io9 has an exclusive look at Casting Elphaba, a clip from the Universal Home Entertainment digital release.
It shows Chu talking about casting Erivo as the films Wicked Witch of the West.
Lets just look at everybody, he recalls saying.
© Universal Pictures
And we saw them all and they were all fantastic.
I was like, all right, I wannalet me just meet Cynthia.
He continues, She didnt act like she was bigger than the show.
She didnt act like she was a fan of the show.
And more than that, she was a fan of a story about an outsider.
In the background, you could hear Erivos powerhouse vocals performing the musicals numbers including The Wizard and I.
And, as Chu explains, the final decision of who would play Elphaba was a no-brainer.
We were like, of course, its Cynthia.
And then she sang Defying Gravity.'
Chu said, referencing the characters signature showstopper.
As soon as she left the room, were like, thats her, thats Elphaba.
She was so raw and vulnerable.
And I couldnt get her out of my head.
Wickedis out now in theaters anddigital.Wicked: For Goodopens this Thanksgiving.
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