Wicked 2 star Cynthia Erivo has opened up about the demanding nature of musical filmmaking. In a recent interview, she emphasized that creating an on-screen musical is “very hard to pull off.” The actress also credited director Jon M. Chu for the sequel’s success.
Cynthia Erivo says Wicked 2’s success ‘is all testament to Jon Chu’
Cynthia Erivo is crediting director Jon M. Chu for the success surrounding Wicked 2.
During a recent conversation with Variety, Erivo appeared alongside Hugh Jackman as the two discussed the challenges of working in musicals. Both performers highlighted the skills required to make the genre work. Jackman described musicals as one of the most challenging undertakings in film. “It’s the Mount Everest of movie-making, musicals. I really think it’s the hardest thing to pull off,” he said.
Erivo agreed, pointing to Chu’s guidance as a key reason that the second installment has connected with audiences. She said, “This is all testament to Jon Chu.” The actress noted that one of the greatest challenges in musicals is ensuring that each shift into song feels organic.
“It’s very hard to pull off, because you have to convince people that it makes sense for each of these characters to burst into song. And it’s the moment between the speaking and the singing. It’s the silence,” she explained.
Erivo went on to praise Chu’s ability to guide those transitions skillfully. She explained, “And every time, he would find a way for us to find that invisible thread so that there is no other choice but for these characters to start to sing.”
Erivo’s remarks come in amid the strong performance of Wicked: Part Two (also known as Wicked: For Good), which premiered on November 21, 2025. Starring Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, the sequel became one of the year’s strongest box-office performers, earning roughly $401 million globally in its first two weeks.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
