Fans of the hit stage musicalWickedwere excited last week to learn of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s casting in the upcoming movie adaptation. However, a change.org petition pre-emptively demanding to stopThe Late Late Showhost James Corden from starring in theUniversalmovie has since gone viral with over 65,000 signatures (at time of writing).
While no announcements of Corden’s casting or involvement have been made, the aversion stems from his starring roles in a string of previous adaptations of hit Broadway productions, including 2019’s much-malignedCats.A movie adaptation ofWickedhas been in the works for years since its 2003 debut on Broadway, andCrazy Rich Asiansdirector Jon M Chuwas announced to direct earlier this year.
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The online petition, addressed to the producers of the movie,Universal Pictures, appeared shortly afterGrande and Erivo’s casting inWickedwith the simple description: “James Corden in no way shape or form should be in or near the production of Wicked the movie.” It gained traction as Corden’s name began trending on Twitter in connection toWicked, with some less-than-supportive comments. Signatories on change.org provided succinct reasoning for their signing, including “we’ve suffered enough,” and “he must be stopped.”
Corden found major success in the US as host ofThe Late Late Show, becoming a household name because of it. But his performance in Netflix’s adaptation ofThe Prom(2020) was panned by critics and audiences alike. Vanity Fair called his portrayal of a gay, out-of-work actor “appalling and terminally bland,” while many took offense at a straight actor playing flamboyantly camp. 2020 also saw the release of the infamousCats, in which Corden starred as Bustopher Jones.Catscreator Andrew Lloyd Webber even spoke outabout the performance, remarking there were parts he “begged to be cut.”
What some people see as the oversaturation of Corden has been causing a steadily rising level of distaste for him online. In August this year, Corden went viral after pulling a publicity stunt to promote hisCinderellamovie. A clip of a literal traffic-stopping flash mob in L.A. from someone caught in the chaos made its way to Twitter, showing Corden, dressed as a rat, thrusting his groin at the camera. The reaction on the social media site was overwhelmingly negative, and was redolent of the Ask Me Anything Q&A session on Reddit that Corden and hisCarpool Karaoketeam tried to run in 2019 - it only lasted three questions after a barrage of over 700 negative comments.
Nevertheless, Corden previously received overwhelmingly positive reviews for his performance in the 2012 production ofOne Man, Two Guvnorsin London’s West End, which even earned him a Tony Award after its transferral to Broadway. His ubiquity is undoubtedly a sign of success, and it is unlikely he will disappear from the public eye anytime soon, especially asbig-screen musical adaptations are taking off. Meanwhile, Corden has not responded to the online petition and its signatories can sleep easy knowing no announcements of his involvement inWickedhave been made - yet.
Wickedis due to start production in 2022.
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Source:Mikel Miller | change.org
