The press tour for the hotly anticipated film Wicked: For Good has hit a snag recently.
Ariana Grande has thrown absolutely everything into the Wicked: For Good press tour, treating it almost like an extension of the film itself.
From city to city, she’s shown up fully in character-inspired couture, working closely with stylist Law Roach to curate a run of archival and custom looks that nod to Glinda while still feeling deeply personal and elevated, culminating in that sentimental pink Givenchy farewell gown.
Beyond the fashion, she’s carried a huge share of the global promo load across premieres, specials, and fan events, helping anchor a months-long rollout that stretched from Brazil to Paris, London, Singapore, and New York, all while honoring the emotional weight of the story and her bond with Cynthia Erivo.
Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater. Credit: Don Arnold / Getty
The result is a press tour that doesn’t just sell a movie - it shows how hard she’s worked, on and off screen, to make this era feel magical, intentional, and “for good” in every sense.
On top of all the magic, the Wicked: For Good press tour has clearly been intense and stressful for her too. The schedule alone has been brutal: back-to-back flights between São Paulo, Paris, London, Singapore and New York in the space of two weeks, with carpets, fan events and talk shows stacked on top of each other.
She’s done all of that under a microscope of online body commentary and “thinness discourse” that would be exhausting for anyone to ignore.
On top of the usual performance pressure, she dealt with a frightening incident on the Singapore carpet when a fan breached security and grabbed her, and then wrapped the tour only to test positive for COVID straight afterwards.
Even with the glam looks and smiles, it’s obvious this press run has demanded a lot from her mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Sadly, the superstar singer and actor revealed on Instagram that she contracted Covid, forcing her to cancel several promotional appearances in New York and beyond. She posted a story with the words “moments before Covid” alongside a photo from a recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
Grande plays Galinda/Glinda in the movie’s second instalment. This isn’t the first time the cast has had pandemic trouble. During filming of the first movie both Grande and co‑star Cynthia Erivo tested positive, delaying production — Erivo just days before the big number “Defying Gravity” and Grande before shooting “Popular”.
Covid case forces Grande to skip key press events
The positive test has led Grande to miss upcoming press stops, including a slot on The Kelly Clarkson Show. It is the latest hiccup in a press tour that has already been troubled: flight delays prevented her from attending the film’s premiere in Brazil, prompting criticism from fans — criticism she addressed via Instagram. At the Singapore leg of the tour, a man jumped barricades in an attempt to grab Grande, though security intervened after Erivo stepped in. The man, identified as 26‑year‑old Australian national Johnson Wen, was later convicted as a public nuisance and sentenced to nine days in jail.
Earlier this week both Grande and Erivo skipped red carpet interviews at the film’s New York premiere after Erivo lost her voice. Grande opted to stay silent in support of her co‑star.
Credit: Instagram
Wicked: For Good still expected to shatter box office records
Even with the press tour drama the hype hasn’t faded. The first instalment, Wicked: Part One grossed a massive $758 million worldwide, making it the highest‑grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical ever. The sequel is tracking for an opening weekend north of $150 million to $180 million from 4,000 North American theatres. That would eclipse other big openings this year such as A Minecraft Movie, which took in $162 million, and the live‑action remake of Lilo & Stitch, which made $146 million.
Critics remain impressed despite challenges
In a review for The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw praised Grande for delivering a nuanced take on Glinda: “is, as ever, delicate and doll‑like as Glinda, though with less opportunity for comedy”. He also singled out Erivo for standing out: “superstar among equals … bringing her black‑belt screen presence to the role of Elphaba, and revealing a new vulnerability and maturity”. Their acting has helped keep excitement for the movie strong even as publicity hits turbulence.
With blockbuster expectations and strong performances, Wicked: For Good might still claim the title of biggest musical‑movie launch of the year despite last‑minute setbacks for its stars.