While fans of Wicked might be counting down the minutes until they can finally set eyes on its film adaptation, one face they apparently don’t want to see among its cast is James Corden’s. That is if one rapidly growing Change.org petition is any indication. As of this writing, more than 38,000 (and counting) individuals have signed the petition which makes one simple demand: “James Corden in no way shape or form should be in or near the production of Wicked the movie. [T]hat’s pretty much it.”
The thing is, Corden hasn’t actually been confirmed as a cast member... yet.
The remake is set to star Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the witches Elphaba and Glinda, and will be directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M. Chu. However, Universal, the studio behind the film, has yet to announce who will make up the supporting cast of the beloved and award-winning musical’s first movie outing. As such, this petition might seem a bit premature. However, in the case of the Late Late Show host, recent events have led the petition’s creators to believe they needed to get out ahead of any official announcements.
You see, over the last few years, Corden has become a bit of a staple of musical film adaptations. He appeared as The Baker in Into the Woods, as Bustopher Jones in Cats, as a mouse-turned-footman in Cinderella, and even as Barry Glickman in Prom — a role that earned the actor a Golden Globe, along with plenty of criticism from queer folks who found his portrayal of a gay man offensive. This series of roles has left some fans of Wicked concerned that it’s a near certainty Corden will appear in this musical as well.
Not only are they making their voices heard via the petition, but many have taken to social media to express their ardent desire that Wicked remain 100 percent Corden-free.
\u201cme creating new email accounts to sign the \u201ckeep james corden out of wicked\u201d petition\u201d— wiLL (@wiLL) 1636342904
\u201cJames Corden seeing that a new musical adaptation is casting\u201d— Conor (@Conor) 1636076934
\u201cPlease keep James Corden at least 300 yards away from our Wicked movie at all times\u201d— Jared Alexander | \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 | \ud83e\udd89 (@Jared Alexander | \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 | \ud83e\udd89) 1636220855
\u201cThis is the face (pic @TheBiancaDelRio) that I do whenever I find out James Corden has been cast in the film musical of...... (insert any musical)\u201d— Duncan Craig OBE (@Duncan Craig OBE) 1636112755
\u201cGays after they sign the James Corden Wicked petition\u201d— Ed Barnes (he/him) (@Ed Barnes (he/him)) 1636357431
