“Wicked” fans responded to Oscar predictions for Ariana Grande as Glinda.
Fans took to social media the day after the first of the two-part, popular musical adaptation movie released in theaters. After viewing the pop singer's “Wicked” performance with old and new followers, several social media users reacted.
Many expect her to win her first Oscar for playing Glinda. “Wicked” is expected to have the biggest Broadway opening day ever and make $117 million in its first weekend.
One Grande admirer praised film reviewer George Carmi for claiming the actress “deserves the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.”
“Thank you, George Carmi. We appreciate you,” the fan account wrote on X, previously Twitter. Another admirer tweeted, alongside a photo of Grande as Glinda: “Give Ariana Grande the Oscar or at least Golden Globe for best performance in a comedy.”
After Variety predicted the star would win the Oscar, an X user wrote: ''And the Oscar goes to... ARIANA GRANDE!!!!!!!' I hear it clearly.”
After watching the movie, the “Wicked” fans shared their new reaction. “Me tonight: ‘Wicked’ is a near perfect movie and Ariana Grande is maybe the best thing about it. Holy s*** she's so good! Is she gonna win the Oscar?''
Another fan called her “great acting performance” and said she deserves an award, “After seeing ‘Wicked,’ I'm incredibly confused by the hate Ariana Grande has been getting online...” The singer-turned-actor gave a tremendous performance and merits Oscar consideration.
Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba and Glinda adaptation premiered nationally this weekend, and Variety speculates Grande will win an Oscar.
Grande plays Glinda, a bubbly figure with hidden depth, with charm and humor. According to the source, the 31-year-old pop artist sings all her hits. Her singing wasn't the outlet's favorite element of her performance. She had great comic timing and one-liners.
The insider asserted that her aptitude for humorous timing distinguishes her performance. Her execution of numerous one-liners and zingers constitutes a highlight of the picture, potentially positioning her for a first-time Oscar consideration in the Best Supporting Actress category.
A Hollywood trade journal forecasts the film will win gold for Production Design, Costume Design, Best Actress for Cynthia, and Best Director for Jon M. Chu. Grande and Erivo nearly weren't cast despite critical and widespread appreciation.
DailyMail's Brian Viner praised the picture, stating, “Chu and the writers have enormous fun and are superbly served by the cast: Erivo and Grande are both pitch-perfect and altogether sensational. Michelle Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.”
Meanwhile, critics have condemned the casting of the next Wicked film, featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Concerns have been raised regarding the selection of leads, with inquiries about whether their performances would meet the standards of the iconic characters in the Broadway show.
A critic from MSN condemned the film's choice to feature an extended cameo by Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth during the Emerald City sequence, asserting that it diminishes Erivo’s subsequent rendition of Defying Gravity.
"Defying Gravity" is a renowned song from the musical Wicked, performed by Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. This song signifies a pivotal moment in the narrative when Elphaba resolves to harness her strength and confront tyranny.
The composition is recognized for its poignant and strong vocal delivery. The critic observed that an appearance by Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba, diminishes the significance of Erivo's performance in this pivotal point of the film.
The critic noted that Menzel’s presence dominates attention, rendering the supporting cast, aside from Michelle Yeoh, unimpressive. The critic suggested that the muted visual palette, sometimes dominated by beige or grey, reflects the lackluster performances. Nonetheless, they valued sporadic displays of Technicolor, exemplified by the illumination in Elphaba’s spellbook scene and the vivid conclusion of Grande’s Popular, which emerged as notable highlights.
The critic noted that the casting of the leads in Wicked seems inappropriate. Although Cynthia Erivo possesses the vocal talent for Elphaba, the critic believed her interpretation rendered the character excessively grave and aloof, detracting from the emotional profundity.
The critic recognized that Ariana Grande's vocal abilities were appropriate for her portrayal of Glinda, and she effectively embraced the character's humorous aspects, including excessive hair-tossing. Nevertheless, some perceived that Grande lacked the requisite understanding and dramatic intensity for the role, resulting in an impression of a pop star engaging in a lighthearted diversion rather than delivering a fully realized portrayal.
Business Times has reached out to Ariana Grande for comments.
