cross-posted from: https://poptalk.scrubbles.tech/post/1559544
Fans customized the Wicked movie poster to more closely match the original Broadway poster.
Original Broadway Poster:
Movie poster:
Some fans, disappointed by the poster, altered it to be closer to the original, moving Grande’s hand and lowering the brim of Erivo’s hat to cover her eyes. The edits prompted Erivo to respond. “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen
“None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us,” Erivo continued. “The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer… because, without words we communicate with our eyes.”
So, this seems like a completely reasonable reaction to fans making fan content.
I think the fan edit is way better. First of all, the red lips add some much needed contrast to her face. The original makes her all green except for her eyes, which are mostly white and black. The red helps make the green appear more significant and distinct. I think they should change the background too for the same reason.
Hiding the eyes does dehumanize her, but that’s a good thing here. It makes her look sinister, and ascribes some character to her. The smile also helps. Her expression is so blank in the original that you can’t get any idea of what this character is. The fan edit tells a story, where the original is just a person.
That’s what I don’t get, it’s obviously the character. It’s not about who’s acting the character, but you’re the Wicked witch. One of the most iconic villains in all of history. The hat literally does speak more than the face
In the movie poster, I understand that the actor “chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer… because, without words we communicate with our eyes”. The problem I have with it is that the thing she is communicating is not “I’m a wicked witch”, but more “is this photoshoot over yet?” or “what shall have I for dinner?”.
As well as her looking a bit indifferent, it also doesn’t like the person next to her is actually whispering anything, because you typically use your hand to cup the space between the mouth and the ear for that, and the hand is too low down and too far away.
So I can see why fans would want to edit that original picture.
Yea, frankly the original is garbage. That photo is all about the actor having their face seen, and she doesn’t even have a wicked look on her face (as you pointed out). It’s more like Resting Bitch Face.
The fan art is 1000% better, it imparts slyness in the witch, and some secret thing happening between them.
I’ve seen better expressions in high school plays.
Resting Bitch Face
Should’ve gone for more “Resting Witch Face” ha
She definitely doesn’t have a smile that would suggest any wickedness about her. Thus the edited fan version looks better.
it also doesn’t like the person next to her is actually whispering anything
It looks like she’s wiping her mouth after finishing a big meal.
The problem I have with it is that the thing she is communicating is not “I’m a wicked witch”, but more “is this photoshoot over yet?” or “what shall have I for dinner?”.
Or “I told this prick that it’s in my contract to show my full face in the poster”.
Who?
Yea, still don’t know who she is, other than someone behaving like a child.
“Most offensive”? Oh give me a break. Her behaviour here is the only offensive element in this story.
Thanks for letting me know I don’t want anything to do with you, and what show to not see.
Actors really do have majorly inflated sense of their importance in the world. You’re nobody, sunshine.
Grow up.
That’s a really dumb thing to get upset over. They also changed her mouth and the lip color. Like the original. I could understand if they edited her nose or some other features to be more “European,” but they changed only what they needed.
And it looks better.
Lol this is a Nintendo-level response to your own fan(s)
So basically she’s upset that she made a bad decision and people have corrected it for her? Also that’s the most offensive thing she’s ever seen? Really? What a fucking child.
“You changed something that I’d already told myself is part of my identity. This is YOUR fault.”
I’d always assumed photographers and directors and producers made the kinds of decisions around “will the subjects eyes be visible or obscured”. I didn’t realize the actors made those kinds of calls.
It really sounds like this was a sticking point to her. I said elsewhere, but it really sounds like she’s the one who forced her full face to be seen on the poster, or at least that’s the impression she leaves us with after reading this.
Which makes me think that the original design was closer to the original, and sounds like she made a stink about it.
Feels a bit like the Masterchief portrayal in mostly never wearing the helmet during the show and fans have wondered if it was because the actor had a caveat “I want to make sure I’m known to be the actor behind this iconic character.”
I mean, I understand, but at the same time, you’re taking on a role as a character who has been portrayed in a certain way by the existing fanbase for decades.
Your appearance you bring is supposed to mirror what has been established, not who you personally are.
I don’t know if it just needs more jpeg but the original looks way better than the posted edit. Although I can see how a movie star would take offense to having their face edited out, I doubt the intent was to dehumanize. It does look like a bad version of the Broadway picture.
Yeah I’m confused here. It’s almost a direct edit to match the original (broadway) poster. Eyes hidden, lips red and becomes a smirk, those are the only changes.
Honestly comes across like a bit of an ego-trip by the actress.
They moved the other actresses hand up to cover more of her face too (in an attempt to match the original poster)
I never was very good at those “how many differences” games 🙈
Also, in the broadway poster and the fan edit of the movie poster, the position of the hand communicates “I am telling this person a secret.” In the original movie poster the position of the hand communicates “I’m hiding a zit” or maybe “I have a toothache.”
That’s exactly what it sounds like. I had to look up who the actress was and it sounds like she is upset about that. The unspoken communication she is trying to demonstrate with eye contact isn’t even well executed. She doesn’t look witchy at all, just like she’s holding in a fart.
Maybe there’s some nuance or context that I’m missing but this seems like a really shitty response from the actress to a fan putting out a bit of artwork for fun. This kinda feels like tearing up a child’s stick drawing of you because you think they made you look fat instead of appreciating the fact that they wanted to make a drawing of you at all.
Yeah, I agree with your conclusion exactly. I know the actress needs to be seen and known because that’s a big part of her job but when playing an already beloved and established role the chance of being overshadowed by said role is high. No one is fan editing Joker 2 posters out of excitement
Yeah she says this as if the studio put this out and not just some random fan with
Sorry it was a screenshot of a screenshot I’m pretty sure. Yeah I mean, I’m not going to go and say the fan edit is a masterpiece or anything, but it’s fan content. They obviously love wicked and wanted to match the original poster.
Getting upset at fan content is a weird take. On one hand you could see that they’re excited for your work and just ignore it, or you could do… This.
The best part is that this is pure Steisand effect. No it would have seen the fan edit if she had just ignored it
Yeah, be happy people are doing free adverts for the movie your in and keep your (I think understandably) bruised feelings private.
Saw the musical, though off Broadway. Didn’t like the musical… maybe two songs, but that’s it.
This will likely not be great, but probably will make money. Both performers seem like annoying narcissists to me.
“Fans”
Fan*
People do shit like this solo, typically.
Shouldn’t it be “palate”? Or is she referring to the colour swap?
