Ariana Grande is ‘scene-stealing’ with ‘superb physical comedy’ in reviews for ‘Wicked’
Reviews for “Wicked” keep pouring in, with more and more critics heaping praises on Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland, aka Glinda the Good Witch.
This is the biggest film role yet for the international pop star, who goes by her birth name, Ariana Grande-Butera, in the end credits. Over the past few weeks, she has steadily risen in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds for Best Supporting Actress, now coming in at fourth place to win the golden statuette. The enthusiastic backing of many top film critics certainly doesn’t hurt.
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Phil de Semlyen (Time Out) calls out Grande’s “scene-stealing” abilities. William Bibbiani (The Wrap) refers to her “superb physical comedy.” Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) says she’s found her “movie-star groove.” Christian Holub (Entertainment Weekly) claims she “struts around Shiz like she owns the place.” That’s just a small handful.
SEE ‘Wicked’ Box Office Prediction: Can It Take Down ‘Gladiator II’?
“Wicked” is being split into two feature films, with the first part debuting in theaters on Nov. 22, and the second part scheduled for November of 2025. Jon M. Chu is the director of the long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical, with other cast members including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, and Peter Dinklage as the voice of Doctor Dillamond.
Here are even more glowing Ariana Grande reviews for “Wicked”:
Peter Debruge (Variety): “Getting what her heart most desires, Grande steps into the Glinda role originated by Kristin Chenoweth, proving a talented mimic of the Broadway star’s singing style but a slightly stiffer presence on-screen. With her long blond hair and fine porcelain features, Grande nails the Little Miss Perfect dimension of Glinda’s personality.”
Clarisse Loughrey (Independent UK): “Grande, also bearing phenomenal vocal talents, has a knack for comedy that seems to wind all the way back to her days on Nickelodeon sitcoms, and it’s here deployed with lethal, pink powder precision.”
Dana Stevens (Slate): “Grande is charming and often quite funny. Her agile soprano voice is just right for the character’s virtuosic solos, and her lithe body moves with the grace of a dancer’s and looks sensational in the eye-popping costumes by Paul Tazewell.”
Katie Walsh (Los Angeles Times): “Grande is delightful as Galinda, showing off her comedic gifts (honed in the Nickelodeon trenches) and superb voice.”
Finally, even though Bilge Ebiri (Vulture) complains that the film is “as enchanting as it is exhausting,” he concedes that “the actors shine,” writing about Grande, “With her pagoda-roof eyelashes and her quicksilver physicality, Grande gives real comic shape to Glinda’s popular-girl frivolity. She also pokes fun at her own terrific vocal range, tossing errant high notes into simple statements.”
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