Evil director Jon M. Chu has opened up about how he decided to cast Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The filmmaker revealed that he was under no pressure from the studio regarding the casting of the film.
Jon knew from the first meeting that they were both perfectly suited for the roles of Glinda and Elphaba. He knew that their shared chemistry would make the film a super hit.
“At first I thought, let’s keep it open to everyone. The studio never pressured us about names or followers. Not a word,” Crazy rich Asians added director.
Recalling the first meeting with both actresses, Chu said, “When Cynthia walks in and sings, you feel it in your bones. And when Ari sat there and became Glinda, there was no question.”
The director says that people saw the magic now, but he saw it very early.
He told Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, “I knew what everyone is seeing now – I got to see it on day four.”
Today Evil is known as one of the blockbusters in cinemas.
It stars Ariana, Cynthia, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh.
