'I think we arrived right on time'

The stars of the long-awaited film Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, tell us why its themes are so relevant right now and why the musical is so dear to their hearts

After 20 years of being in what was described as "development hell," the film adaptation of the Wicked musical is finally here - and it's already become one of the most talked about movies of the year.

Starring Grammy Award-winner Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, a young woman who later becomes Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Emmy-winning performer Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, who becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, it is the first of a two-part adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name.

Ariana, 31, and 37-year-old Cynthia - along with cast members including Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey and Everything Everywhere All At Once's Michelle Yeoh have already had reviews calling the film a “cinematic masterpiece" and a "one-of-a-kind must-see" event.

During a chat with OK! and other media over Zoom about all things Wicked, US star Ariana and London-born Cynthia tell us what makes it worth the hype, and the incredible lengths they went to to do the story justice.

Hi, guys. Can you tell us about your first encounter with Wicked and the much-loved original, The Wizard Of Oz?

Ariana: I was always a very big Wizard Of Oz fan, even when I was a little girl. I had a little Dorothy dress that I used to wear. Strangely, I wore it with a Scream mask — which is neither here nor there — but I would sit in front of the TV and study Judy Garland. I’d study how she sang and how she held her arms. It was always an escape for me. We’ve always loved the Ozian world.