Cynthia Erivo isn’t staying quiet after fans of Wicked took to social media to edit the newly released film poster for the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.
A new official poster of the film shows Ariana Grande’s Glinda leaning in to whisper to Erivo’s Elphaba—a moment reminiscent of the original Broadway artwork.
However, the new design features a slight change, lifting Elphaba’s iconic hat so that Erivo’s eyes are fully visible.
But loyal Wicked fans weren’t having it.
Many took matters into their own hands, using Photoshop to lower the hat and add bold red lipstick to Elphaba’s lips, mimicking the classic Broadway look.
Erivo was not pleased, calling the alterations both offensive and degrading.
She took to Instagram to address the issue, reposting one of the edited images, where her face had been obscured. “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” Erivo wrote, comparing the experience to a viral AI video of her and Ariana fighting as their Wicked characters and referencing the meme that asks if her “py is green.”
“None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us,” she continued.
Erivo went on to explain why the edits were so hurtful: “The original poster is an illustration. I am a real-life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer … because, without words, we communicate with our eyes. Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me.”
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the Wicked film adaptation will be split into two parts, with the first hitting cinemas on 22 November. The second part is expected in 2025.
Alongside Erivo and Grande, the film stars Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, and Bowen Yang.
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