Latest news with #JonMChu
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariana Grande ‘Thrilled' to Lead Jon M. Chu's ‘Oh, the Places You'll Go!' Voice Cast Alongside Josh Gad
After spending the past couple of years in Oz, Ariana Grande is moving to the land of Dr. Seuss. As announced Tuesday (July 15), the pop star is set to lead the voice cast of Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton's upcoming film adaptation of Oh, the Places You'll Go!, a 1990 classic written and illustrated by the iconic children's book author. Josh Gad — who previously lent his voice to Frozen, playing Olaf the Snowman — will also star in the project, which will hit theaters in 2028. More from Billboard 'Wicked' Concert Special Featuring Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Sets Air Date Step Into First Class Comfort With These Fresh, Moisture-Wicking Vuori Meta Pants Here's How to Shop Crocs & Touchland's Collaborative Clog-Inspired Hand Sanitizer Cases In a post on Instagram, Grande shared a photo of herself and Gad in a studio, partially hiding their faces behind their script books. She also wrote on her Story, 'I love this book, I love this script, I love the beautiful world of @drseuss, I love this incredible group of creative human beings.' 'I am so thrilled to be a part of this one,' she added, calling her costar 'a brilliant joy.' Oh, the Places You'll Go! marks the latest film project Grande has signed up for since starring in Wicked, which premiered last year and was also directed by Chu. She earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba in the musical, nabbing an Oscar nod for best supporting actress (which ended up going to Emilia Pérez's Zoe Saldaña). The second part of the film, Wicked: For Good, will arrive in November. In May, the two-time Grammy winner also joined the cast of Meet the Parents 4 with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. Produced by Warner Bros., Oh, the Places You'll Go! will also feature original music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo behind Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman. Additional cast members and plot details have yet to be announced, but the original Seuss book chronicles the whimsical and colorful adventures of a young traveler. It won't be the first time a Dr. Seuss creation has been transformed into an animated film. In 2008, Blue Sky Pictures produced an adaptation of Horton Hears a Who!, which was followed by Universal Pictures' The Lorax — starring Zac Efron and Taylor Swift — in 2012. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ariana Grande Teases ‘A Plan to Sing for You All Next Year': See What She Said
Ariana Grande has been booked and busy, but making clear that music is still a priority. The superstar assured fans of such on Instagram Wednesday (July 16), writing: 'very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music … !!! it is and has always been my lifeline. there will need to be room made for all of it. 🧚🏼♂️' More from Billboard Ariana Grande 'Thrilled' to Lead Jon M. Chu's 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' Voice Cast Alongside Josh Gad Olivia Rodrigo's Guitarist Cried Upon Learning Robert Smith Would Join Glastonbury Set Parkway Drive Leads Park Waves Australia With The Amity Affliction & More 'It may not look exactly like it did before but i much prefer how it looks in my head,' she continued to write in the caption of a video from her performing 'Into You' at the 2024 Met Gala. 'I am having fun. i feel grateful and excited and inspired. 🙂 finding a balance, between many projects and endeavors i love, and doing it my own way… so i'm working on a plan to sing for you all next year. even if it's just for a little.i love you.' Grande has indeed been working on many projects, including a starring role in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, the latter of which is out this November. And on Tuesday (July 15), she posted a photo alongside Josh Gad holding up what appears to be scripts for a forthcoming animated film based on Dr. Seuss' final book, Oh, the Places You'll Go! Jon M. Chu (Wicked) will direct the musical, with Jill Culton and J.J. Abrams producing. In March 2024, Grande released her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, while singles 'Yes, And?' and 'We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)' both topped the Billboard Hot 100. Just over a year later, in March, she released the album's deluxe edition, Brighter Days Ahead. Grande last toured in 2019 as part of her Sweetener World Tour, which celebrated both Sweetener and its follow-up album, Thank U, Next. While it's unclear what her 'plan to sing' for fans next year might entail, it seems that 'brighter days' are indeed ahead with this to look forward to. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Mattel's New ‘Wicked: For Good' Toys Give Us a Spoilery Glimpse at the ‘Wizard of Oz' Crew
Let us be glad; let us be grateful for these first looks at one tornado-swept girl and her yellow brick road pals in Wicked: For Good. That's right, Wicked merch drop Wednesdays return for us Ozian fans, and this time give us clues as to Dorothy Gale's look in Jon M. Chu's fall sequel to Wicked, which will incorporate the Wizard of Oz arc we've all been waiting for. Some spoilers ahead, as some major plot twists can't be avoided once you see more of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and outfit reveals for Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as the Good Witch of start with the shoes; they're clearly no longer on Nessarose Thropp's feet. That means we can assume the de facto Munchkinland mayor, who becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the East, has, er, been bodied by way of a Kansas shack to the face. The Mattel doll of Dorothy brings back the iconic blue checked dress and pigtail braids for the teen. And yet it still leaves us guessing who might be playing her. Dorothy wears the shoes that once belonged to Nessarose and Elphaba's mother and that may or may not have magical properties. As fans of the classic storybook lore as well as the MGM technicolor film starring Judy Garland, we know the shoes—now silver as originally described in L. Frank Baum's works—are going to start an all-out war between the witches and the Wizard of Oz. Then there's the most scandlocious of reveals in Wicked: For Good, one that musical