Film & TV NewsCynthia Erivo Co-Wrote Song for 2nd Wicked Film
The Color Purple Tony winner will also release her debut solo recording prior to the arrival of Wicked: For Good.
By
Andrew Gans, Logan Culwell-Block
December 27, 2024
Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
It was recently announced that the second Wicked movie, hitting cinemas November 21, 2025, officially has a title: Wicked: For Good. More news about the upcoming motion picture has been revealed: Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, co-wrote an original song with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz that will be featured in the second half of the two-part adaptation.
“I collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me,” Erivo told Variety. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready—it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”
The Color Purple Tony winner also shared with the industry paper that her debut solo album will arrive prior to the second part of Wicked. Erivo said the album is "eclectic, blending soul, country, and pop …My voice
is the backbone—I’ve even used it as an instrument for layering
sounds."
She adds that the upcoming release is an
"extension of me and a reflection of all the influences that have shaped
my life.”
The two-part film stars Tony winner Erivo and Grammy winner
Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Joining them in the
cast are West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, SpongeBob SquarePants
star Ethan Slater as Boq, Emmy winner Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond,
2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The
Wizard, and newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first
wheelchair-using actor in the musical's history to take on the role.
Stage and screen star Keala
Settle, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael
Carmichael are also in the cast, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael
as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students
Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
The screen adaptation, which includes new songs by Schwartz, is helmed by In the Heights screen director Jon M. Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman has penned the screenplay with Dana Fox, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell designed the costumes.
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory
Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Schwartz and a book
by Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and
Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical is
now the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel),
Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene
Lee).
Katie Rose Clarke, Alli Mauzey, Jenny DiNoia, Brittney Johnson, Emmy Russell, Talia Suskauer, Alexandra Socha, Mary Kate Morrissey, Cynthia Erivo, McKenzie Kurtz, Carrie St. Louis, Amanda Jane Cooper, and Ginna Claire Mason
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Katie Rose Clarke, Alli Mauzey, Jenny DiNoia, Brittney Johnson, Emmy Russell, Talia Suskauer, Alexandra Socha, Mary Kate Morrissey, Cynthia Erivo, McKenzie Kurtz, Carrie St. Louis, Amanda Jane Cooper, and Ginna Claire Mason
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alexandra Socha and Mary Kate Morrissey
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Brittney Johnson, and Talia Suskauer
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Talia Suskauer, McKenzie Kurtz, and Mary Kate Morrissey
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alli Mauzey, Amanda Jane Cooper, Alexandra Socha, Katie Rose Clarke, Brittney Johnson, Ginna Claire Mason, Jennafer Newberry, McKenzie Kurtz, and Carrie St. Louis
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Jenny DiNoia and Carrie St. Louis
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Jenny DiNoia and Ginna Claire Mason
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Jenny DiNoia and Brittney Johnson
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
McKenzie Kurtz
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
McKenzie Kurtz
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Brittney Johnson
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Carrie St. Louis
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth and John M. Chu
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth and Stephen Schwartz
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Amanda Jane Cooper and Jenny DiNoia
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alexandra Socha and Lissa deGuzman
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Brittney Johnson, Alli Mauzey, Jenny DiNoia, Alexandra Socha, Carrie St. Louis, Kristin Chenoweth, Ginna Claire Mason, McKenzie Kurtz, Amanda Jane Cooper, Jennafer Newberry, and Katie Rose Clarke
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alexandra Socha, Alli Mauzey, Jennafer Newberry, Katie Rose Clarke, Jenny DiNoia, Brittney Johnson, Amanda Jane Cooper, and Ginna Claire Mason
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alyssa Fox, Jenny DiNoia, Talia Suskauer, Mary Kate Morrissey, Lissa deGuzman, and Dee Roscioli
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Alexandra Socha
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth, John M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande, John M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande, John M. Chu, and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth and Ariana Grande
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Jenny DiNoia, Talia Suskauer, Mary Kate Morrissey, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Lissa deGuzman, Alyssa Fox, Caroline Bowman, and Dee Roscioli
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Amanda Jane Cooper, Alli Mauzey, Alexandra Socha, Carrie St. Louis, Brittney Johnson, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ginna Claire Mason, McKenzie Kurtz Jennafer Newberry, and Katie Rose Clarke
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Brittney Johnson, Amanda Jane Cooper, Alli Mauzey, Mary Kate Morrissey, Alexandra Socha, Jenny DiNoia, Carrie St. Louis, Cynthia Erivo, Talia Suskauer, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Lissa deGuzman, Jennafer Newberry, Ginna Claire Mason, McKenzie Kurtz, Caroline Bowman, Dee Roscioli, Katie Rose Clarke
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Brittney Johnson
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Jenny DiNoia, Talia Suskauer, Lissa deGuzman, Mary Kate Morrissey, Cynthia Erivo, Dee Roscioli, Alyssa Fox, and Caroline Bowman
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
John M. Chu, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Marc Platt, and Stephen Schwartz
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Kristin Chenoweth, John M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Marc Platt
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, and Cynthia Erivo
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Amanda Jane Cooper, Alli Mauzey, Alexandra Socha, Carrie St. Louis, Brittney Johnson, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, McKenzie Kurtz, Ginna Claire Mason, Jennafer Newberry, and Katie Rose Clarke
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
John M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, Brittney Johnson, Amanda Jane Cooper, Alli Mauzey, Mary Kate Morrissey, Alexandra Socha, Jenny DiNoia, Carrie St. Louis, Cynthia Erivo, Talia Suskauer, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Lissa deGuzman, Jennafer Newberry, Ginna Claire Mason, McKenzie Kurtz, Caroline Bowman, Dee Roscioli, Katie Rose Clarke, Marc Platt, and David Stone