Cynthia Erivo posts “Wicked” memes that obscure her face

CNN
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Don't mess with the “evil” witch.

Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the upcoming “Wicked” adaptation, criticized the various memes and fan-made interpretations of the film's poster, which she said “demeans” and “erases” her involvement.

Earlier this month, fans were inspired to edit the latest poster for the film Wicked, which features Ariana Grande as Glinda, whispering as Erivo looks forward, to more closely resemble the musical's original logo. In this illustration, Glinda puts her hand up to speak in Elphaba's ear while the green witch grins and her eyes are covered by her pointed black hat.

Many fans thought it was an improvement over the official movie poster, which features Erivo's face in full. In an Instagram Story on Wednesday, Erivo said it was the “wildest and most offensive thing I've ever seen.”

“Our poster is a homage, not an imitation. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me,” she said. “And that’s just deeply hurtful.”

In the same story, Erivo called out other “vicious” memes circulating online, including one that made a crude joke about Elphaba's anatomy and an AI-generated video of the two actresses fighting.

“None of this is funny. None of this is sweet,” Erivo wrote. “It humiliates me. It demeans us.”

Erivo, Grande and “Wicked” film director Jon M. Chu all reshared the official poster on their Instagram Stories on Wednesday. In his story, Chu wrote that Erivo was “(his) superhero.”

Ahead of the long-awaited premiere of “Wicked,” there have been plenty of jokes, memes, and all sorts of reactions from fans. Some have wondered why the film's trailers seem to obscure the fact that it is both a musical and a single installment one a planned duology – the first film will cover the first act of the musical and culminate in the voice-rending anthem “Defying Gravity”.

Part one of “Wicked” hits theaters on November 22nd. The second film is expected in November 2025.