Idina Menzel Is Open To Starring In New 2 Part Wicked Movie Adaptation

Idina Menzel, who was the original Elphaba actress in Broadway’s Wicked musical, says she is open to appearing in the upcoming film adaption.

Idina Menzel has revealed that she would be interested in appearing in the Wicked film adaption after having starred in the Wicked Broadway show. Menzel is an American actress and singer who has appeared in such works as Frozen, Enchanted, and Cinderella. However, she is probably best known for her work in theater. She kicked off her theater career appearing in the musical Rent, where she starred as Maureen Johnson. Menzel would then go on to star in Summer of ’42, Hair, Wicked, and Skintight.

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Menzel was one of the original cast members of Wicked and starred as Elphaba from 2003 to 2005. The musical follows the unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Glinda and tells the story of how they become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively. The show performed so well that it has spawned numerous productions worldwide. Now, a two-part film adaptation of the musical is also being developed. The Wicked adaption will be directed by Jon M. Chu and will star Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Given that she originated the role of Elphaba, many have wondered if Idina Menzel will make an appearance in the Wicked film.

Menzel revealed that she would be open to a role in the Wicked film. When asked about a potential appearance, she said she would go for it if asked. She then joked that with a little green makeup and some CGI she would like beautiful. Although, she did add that the “ship has sailed” meaning that it may be a little too late to be Elphaba again. Still, that wouldn’t stop her from appearing in some other capacity in the film. Check out her statement below:

If they asked me to do it at the age of 51, I would say, sure — just put a little Vaseline on the lens, throw some green makeup on me, use a little CGI and I’ll look gorgeous… But no, it’s all good. That ship has sailed”

Menzel’s openness to appear in the Wicked adaption comes after her original Wicked co-star, Kristin Chenoweth, pitched her own idea for a cameo with her and Menzel. Chenoweth has been pretty open about her desire to be a part of the Wicked film and is definitely willing to make a cameo. With Menzel seemingly down for it, too, there isn’t much in the way of stopping it from happening. After all, Chu himself has spoken out to say Menzel and Chenoweth’s cameos are a possibility.

This also wouldn’t be the first time Menzel has returned to a project after a break of several years. It was recently confirmed Menzel is returning for Enchanted 2, after starring in the original back in 2007. If the ship hasn’t sailed for Enchanted, hopefully, it hasn’t really sailed yet for Wicked, either.

Overall, the chance of a Menzel and Chenoweth cameo looks pretty hopeful. Still, it is hard to say when details have been quite sparse about the adaption. This is because it is still in very early development and isn’t expected to release until Christmas 2024, with Wicked part 2 set for Christmas 2025. It is still a long way off, but the fact that Menzel and Chenoweth are discussing cameos so early in the process is a promising sign. Menzel has been wholly supportive of the adaption and trusts that it will be beneficial to help people explore the world of Wicked further.