Cynthia Erivo Calls Edited ‘Wicked’ Movie Poster That Hides Her Face “Offensive”
Cynthia Erivo has expressed her discontent over a fan-edited poster for the upcoming ‘Wicked’ movie that partially obscures her character Elphaba’s face. Sharing her thoughts on Instagram Stories, Erivo highlighted the poster’s alteration, which hides her character’s eyes, drawing comparisons to past controversies involving AI-generated imagery.
She stated, “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green.’ None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
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Erivo further elaborated on her feelings, pointing out the significance of the original Broadway poster.
“The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION,” she noted. “I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer…because, without words we communicate with our eyes.” Her words emphasised the importance of representation and authenticity in the portrayal of characters.
The actress clarified that the ‘Wicked’ movie poster serves as an homage to the original Broadway artwork, stating, “To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me, and that is just deeply hurtful.” This sentiment reflects her commitment to honouring the character she portrays and the broader implications of such edits on representation in media.
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In the highly anticipated two-part adaptation, Erivo stars alongside Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, and an impressive supporting cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Keala Settle, and Ethan Slater.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, known for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘In the Heights’, the film aims to offer a more intimate experience than the stage version, as highlighted in recent discussions about the adaptation. Erivo’s passionate response underlines the importance of respecting artistic integrity and the impact of representation in the entertainment industry.
-Sushmita Sarkar
