Jon M. Chu reflects on unexpected chemistry between ‘Wicked’ stars

Jon M. Chu marveled on the strong bond his stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo shared with each other on the set of Wicked.

The Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker admitted that he initially thought the two leading ladies might end up hating each other.

"It was one of the most beautiful friendships to watch grow," he told the People magazine. "These two are the two biggest voices in the world, maybe in our lifetime. They could have hated each other."

Lauding the two actress/singers, Chu said that there "could have been insane divaship, but they always put Wicked bigger than themselves."

"I think that's a great sign of a great artist that they could immerse themselves in Elphaba and Galinda and they could find themselves within these characters," Chu added.

Praising their friendship, In the Heights director said that their chemistry made his "job a lot easier" as they "it only makes Elphaba and Galinda bigger than life" but also helped in getting to know "them more intimately than ever."

Speaking about his own relationship with Grande and Erivo, Chu continued, "They were family. We could have director and actor talks and we could have brother/sister talks, and so that meant the world to me."

'Wicked: For Good'

The story explores the events of the musical’s second act, focusing on the changing friendship between Elphaba played by Cynthia Erivo and Glinda played by Ariana Grande.

However, as they step into their new identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, the consequences of their choices will shape the future of Oz forever.

'Wicked: For Good' release date

Wicked: For Good is slated for release on November 21.