Ariana Grande filmed emotional scenes as Glinda The Good Witch in her full costume as production continues on the Buckinghamshire set of Hollywood’s hotly anticipated Wicked adaptation.
It comes just days after dimly lit footage was released of the singer, 29, and co-star Cynthia Erivo, 36, who will play Elphaba, co-star Idina Menzel in the musical.
The 7 Rings songstress looked majestic in a stunning pink gown with a silver tiara and iridescent scepter, as she plodded atop a golden chariot – to film what appears to be one of the opening scenes of the film.
She was seen tossing a torch into an oven while the people of Oz sang and danced to the music, no one mourns for the bad guys, onlookers reported Wednesday.
Ariana joins the Ozians as they celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West.
charming! Ariana Grande filmed emotional scenes as Glinda The Good Witch in her full costume as production continues on the Buckinghamshire set of Hollywood’s long-awaited Wicked adaptation
Villain looking! The 7 Rings songstress looked majestic in a stunning pink gown with a silver tiara and iridescent scepter, as she plodded atop a golden chariot – filming what appears to be one of the film’s opening scenes.
After the fire was lit, the steps ascended again towards the Great Golden Throne, which brought them to the Land of Oz.
In the original 2003 musical – which won three Tony Awards – Glenda is played by Kristin Chenoweth.
Under Ariana’s platform, several actors playing townspeople are assembled, all in costume.
The cute village is nicely built, with cottages that have colorful thatched roofs and are decorated with flowers.
Of course, the famous yellow brick road meandered through the town, including the area where the villagers and Ariana gathered.
A huge poster warning villagers of the Wicked Watch has been affixed to one of the huts.
Aerial photos of the place captured the scale of the mass production, with the small town built on farmland in Ivanhoe, a village in eastern Buckinghamshire.
Filming was done with the help of towering cranes and a huge team of crew members working behind the scenes.
Iconic Role: In the original 2003 musical—which won three Tony Awards—Glinda is played by Kristin Chenoweth.
Put a spell on you! The singer was wielding an iridescent wand
Cure star! The designers did some finishing touches to Grande
Magical: Ariana looked stunning on a majestic golden chariot
Making friends: It looks like the former vocal coach has made a new friend in a production member
Yum! The BRIT Award winner looked happy as she sipped a cup of coffee through a straw
According to eyewitnesses, the villagers were celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch while welcoming Glinda to their town.
When Ariana made her grand entrance, the townspeople clapped, cheered, and even danced in the streets.
They all broke out into a no-one-grieve-villain song as soon as she started climbing the ladder.
The film is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel and the popular Broadway musical adaptation, which debuted in 2003 starring Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.
It is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz as Dorothy’s story progresses and details the one-time friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
It also stars Michelle Yeoh as Madame Moresty and Jonathan Bailey as Fierro, as well as Bowen Yang, Adam James, Kyla Settle, and Bronwyn James.
Wicked, which is being adapted into a two-part series, has kept details of its filming under wraps.
Wicked Part 1 was originally set for a Christmas, 2024 release but has been delayed to November 27, 2024, with the second installment arriving on December 25, 2025.
Welcome to the Land of Oz: Buckinghamshire has been transformed into a wonderful village
Lights, camera, go! The photos captured the massive production effort behind the upcoming edit
Be careful! A huge poster warned the townspeople about the evil witch
Townspeople: Several actors assembled, all in costume
Last month, Jeff Goldblum let it slip that he had been cast in the movie during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But he said. “You should see our witches, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, very good.”
On Sunday, the film’s stars, Ariana and Cynthia, posted first-look photos from their upcoming film.
Ariana posted a photo of her character, the good witch Glinda, wearing a pink dress as she made her way up a long staircase.
Cynthia, 36, shared a shot of her character, the evil witch Elbaba pictured with her hat and broom on.
Film director John M. Chu posted both screenshots with the caption, “Not the whole story told. What happens when you get sidetracked by Yellow Brick? First look at #WickedMovie… Currently in production on Oz.”
Cynthia responded in the comments, “It was great doing magic with you.”
Chu also took to Twitter to praise his leading ladies and their performance in the upcoming film.
“I was really changed by these two women… #CynthiaErivo and #ArianaGrande as the Wizards of Oz,” he said. They will lift your spirits, break your heart and leave you speechless with their voices. So excited to introduce you to our world… there is more to come…”
The first sight! Grande, Erivo, and director John M. Chu shared first-look photos from the movie on Sunday
