THE Wicked the film adaptation was almost very different, according to a new report from Page six.

While John M. Chu ended up directing the film which hits theaters this weekend, Stephen Daldry (known for his award-winning work on The Crown) was initially attached. Daldry had Lady Gaga in mind to play the central role of Elphaba, and the report reveals that several meetings took place to flesh out their vision for the character.

“Gaga basically got cast in her version and then she failed,” the source explained. In the meantime, Shawn Mendes was considered for the role of Fiyero, the charming student who becomes an object of affection for both Elphaba and Glinda.

In 2020, Daldry left the project due to scheduling conflicts; Chu, known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians And In the heightsfinally thrown away Cynthia Erivo like Elphaba and Ariana Grande like her counterpart, Glinda. The Bridgerton Chronicles star Jonathan Bailey took on the role of Fiyero.

If Gaga was acclaimed for her role in the Bradley Cooper film A star is bornshe didn’t fare as well in 2024 Joker: Folie à Deuxwho was a box office bomb. However, the pop star has already returned to music, recently dropping out Song of the week “Disease” as the first teaser for his upcoming seventh album. It is also said that she is appearing in the next season from Netflix Wednesday.

Wicked will officially fly into theaters this weekend; our own Paolo Ragusa described the show as an opportunity to inspire legions of future theater young people. Read the full review here.