamshire, England set, SANS TIRED, TIGHT-ASS PONY!
The exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com come just days after darkly-lit production stills were released of Grande, 29, and her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who will playing the part of Elphaba, originated by star Idina Menzel in the musical.
7 Rings singer Grande looked majestic in a stunning pink gown with a silver crown and iridescent scepter, as she glided into view atop a golden carriage – filming what appears to be one of the opening scenes from the movie.
Eyewitnesses reveal that Grande was seen filming the number No One Mourns the Wicked which is performed by her character Glinda, and her fellow ‘Ozians.’
Here’s Ari in action:
So relax, everyone; the dark pics were probably just taken before the lights were turned back up after one of Ariana’s contractually allotted discreet donut-licking breaks!
Pic: Startraksphoto.com