Ariana Grande says her new darker hair is not a farewell to her Wicked character Glinda but “a way of doing something different.” The 32-year-old singer and actress swapped her signature Glinda-era blonde for a brunette tone as she returns to the role alongside Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good.
London’s Leicester Square was transformed into the Land of Oz for the film’s European premiere, with green and pink décor and a yellow brick road. Fans arrived in witches’ hats, green makeup and sparkly gowns channeling Glinda.
Erivo, who was recently nominated for two Grammys, described closing the Wicked chapter as “overwhelming.” “It feels beautiful though,” Grande said. The sequel picks up after Elphaba and Glinda part ways: Elphaba is now an enemy of Oz, while Glinda has become a public figure controlled by the Wizard.
Grande and Erivo are joined in the sequel by Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey (reprising Prince Fiyero) and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard. Bailey—recently named People’s first-ever openly gay “Sexiest Man Alive”—praised director Jon M. Chu as “genius” and joked about being cast. He also said the film’s romantic plot taps into instincts he already had.
When fans speculated Grande’s brunette look was a goodbye to Glinda, she told BBC News it was simply to suit the sequel’s darker tones in clothing and beauty. “It’s fun,” she added, with Erivo smiling in agreement.
The films are adapted from the hit Broadway and West End musical, itself based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. The stage musical was split into two films; the second opens on 21 November. Both movies were filmed simultaneously at Sky Studios Elstree between December 2022 and January 2024, with production paused during the Hollywood actors’ strike.
The first film was the UK’s highest-grossing movie of 2024, earning 10 Oscar nominations and winning two (best costume and production design). Its runtime was about two hours 40 minutes; the sequel runs about two hours 18 minutes.
Grande and Erivo’s chemistry and friendship produced several viral interview moments during the first film’s promotion, and the pair opened the Academy Awards in March with a Wicked medley. Director Chu said the sequel features two new songs that moved Grande and Erivo to tears the first time they heard them.
Wicked: For Good is in cinemas on 21 November.
