Kristin Chenoweth recalls the call from Ariana Grande after landing Glinda in WICKED

After securing the role of Glinda in the 2024 film adaptation of WICKED, Ariana Grande picked up the phone to share the news with original Broadway Glinda Kristin Chenoweth. The moment left both performers in tears, capping a friendship that stretches back to Grande’s childhood and marking a symbolic handover from stage to screen.

Speaking about that call, Chenoweth said they were “so emotional”, adding that she has known Grande since she was ten. The history between them made the casting feel personal as well as professional. “I will not reveal too much, but we were so emotional,” Chenoweth recalled.

The Broadway icon also laughed about how similar they can sound when they talk. “We both talk like we are dolphins, like we have lost our minds,” she said, before praising Grande for the care she brought to the role. She described following the audition journey closely, from the first appointment to the callback, then the final yes during the COVID period. “When it was the yes, we lost our minds. I was just so happy, and I had to keep it a secret. I did not tell a soul, not a soul.”

Passing the sparkle to a new Glinda

Both original leads, Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, made brief appearances in the hit film, a wink to the show’s legacy and a quiet blessing for the new cast led by Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Remembering the day she and Menzel visited set, Chenoweth said they simply held hands and watched the new Glinda and Elphaba at work. “This is so surreal, right,” she said they agreed. “It was our turn to pass the proverbial wand and broom on, and they were both ready. To watch them giggling and just living in the parts was very moving.”

WICKED’s big screen success

The first instalment of WICKED proved a major box office draw, with strong audience scores and praise for its world building, design, and vocal performances. The film’s reception has positioned the property for a robust two part cinematic life, introducing Oz to a new generation while rewarding long time fans.

Sequel on the way

The sequel, officially titled WICKED, FOR GOOD, is in post production and scheduled to open in cinemas on 21 November 2025. The two film approach reflects the stage show’s act break, giving the creative team room to build toward Defying Gravity and then explore the darker turns of the story in part two.

For Chenoweth, the message to Grande remains simple. Make Glinda your own, bring heart and humour, and enjoy the ride. Judging by the first film’s response, audiences are more than ready to return to Oz for chapter two.