The adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel will take us to an African fantasy kingdom, where a young woman Zelie must go on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. Zelie and her brother Tzain will join forces with the king’s children Princess Amari and Prince Inan to take a stand against his brutal rule.
Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Damson Idris (Snowfall), and Tosin Cole (Supacell) will lead the young cast of this project, and they’ll be joined by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The supporting cast will include Viola Davis (Fences), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).
Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) will be in charge of directing this project, and she can’t wait to share Adeyemi’s tale with the world.
“I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life. Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies,” she said in a statement.
]]>Wicked chronicles the adventures of two young witches who forge an unlikely but profound friendship during their time at Shiz University— Elphaba (Erivo), who’s misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, and Glinda (Grande), Elphaba’s privileged and ambitious roommate.
Their lives will take different paths after they meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, who sets them on a course to fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
“Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future,” reads Universal’s official logline.
In addition to Erivo and Grande in the lead roles, the star-studded cast of Wicked also includes Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, and Peter Dinklage. It will hit the theaters just in time for Thanksgiving, on November 27, while Part Two is scheduled for the 2025 release.
The first photo of Erivo as Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch of the West sees her in full green makeup, with a broom in hand. Grande’s Glinda aka the Good Witch of the North is wearing a spectacular pink dress while strolling up a dramatic staircase.
Chu captioned the photo with the words, “You weren’t told the whole story. What happens when you veer off the Yellow Brick Road?” He also praised Erivo and Grande, saying “they will lift your spirits, break your heart and leave you speechless with their voices.”
Wicked is loosely based on L. Frank Baum’s beloved novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and marks the first attempt to adapt the iconic musical to the big screen. In an attempt to fully capture the story, Chu decided to divide it into two films.
Wicked: Part One will hit the theatres on November 27, 2024, and its cast will also include Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Bowen Yang.
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Based on the characters from The Wizard of Oz, Wicked follows two young witches Elphaba and Glinda. The story starts off with them being unlikely friends, but life later takes them in different directions and they go on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
Bailey will play Fiyero, the love interest of both Elphaba and Glinda. Variety announced his casting, and the director Jon M. Chu confirmed it on Twitter, saying he’s “too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening”.
Earlier this year, Chu announced that Wicked will be divided into two parts, set to be released on Christmas Day in 2024 and 2025, in an attempt to do justice to the source material.
“We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters,” he said in a statement.
]]>Cynthia Erivo (Widows), Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County), Paddy Considine (In America) and Mare Winningham (The Affair) are amongst the actors recently cast in The Outsider.
The Outsider centers on an investigation of a gruesome murder of a local boy in a tiny town in Oklahoma. The script was written by Richard Price, who’s no stranger to working with HBO. He received two Emmy nods for his work on limited series The Night Of and was also credited as one of the writers of The Deuce.
Ozark star Jason Bateman will be in charge of directing first two episodes of this intriguing thriller. He’ll also serve as executive producer through his company Aggregate Films, which previously produced several of his films including Bad Words and Game Night.
]]>This award has been introduced in 2006 and it honors a performer who has shown a truly outstanding talent on the big screen in the past year and captured the attention of both the public and the film industry. It’s the only BAFTA award voted by the public.
This year, they chouse is between Jessie Buckley (Beast), Cynthia Erivo (Widows), Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You) and Letitia Wright (Black Panther).
BAFTA’s Rising Star Award served as a stepping stone for several young actors in the past, including James McAvoy, Kristen Stewart,
Cynthia Erivo The world learned their names thanks to formidable portrayals they gave in big blockbusters and indie films alike and something tells us they’re here to stay. Let’s take a look at 10 rising stars who took Hollywood by storm this year.
Elsie Fisher
This newcomer won our hearts with one of the most vulnerable, honest and revealing performances in recent memory with her Golden Globe-nominated role in Eighth Grade.
Zazie Beetz
Atlanta put Beetz on the map, but Deadpool 2 showed us she’s not going anywhere but up.
Noah Centineo
2018 proved Netflix movies can turn relative unknowns into overnight sensations. The breakout star of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a case in point.
Letitia Wright
Black Panther featured several amazing performances, but we can all agree that Wright stole the show as brilliant and hilarious princess Shuri.
God is good!John David Washington
It was just a matter of time before John David Washington joined Hollywood’s elite, and the role in BlacKkKlansman finally got him over the line.
KiKi Layne
Regina King’s performance is everyone’s favorite part of If Beale Street Could Talk, but this film also gave us an amazing breakout star in KiKi Layne.
Cynthia Erivo
Erivo already has one Tony under her belt, but she became the talk of Tinseltown thanks to her starring roles in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale.
Thomasin McKenzie
Leave No Trace is one of the most underrated films of 2018, and it’s a shame Thomasin McKenzie isn’t getting the same kind of recognition Jennifer Lawrence did while working with Debra Granik.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgX7cyHnjMq/
Lady Gaga
It may seem strange to call Lady Gaga a “rising star”, but it would be even stranger to ignore her career-defining movie debut in A Star Is Born.
Awkwafina
Awkwafina was MVP and a breath of fresh air in every movie she appeared this year, including Ocean’s Eight and Crazy Rich Asians.
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