Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, stars of the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, recently shared an unexpected and bizarre encounter with paparazzi while filming. In a candid conversation reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the actors revealed that photographers went to extraordinary lengths to capture behind-the-scenes footage of the movie, including using hang-gliders to fly over the film set.
Grande, who portrays Glinda, the Good Witch, in the movie, reminisced about how the experience on set initially felt intimate and private. “It felt like a teeny, little secret student thing—it’s intimacy,” Grande described. However, that sense of privacy was shattered when the cast and crew were suddenly confronted by paparazzi soaring above them in hang-gliders. “All of a sudden, we were outside, and the Daily Mail was hang-gliding over our set,” she recalled with disbelief. “Oh, he should play the pterodactyl in your film [Jurassic World 4].”
Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero and is set to star alongside Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Jurassic World movie, added to the surreal nature of the incident. “It was a man on a massive kite, floating around with his legs hanging down,” Bailey explained, emphasizing the oddity by noting the presence of a GoPro strapped to the paparazzo’s feet. “With a GoPro. With a GoPro on his toes.”
Grande, still incredulous about the lengths the paparazzi went to, admitted, “I couldn’t believe my eyes… There’s no way! I was like, ah, guy on a hand glider.”
The Wicked film, directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Marc Platt, promises to bring the beloved musical to life on the big screen. It follows the story of Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo), a young woman with a misunderstood green complexion, who forms an unlikely but profound friendship with Glinda. The first part of the two-part film is set to be released on November 22, 2024, with the second part following on November 26, 2025.
Bailey, reflecting on the filming experience, praised the dedication and care that went into the production. “There were certain elements of it that I was incredibly impressed by,” he said, attributing the film’s magic to the passion of its creators. “We were on those incredible sets,” Bailey added, reinforcing the sense of wonder that permeated the project despite the unusual interruptions.
As fans eagerly await the release of Wicked, the story of this daring paparazzi stunt only adds to the intrigue and excitement surrounding the film.