Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes Were Contenders for Key Roles in ‘Wicked’ Movie Adaptation

It has been revealed that Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes were once considered for major roles in Wicked. The highly anticipated film, set to hit cinemas on November 22, stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. However, according to a recent report, this casting wasn’t always the plan.

Initially, Wicked was set to be directed by Stephen Daldry, who envisioned a completely different cast for the film. Before he departed from the project in 2020 due to scheduling conflicts, Daldry had discussed casting Lady Gaga as Elphaba and Shawn Mendes as Fiyero. An anonymous source claimed that Daldry and Gaga had met multiple times about the role, and that she was essentially cast in his version of the film before it fell apart.

Image Courtesy: NZ Herald

After Daldry’s exit, Gaga shifted her focus to Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux, a sequel to the 2019 film Joker. While her performance received praise, the movie was not well-received and underperformed at the box office. Recently, she released ‘Disease,’ the first single from her upcoming album, was announced as part of the cast for Wednesday season two, and just hours ago, she was confirmed as one of the headliners for Coachella 2025.

–Silviya.Y