After spending the entire press tour for the first Wicked film in an array of colourful, Oz-esque outfits, Ariana Grande had a surprise for fans as she walked the red carpet of the sequel’s London premiere.
On Monday night, the Oscar nominee arrived at the screening in a floor-length black gown, as she posed for photographers with co-star Cynthia Erivo and the rest of the film’s cast.
However, while the all-black ensemble might have seemed an unlikely choice for Ariana given the hyper-colourful world of Oz that she was there in connection with, the No Tears Left To Cry singer shared with British Vogue that it was an intentional choice.
She explained that the outfit reflected the “more mature” and “more emotional” tone of Wicked For Good, noting: “It still feels like an extension of Glinda’s story arc. We’re just telling a different part of her story.”
Asked if the look represented a “break from the butter-wouldn’t-melt blonde” with whom she’s become synonymous in the last few years, Ariana remarked: “It’s funny you’d ask that. I don’t think I’ll ever have to fully say goodbye to Glinda. I think she will always be a part of my heart and a part of my life.
“I also don’t feel like I’m necessarily returning to Ariana Grande. I have been here this whole time, learning and evolving, as we all do and are supposed to. If anything, I already found my way back home through doing the work.
“Glinda helped me feel more connected to myself than I had in a long time. I just have light brown hair now, that’s all. Though it’s washing out quite rapidly!”
But there’s one other meaning behind Ariana’s outfit that connects it all the way back to The Wizard Of Oz.
Ariana’s stylist, the self-professed “image architect” Law Roach, also told the outlet how her outfit was an original by Gilbert Adrian, who was the costume designer for the classic 1939 movie musical.
“To now have it in our personal vintage collection, and to wear something made by him on this carpet, feels so emotional and meaningful,” Ariana enthused. “Law and I cried many times during this fitting.”
As was the case with the first Wicked movie, Ariana is already at the centre of Oscar buzz for her supporting performance as Glinda in Wicked For Good, in which she once again stars alongside the likes of Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Ethan Slater, with whom she has been in a relationship for a number of years after meeting on set.
Several changes have been made to the original stage musical in order to bring Wicked For Good to the big screen, most notably the inclusion of two new songs for Elphaba and Glinda, certain storylines being tweaked to make them more suitable for the present day and a greater emphasis being placed on characters like Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion.
Wicked For Good is released on Friday 21 November.