‘Wicked’ Sequel Set To Explore Elphaba & Glinda’s Relationship “In-Depth”, Says Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande has opened up about the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked Part One, while suggesting that the sequel, Wicked: For Good, will more deeply dive into the pair’s relationship. 

In a new interview with Variety, Grande acknowledged the popularity of the ‘Gelphie’ ship and how she personally views Glinda as “a bit queer.” She said: “I think she’s a person who loves so much, and I do think that it goes beyond gender, and I think that’s a common theme in Oz. 

“I also think that the ways in which she loves Elphaba so much,” she continued, “and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share — I think they’re in love with each other. I know, yes, it’s platonic…” Stopping herself before she reveals too much, Grande then teased: “But we’ll talk about it more in depth in movie two.” 

It’s not the first time that the stars of Wicked have alluded to the queerness of Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship: in a pre-release interview with Gay Times, Cynthia Erivo described the Gelphie relationship as “true love,” while Grande said Glinda “might be a little in the closet.”

It’s a Wicked world

Since its release in November, Wicked has absolutely taken over the world. Now the highest-grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical ever, it’s been a wild ride for fans as new audiences see the movies and the press junket seemingly never ends.

We can thank Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for helping get ‘holding space’ into popular vernacular with their unusual but nonetheless iconic interview with Out’s Tracy E. Gilchrist (which was recently recreated by A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning). 

Cynthia Erivo also recently unveiled that we can expect a new song penned by her and original Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz in the next movie, teasing that the cast and crew were crying the day it was filmed. 

Wicked has also been the surprise awards contender of the season, though it’s heading into tomorrow’s Golden Globes with only three nominations. Nonetheless, it’s been tipped to win Best Picture at the Oscars in March, although the race this year has proven to be extremely unpredictable.