Thank goodness! After YEARS of waiting, Universal Pictures has officially announced that the film adaptation of the hit musical “Wicked” will arrive in theaters December 20th, 2019! The film will be directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). Although it’s unlikely Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth will reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively (cameos, maybe?), there’s still plenty of young and fresh talent that can take the mantle of these beloved roles. Here are our top picks of who we think can best fill these pairs of silver slippers:
Glinda:
Ariana Grande:
Yes, we said it. She has that perky peppiness that Kristin Chenoweth originally brought to the role. With her career only going up, it would be a great way for her to better establish herself as an actress.
Keke Palmer:
Keke can be witty and compassionate. Her especially unique energy could bring a great new interpretation of the role to the screen that’s different from what’s been the norm in various productions of Wicked through the years.
AnnaSophia Robb:
After starring in several mid-2000s films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Bridge to Terebitha, AnnaSophia hasn’t been in the spotlight much. She would definitely bring a more daring and edgier side to Glinda in the film.
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Selena Gomez:
Selena Gomez can be both a badass and down to earth at the same time. After a cameo as a sorority president in Neighbors 2, we think she would wonderful as Glinda.
Someone Unknown:
While this option is unlikely, this film would be an awesome way to showcase new talent from someone unknown. Star Wars took a chance casting Daisy Ridley and it more than paid off. Universal Pictures should take a page out of Disney’s book and do the same.
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(Anyone else now want Ridley to play the part? We all know now that she can sing!)
Anna Kendrick:
Arguably, Anna Kendrick is the most Kristen Chennoweth-like on the list. She has an incredible voice which bares similarities to Kristen’s. She would be a solid choice from both acting and name-recognition (read: ticket sales) standpoints.
Elphaba
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Hailee Steinfeld:
Hailee is a wickedly talented actress that can be both reserved and open, a quality important for Elphaba. Oh, and Pitch Perfect 2 proved she can sing.
Zendaya:
Zendaya is extremely talented and incredibly gorgeous. She would be stellar at bringing the fiery side of Elphaba to the film, and we’d love to see her in a leading film role.
Lily Collins:
Lily proved she can sing with the single “I Believe In Love” from Mirror Mirror. Although she’s had several leading roles throughout the years, she’s yet to have a proper vehicle to launch her as an A-list actress in Hollywood and Elphaba could be her chance to finally defy gravity.
Samantha Barks:
Samantha fell into our hearts with her role of Éponine in Les Misérables (on stage AND film!). She has a certain stoic quality about her that would be perfect for bringing Elphaba to life on screen.
Lea Michele:
Lea’s name has been tossed around for the role for ages. She’s talented, fun, and looks like she could be Idina’s daughter. After being a fan favorite on “Glee”, we’d love to see sing on the screen again.
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