Cynthia Erivo has reflected on her reaction to a fan-made Wicked poster that went viral earlier this month, sparking a mixed response from the musical’s fanbase.
Earlier this month, fans were divided over the new poster for Jon M. Chu's adaptation, which gave a modern twist to an iconic image from the 2003 Broadway musical.
The new Wicked poster features Erivo, 37, wearing a black hat, her long dark hair draped over her shoulder, and green lipstick to match her green skin, while Ariana Grande, 32, whispers in her ear, wearing a tiara.
This is a departure from the original Broadway and West End production, where Elphaba’s face is partially hidden by her hat, sporting a red-lipped smirk, while Glinda, dressed in all white, whispers in her ear.
Fans of the musical then took to social media to share their edited versions of the film’s poster after its release, adjusting Elphaba’s hat and adding bold red lipstick to make it resemble the original Broadway artwork.
However the fan edit didn’t go down well with Erivo who took to Instagram with a scathing attack on fans: “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green’.
“None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.
“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.”
Erivo also spoke out against a viral AI-generated video that depicted the poster transforming into a battle between the two stars. Additionally, she condemned the long-standing "is your p—- green?" memes that have circulated in connection with the musical.
She concluded: “Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”
Since then, Erivo has explained why she decided to speak out on the poster, telling Entertainment Tonight: “I'm passionate about it and I know the fans are passionate about it and I think for me it was just like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba, and it was like a human moment.
“I probably should have called my friends, but it's fine.”
Erivo’s reaction to the fan-edited poster sparked mixed reactions online, with some users viewing it as an overreaction while others defended her response.
Her co-star, Ariana Grande, also came to her defence, calling the situation “complicated,” particularly as it touches on concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking with Variety at the Academy Museum Gala, Grande said: “I think it’s very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it’s just kind of such a massive adjustment period.
“This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits.”
When asked if she thinks fans can go “too far”, Grande said: ‘I think so. And I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much.
“It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”
The highly anticipated film is set to land in UK theatres on November 22 almost 10 years after the film adaption was first announced in 2016.
Grande stars as Glinda the Good, while Erivo, who is just an Oscar away from becoming an EGOT winner, has taken on the role of Elphaba.
