Wicked nearly cast Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes before finalizing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
The film "Wicked," featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, was initially set to star Lady Gaga and Shawn Mendes. Director Stephen Daldry had planned to cast them before leaving the project in 2020 due to scheduling issues. Jon M. Chu took over as director and restructured the cast, ultimately selecting Erivo as Elphaba, Grande as Glinda, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. The new cast has received positive reviews for their performances. Gaga had previously met with the production team, but her involvement did not materialize. Mendes has focused on his music career and has not pursued acting opportunities since the casting discussions. "Wicked" is set to be released in theaters on Thursday.