Here’s the rewritten article:
Ariana Grande was adamant that the Wicked song ‘Popular’ would not undergo a hip-hop makeover, contrary to the suggestion of composer Stephen Schwartz, who wanted to refresh the rhythm for the movie adaptation.
- READ MORE: ‘Wicked’ review: the beloved musical makes a gravity-defying leap to the big screen, receiving four stars from NME
Schwartz recently recalled the conversation he had with Grande about the idea in an oral history of the film for the Los Angeles Times. “I thought, why not try something new? Let’s update the rhythm, maybe add some hip-hop elements. But Ariana was not on board, insisting that she wanted to stay true to the character of Glinda and not impose her own style on the role.”
However, Grande was more open to another suggestion made by Schwartz, who proposed a new vocal ending for the song. “I had this idea for a different conclusion, something that would have been part of the original show if I had thought of it back then. Ariana was hesitant at first, but once she understood that this new section was an extension of Glinda’s character, she was happy to give it a try.”
cinematographer Alice Brooks also shared some insight into the challenges of shooting the ‘Popular’ number, which was the first song to be filmed. “Our main obstacle was capturing the grandeur of the song within the confines of the small dorm room set. One night, I had an epiphany – what if we made the sun a key element? We added a skylight to the set and used the sunrise to create a sense of drama and movement.”
The film, directed by Jon M. Chu, has been a commercial success, debuting with $114million (£90.6million) domestically and $164.2million (£130.5million) globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates (via The Guardian). While it may not have reached the same level of success as last year’s Barbenheimer phenomenon, it has still managed to inject some much-needed life into the box office.
In comparison, Gladiator 2, which was released the same weekend, opened with $55.5million (£44.1million) domestically and added $50.5million (£40.1million) internationally.
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