Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo earned the same salary for ‘Wicked’

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received the same salary for their starring roles in Wickedaccording to a Universal Pictures spokesperson. The response follows unfounded rumors on social media surrounding the Wicked the winnings of the stars of the hit musical.

“Reports of pay disparities between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on the internet,” a Universal spokesperson said in a statement to rolling stone Tuesday. “Women received equal pay for their work on Wicked.”

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Users on TikTok and Reddit falsely reported that Grande earned $15 million, while Erivo earned $1 million. To make matters worse, several media outlets repeated inaccurate conclusions. The Universal spokesperson did not reveal how much the two co-stars earned.

The film, which hits theaters Friday, is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. Wicked, which serves as a revisionist prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Jon M. Chu’s film adapts the first part of the hit musical and begins with Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba as an ostracized Shiz University student who sleeps with Grande’s Glinda. After an unlikely makeover and a dance duet at a school function, sworn enemies become best friends. Things take a turn for the worse after Elphaba and Glinda visit The Wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum, in the Emerald City.

Wicked earned a whopping $164 million in its opening weekend globally, making it the third biggest opening weekend after Deadpool and Wolverine And Upside down 2. The second part has a release date set for November 21, 2025.

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