Sarah posted earlier about the American Thanksgiving weekend box office – between Moana 2 and Wicked, it was a record-breaker. And here’s Cynthia Erivo this morning in New York for an appearance on the CBS Morning Show, a little victory lap and more work!
Because even though the press tour is over, the award season tour continues. Wicked’s impressive performance at the box office has improved its chances at the Oscars. And word is, the Hollywood community is just as obsessed with Wicked as the internet. Per The Hollywood Reporter:
“Academy members don’t just like Wicked — they love Wicked. At the Directors Guild, PGA and SAG screenings in both Los Angeles and New York, as well as at the Academy screening, capacity crowds burst into applause after many songs and gave the film a rapturous standing ovation after the cliff-hanger finale.
Guild members are known to give standing Os — they did last year for Oppenheimer when Christopher Nolan emerged for his Q&A — but according to those in attendance, the effusiveness for Wicked has been at another level.”
This is why Cynthia is now considered among the frontrunners for a Best Actress Oscar nomination, alongside Mikey Madison (Anora), Angelina Jolie (Maria), and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl). There is no doubt she’ll be a factor at the Golden Globes with its musical category and also the Critics Choice, both will announce their nominees list next week. Given her previous nominations and the strength of the ensemble, Wicked also looks promising for some Screen Actors Guild nominations.
The big question mark for her, I think, is the BAFTAs. Um, you saw how the British press covered the Wicked premiere? In a word: racist. They focused on Ariana Grande and practically erased Cynthia from the front page. It’ll be interesting to see how the BAFTA nominations shape up in a couple of months.
Still, right now, Wicked is riding a lot of momentum. Critics and audiences are on board, the movie has made so much money, the toys are flying off the shelves, and as THR points out, the themes of the story are resonating now more than ever. This is not a fluffy musical – there is an urgent message behind Elphaba’s experience, and her resistance to The Wizard’s ambitions. Which means Best Picture is definitely in play here, especially in a season that is this wide open. It’s the beginning of December and we literally have no locks in any category!
And there’s one more thing riding on Cynthia’s possible nomination: she already has an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony, all of her work in The Colour Purple. Yes, yes, a nomination has to come first. But if she secures it, and the race is this competitive, it means she’s in the game for an EGOT. I feel like there’s only one way to end this post now, right? She’s gonna…
TRYYYYY DEFYING GRAVITYYYYYY!
