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Stars of the much-anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good graced their very own yellow brick road on Monday as they attended the glitzy UK premiere in London.
The film, set for release on November 21, is the conclusion of the beloved tale of famous two witches of Oz, and is based on the hugely successful musical, which first premiered in 2003.
As ever, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo took centre stage, with their outfits a stark contrast to the pink and green looks they’d worn to promote the first film last year.
Touching on the film’s darker tone, the duo opted for sultry outfits, with Ariana dazzling in a vintage black gown adorned with sequins from iconic costume designer Gilbert Adrian, who created outfits for The Wizard Of Oz in 1939.
Meanwhile Cynthia was dressed in an edgy navy blue gown with PVC leather detailing, with a belted waist and a bustier neckline.
While may die-hard Wicked fans were in attendance at the premiere, star Michelle Yeoh was among the early arrivals.
The actress, who plays the villain Madame Morrible, exuded elegance in a black satin gown with an eye-catching lace detailing.
Ariana’s boyfriend Ethan Slater was also among the the early arrivals on the red carpet, though he did not pose for snaps with her, following rumours that they were heading for a split.
It comes after Ariana and Cynthia were teased by fans after creating another viral moment during their ongoing Wicked press tour.
During the Wicked: For Good premiere in Paris on Friday, the duo were asked to describe each other’s ‘auras’ by an Elle magazine journalist.
Ariana said Cynthia’s was ‘yellow,’ like ‘sunshine.’ She added, ‘I think there’s also purple.’
Cynthia then said about Ariana: ‘I see, like a ciel blue, you know? Like aqua. And like, sunset-orange.’
The co-stars-turned-friends are in the throes of promoting the follow-up to last year’s Wicked. And the pair are once again generating buzz for their emphatic, effervescent chemistry during interviews.
Following the red carpet moment, one person wrote on Reddit, ‘I can’t go through this again,’ in reference to the movie stars’ previous ‘cringeworthy’ press run moments last year.
Referencing one viral clip from last year, another Redditor added, ‘We’re all holding space for them. Did I say that right?’
And one person observed, ‘It seems like they’ve toned it down compared to last year, and wisely so.
‘I’m sure another full court press like they did last year would’ve annoyed everyone and possibly turned some people off from seeing the new movie.’
There was also someone who inserted, ‘They’re sweet and all but this annoys tf out of me.’
Contrarily, another social media user added to the thread, ‘They r so funny honestly.’
It prompted someone else to share, ‘I died laughing when Cynthia said “ciel blue.”‘
‘Lmao they are SO annoying… and I love it. It’s not harming anyone, so it’s just funny to me,’ wrote No_Barracuda8791.
In the minute-long clip, originally posted by Elle Germany on YouTube, the silver screen sensations gushed over the interviewer’s question.
‘We’ve never been asked that,’ Ariana said first before Cynthia echoed the sentence with emphasis and added, ‘That’s a great question to ask!’
One of last year’s most memorable interview highlights with Ariana and Cynthia was when the Positions hitmaker clasped her co-star’s index finger — adorned with an ornately manicured green nail — during an emotional moment.
During a sit-down, journalist Tracy E Gilchrist told Cynthia that she had seen people online discussing the ‘lyrics of Defying Gravity,’ the stirring ballad her character sings in the film, and ‘feeling power’ from it.
Cynthia was visibly moved by the revelation, as she replied, ‘I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful. That’s what I wanted.’
As she spoke, Ariana, who also got choked up over the comment, reached over and grabbed her costar’s pointer finger in what appeared to be a display of support — and many people poked fun at the exchange on the internet.
‘What was this?’ one person wrote on X alongside a screenshot of Ariana’s hand wrapped around Cynthia’s finger.
‘Is this a sketch comedy show or something?’ asked someone else.
Ahead of its release on November 21, the film’s final trailer showed the consequences of the first instalment as Elphaba lives in exile.
There, she is continuing her fight for freedom while the silenced animals of Oz are desperate to expose the truth of The Wizard, who is played by Jeff Goldblum.
In a defiant message, the witch can be seen spelling out in the clouds floating above Oz: ‘Our Wizard lies.’
Meanwhile, Glinda has become the symbol of goodness in Oz, living in a breathtaking palace in the Emerald City, and is also preparing to marry Jonathan Bailey’s character Prince Fiyero.
In the teaser, fans saw the people of Oz hunt for Elphaba, with one carrying a bucket of liquid which reads: ‘Melt her.’
Posters erected around Oz warn of her, with one showing her claws out as it read: ‘Beware of the Wicked Witch’.
Glinda and Elphaba also shared a tense shutdown as Grande’s character attempts to fight back as the witch told her she has ‘no real power’.
However, by the end of the trailer, a glimmer of their friendship could be seen, with Glinda tearfully telling her: ‘Think of what we could do together’.
Fans were also treated to a first look of Dorothy’s arrival in Oz, alongside the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and the Scarecrow.
Wicked: For Good is directed by award-winning Jon M Chu, who was also behind the 2024 film.
The first movie was a box office success and raked in around $747.2 million on a budget of $150 million.
Wicked also received critical praise and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won two in March this year during the glitzy ceremony.
