Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has called a fan made poster the ‘most offensive thing she’s ever seen’.
Erivo plays Elphaba, in the movie adaptation of the popular Broadway show, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West alongside Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda the Good Witch.
The movie will be released in two parts, with the first part being released in the US on November 22.
The film and the musical both center around Elphaba, a misunderstood witch with green skin, who forms an unlikely friendship with Glinda, a fellow student who aspires to be popular.
However, their relationship changes after they meet the Wizard of Oz (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) and discover unsettling truths about him and the corruption within Oz.
Just like the musical has gained widespread admiration, the iconic poster is also beloved, featuring a partial view of Elphaba’s face hidden behind her hat as Glinda whispers in her ear.
https://twitter.com/TeddyKis/status/1848057661012734352
Last week, Cynthia Erivo, 37, expressed strong disapproval of a fan-made edit of one of the film’s official posters, calling it “deeply hurtful” and “degrading.”
Now, the original creator of the fan edit has clarified their intentions. Posting on Twitter, they stated: “Ok, so I’ve decided to repost this — the last few days have been wild and have helped me realize that the initial reaction was largely overblown.
“This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ve also seen some people take credit for this, and I don’t think that’s totally fair, so I’m coming out of the woodworks lol.”
They further explained, “While I deleted it initially as I felt it was the right thing to do, fan posters have been around for as long as movies have existed. I never meant to cause any harm, and the poster is simply a tribute to the original Broadway poster, just as the movie’s version is a recreation.”
The creator also emphasized that “no AI was used” in the creation of the poster, which they now want to leave online. They added: “Also, I will say that Cynthia is valid in having her feelings on the matter, and I’m also valid in wanting to keep my version of the poster up, as I truly meant no harm and just made it as a way to show love for the original. Both can be true.”
Erivo wasn’t the only cast member to comment on the edit. Ariana Grande also spoke about the increasing number of fan edits, mentioning that she finds AI “so conflicting and troublesome sometimes.”
