Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo make sure 'Wicked' contract talks are fair

Ariana Grande recently spoke out about how she and Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo ensured they were treated fairly during contract negotiations. In response to rumours of pay disparity between the two stars, Grande revealed how she and Erivo took the initiative to review their contracts together to ensure their needs were aligned before filming began.

In an SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation, Grande explained when she got her contract on Wicked, she immediately approached Erivo. She wanted to examine the contract line by line so both of them knew their expectations. She told me that at that time, if the other one needed something or not, she wanted her to need it, and vice versa-that is why she wanted someone who has her back just as much as she's got hers. She expressed the feeling that the two would share their problems equally, as one person's issues would become the other's.

Their collaboration extended beyond just the contracts. Grande revealed that the depth of their connection was established before production even started, and she was thankful for the way they supported each other throughout the process.

This good bonding between the two helped develop on-screen chemistry as Erivo played Elphaba and Grande played Glinda. Within two weeks of release, on November 22, the Wicked adaptation grossed more than $472 million worldwide, ranking one of the highest-grossing films of 2024. The movie, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, takes the audience through the lives of the two as friends before Dorothy came into their land, Oz.