Idina Menzel inWicked.Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty
ForIdina Menzel, the upcomingWickedfilm adaptation is bittersweet.
“The answer is, yes, I’m very excited and I know it’s in great hands and I’vesent so much love to Cynthia and Arianaand I’m there for them if they need me,” she said. “And yes, I’m a little sad that I’m just older and can’t play the role, you know? And that’s the honest truth.”
Menzel, 51, admitted that it’s “hard” not to be stepping into Elphaba’s curly-toed shoes for the movie, explaining, “It’s the aging and the proprietorship ofthe role and what it means to meand how it changed my life. I just love it, and I miss her, I guess, is what I’m trying to say.”
But she is also looking at her predecessors for career-staying proof. “Julie Andrewsdidn’t get to play Eliza in [the film version of]My Fair Lady, right? But then she hadSound of Music,” said Menzel.
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Jon M. Chu, the mastermind behindCrazy Rich Asiansand the film adaptation of Broadway’sIn the Heights, waslater tapped to helm theWickedmoviein February 2021. Then, that November, Erivo, 35, and Grande, 28, wereannounced as leadsElphaba and Glinda.
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, who co-wrote the music and lyrics to the Broadway show, are adapting the screenplay, while Marc Platt will return as a producer.
In the original stage production, Menzel starred oppositeKristin Chenoweth, who portrayed the role of Glinda.
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While chatting with PEOPLE about her new QVC clothing lineEncorelast month, Menzel opened up about how she would be interested in making an appearance in theWickedmovie.
“If they asked me to do it at the age of 51, I would say, sure — justput a little Vaseline on the lens, throw some green makeup on me, use a little CGI and I’ll look gorgeous,” she joked, laughing. “But no, it’s all good. That ship has sailed.”
Asked what advice she’d give the two stars, Menzel said she would tell them, “Just to enjoy the moment, enjoy the process andremember the legacy of the showand how many young people it resonates with and speaks to.”
“It’s allowed for so many young people to really embrace their power and what makes them really special in the world,” the Broadway icon added. “[So I would remind them] just to keep that in mind every day when they’re on set, and to remember why they’re doing it and who they’re doing it for.”
source: people.com
