A new 'queer' theory, an on-set affair, and all the Wicked gossip in one place.

Wicked is all we've been talking about the past few weeks.

From the moment the film celebrated its world premiere in Sydney, it seems like the internet has been awash in a sea of pink and green. From the premieres to the interviews and more, Wicked is set to become one of the buzziest releases of the year. In fact, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are picking up Oscar buzz for their work as Glinda and Elphaba.

While fans are eagerly counting down the days to see Grande and Erivo light up the big screen, we're here to spill the tea on everything you didn't know (but totally want to).

From on-set chemistry to casting secrets and behind-the-scenes prep, we've got the inside scoop on what's going down with Grande, Erivo, and the rest of the star-studded cast.

Watch the trailer for Wicked. Story continues below.

Ariana Grande thinks Glinda might be queer.

During an interview with the Gay Times on the Wicked press tour, Grande said she thinks Glinda might be queer — a theory long-held by some fans.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have," Grande said.

"I think they do have a real relationship, it is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond."

"Glinda might be a little in the closet," she added. "You never know! Give it a little more time."

Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda from the Broadway production of Wicked, also shared her views on the matter.

"I thought so too way back when…." she commented on an Instagram post.

Two other actresses were almost cast as Glinda.

Cynthia Erivo recently revealed that there were two other actresses who were in the running to play Glinda, before the role was offered to Grande.

Erivo recalled being relieved that Grande had been given the part, telling The New York Times, "Thank goodness, because it was not the two ladies that I was auditioning with."

"I said, 'Thank God,'" Grande added.

Erivo did not say who the actresses in question were, but we do know that Amanda Seyfried auditioned for the role of Glinda back in 2022 while she was filming The Dropout.

"On the weekends, I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked — because I wanted it that much that I was like, 'You know what? Yeah, I have to play the last scene of The Dropout on Tuesday. I'll give my Sunday to you,'" Seyfried said.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sat on the floor at the Australian premiere.

We didn't think Erivo and Grande's relationship could get anymore wholesome. The press tour of Wicked has been one big love-fest between the two actresses.

They even have matching tattoos to commemorate the film, and if that isn't friendship, what is?!

But when the pair realised they'd been seated apart for the Australian premiere of Wicked — the first time they'd be able to watch the film together with an audience — the stars ditched their seats and opted for the floor.

"We actually sat on the floor together to watch the movie," Grande told Mamamia. "We were just too far apart."

"Way too far apart," Erivo added..

"They had us sitting separately on the aisles and we just said, 'No no no, we need to be together,'" Grande explained.

Talk about friendship goals.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend Australian premiere for Wicked. Image: Getty

Ariana Grande's extensive prep for Glinda.

Grande recently revealed the extensive training she did to prepare for her audition, which included both vocal and acting lessons.

"It was just a murmuring of a something," she said of the opportunity on the Sentimental Men Podcast.

"And I remember I was on the Sweetener tour and I said to my team, 'If this is happening now, we have to figure it out. We gotta pull the plug on this tour. I'm going home, I'm getting in voice lessons, I'm getting in acting lessons, and I'm gonna turn this s**t out."

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"If this is happening now I'm going home, and I'm training. I'm getting ready. This is all I want. It's done and it doesn't matter, we'll figure it out,'" she added.

Her recent comments come as no surprise, given that Grande has been extremely vocal about what the role of Glinda means to her, and how eager she was to star in Wicked.

"It was literally 10 years of being like, 'Knock, knock, any developments? Is there an audition coming this year, or next year? I would like to start preparing today,'" she told Vanity Fair.

Ariana Grande is credited with her full name.

Fans who have seen the film already were quick to point out that Grande was credited in Wicked by her full name.

Rather than Ariana Grande, she goes by Ariana Grande-Butera in the film's credits. And Grande had the sweetest explanation for this.

Ariana Grande at Wicked Australian premiere photocall. Image: Getty

"I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me. I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways, through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba," explained during an interview for The Streaming Service podcast.

"And, you know, that was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old. And it felt like a really lovely way of honouring that. It felt really full circle, and it just felt like something I wanted to do."

A rumoured on-set affair.

When news broke that Ariana Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, were getting a divorce, speculation quickly turned to her relationship with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.

At the time, Slater was still married to his high-school sweetheart, Lilly Jay, and the couple had recently welcomed their first child together. Grande and Slater met while working on Wicked, and the internet was quick to leap to conclusions about the timing of Grande and Slater's romance.

While Slater's ex did not directly confirm the rumours, her public comments about Grande certainly added fuel to the fire.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater at Wicked Los Angeles Premiere. Image: Getty

"[Ariana's] the story really. Not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage. The story is her and Dalton," she told Page Six.

Grande has addressed the rumours in a new article with Vanity Fair, saying the 'true' story had not been shared.

"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," she continued.

"That was definitely a tough ride," she said.

Can't get enough of Wicked? Read more…

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Feature image: Getty.

This article was originally published in November 2024 and has since been updated with new information.