In case Ariana Grande ever really wants to switch positions, Amanda Seyfried is off book and available for the “Wicked” movie.
Months after it was announced that the pop star clinched the role of Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical, Seyfried revealed that she also was in the running to play the Good Witch of the South.
Speaking with Backstage in a recent interview, the actor said she was so committed to the part that she auditioned while still filming Hulu’s “The Dropout,” in which she starred as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
“I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for ‘Wicked,‘” she said. “Last summer while I was playing Elizabeth [on “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.”
“I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life. But I think it also taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove,” she continued. “Because ever since ‘Les Miz,’ I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I’m finally prepared.”
Seyfried portrayed Cosette in director Tom Hooper’s 2012 film adaptation of “Les Misérables” alongside Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, which featured live vocal performances that were captured during shooting unlike most movie musicals.
Seyfried has previously spoken about the “complete regret” she feels over her performance in the film, describing her voice as “very weak” at the time.
“I wish I could redo “Les Misérables” completely because the live singing aspect, I still have nightmares about it,” she said during an episode of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series last year. “I’ve been working diligently ever since ‘Les Misérables’ to strengthen my voice and to have some stamina. Plus working on my vibrato, which was completely lost. From a very technical standpoint, I was very unhappy with my singing.”
Seyfried has, of course, also lent her vocal talents to “Mamma Mia!” and its sequel, “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.”
And while she won’t appear in “Wicked,” there’s still much to be excited for when it comes to the movie musical, which has been in development since 2004. Based on the Gregory Maguire book of the same name, “Wicked” tells the story of what happened before Dorothy arrived in the land of Oz through the perspective of witches Glinda (Grande) and Elphaba, who will be played by Tony winner Cynthia Erivo.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, who helmed “Crazy Rich Asians” and the film adaptation of Broadway’s “In the Heights,” the movie is set to be released in two parts and contain a number of new songs.
The first “Wicked” film will arrive in theaters December 2024 with the sequel premiering the following Christmas.