fans are well aware of and have been holding in (you're welcome). It's a surprising plot twist that Dorothy's friends are people we have already met and have a bone to pick with Elphaba too. After getting caught in the crossfire of Oz witch drama, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Boq (Ethan Slater) get turned into the Scarecrow and Tin Man, with the lion from part one having grown into the final member of the yellow brick road gang. And yes, Toto is there too. Wicked: For Good feels so far away, but these toy releases are already getting us so excited to see how it's all going to play out. Glinda and Elphaba also get new looks we're already obsessed with. Glinda gets more ballgown moments, while Elphaba's battle armor black ensemble gets a rugged and ripped look. Now we know what happened to that very, very long cape at the end of 'Defying Gravity.' Take a look at the gallery below for additional looks at the Wicked: For Good cast through the last toy drop from Mattel. Wicked: For Good opens November 21. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Award-winning singer lands major role in new animated film after smash-hit movie success
She previously starred in a hit musical that won over both critics and fans. Now, pop star Ariana Grande, 32, has been cast in an animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, The Places You'll Go! - meaning fans may be waiting a while longer for a new album. But there's some consolation, the upcoming film will be a musical, so audiences will still get to hear her sing when it lands in cinemas in March 2028. The project is being produced by Jon M. Chu, the director behind Wicked, so it's no surprise Ariana was tapped for the role. She will star alongside Josh Gad, 44, best known as the voice of Olaf in Frozen. And fans won't have to wait that long to see her on screen - Ariana is set to return to cinemas this November in Wicked: Part Two - For Good. The epic fantasy film, based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that was later turned into a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2003, hit theatres last November. Directed by Jon M. Chu with an eye-popping budget of $145million, Wicked is split into two feature-length films, with the final chapter slated for November 2025. Critics have already called Wicked: Part One a 'masterpiece' that 'pops and enchants on the big screen' as audiences were welcomed to the fantastical world of Oz. The film's leads, Ariana and Cynthia Erivo, who play witches Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, received high praise for their jaw-dropping vocals and onscreen chemistry. Film & TV journalist Scott Menzel boldly called it the 'very best big-screen adaptations of a Broadway musical ever.' 'Wicked is a cinematic spectacle that serves as one of the very best big screen adaptations of a Broadway musical ever. Jon M. Chu perfectly captures the magic of the Broadway show while adding in some of his own unique flourishes to the source material,' Menzel tweeted last year. 'Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo completely knock it out of the park as Elphaba and Glinda. Jonathan Bailey is also quite phenomenal in the film. Wicked lives up to the hype and often succeeds it.' Menzel also teased at the time that fans of the Broadway musical were 'going to absolutely lose their minds over' one particular scene. 'Wicked is hands down one of the year's best films,' Menzel concluded. Variety's Jazz Tangcay said that Wicked is 'much more than we could have ever expected' and that director Chu, Erivo and Grande 'gifted us a musical masterpiece.' Tangcay continued: 'Ariana & Cynthia will blow you away. The production design and costumes are a visual spectacle.' Film critic Katcy Stephen, also from Variety, admitted that they were initially 'pessimistic' but were happy to report that Wicked is 'a masterpiece.' 'Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humor and hair flips,' Stephen tweeted. 'Jon M. Chu added so much new life to the story that I can see why it needed to be 2 parts! Well worth the 20-year wait.' Erin Stecker of IndieWire celebrated Wicked as 'the best musical-to-movie adaptation' since Chicago (2002) starring Renee Zellweger and Mamma Mia (2008) starring Meryl Streep. Wicked is about an unlikely friendship that emerges between Elphaba (Cynthia) and Glinda (Ariana), two clashing witches in the magical land of Oz. Elphaba is wrongfully cast as a wicked witch as she seeks to expose the fraudulent, corrupt Wizard who rules the land. Wicked is the origin story of 'a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.' It serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring the narrative before Dorothy's arrival and delving into the former friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
Geek Tyrant
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Ariana Grande and Josh Gad Join Voice Cast of Warner Bros. Animation's OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! From Dr. Seuss — GeekTyrant
Ariana Grande ( Wicked ) and Josh Gad ( Frozen ) are set to star in Warner Bros. Animation's upcoming adaptation of Oh, The Places You'll Go! , from director Jon M. Chu, who directed Grande in the Wicked films. Published in 1990, Oh, the Places You'll Go! is one of Dr. Seuss' most beloved and enduring works. The whimsical work follows a young protagonist, standing in for the reader, as they venture out into the world, encountering a range of experiences, both positive and negative, as we all do in life. Chu will share the vision for the film with co-director Jill Culton, and the film is slated for release in IMAX on March 17, 2028. Rob Lieber adapted the script from Dr. Seuss' final book, with Bad Robot's J.J. Abrams and Gregg Taylor producing. La La Land's Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are creating original songs for the big-screen adaptation. Coming off her first Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda in the Chu-directed Universal musical Wicked , Grande will reprise the role in the sequel Wicked: For Good , out November 21. She was most recently tapped to join the next installment of the Meet the Parents franchise opposite Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. Gad's upcoming projects include Amazon's Spaceballs sequel, where he'll star and produce, as well as Paramount's Adulthood and Disney's Frozen 3 .
