If I were actress Cynthia Erivo, I would burn every green garment I owned once “Wicked” is finished in theaters. In the blockbuster, which has its Norwegian cinema premiere this weekend, Erivo plays the witch Elphaba. In addition to the classic witch gear, you know, black cloak, pointy hat, Elphaba is green in the face. The film is based on the musical of the same name from 2003, which is again a play on the characters from the classic “The Wizard of Oz”. GREEN AND PINK IN THE FILM: Erivo and Grande play the witches Elphaba and Glinda, who are associated with each color. Photo: AP And if you’ve surfed the internet at any point in the past year, between analyzes of the US election and complaints about X, you’ll have seen pictures of Erivo and pop star Ariana Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda. They are usually on the red carpet, they usually walk arm in arm. And they are almost invariably dressed in green and pink respectively. Erivo and Grande are part of a trend that in recent years has made the red carpet increasingly resemble a carnival. One after the other big star poses in garments that are clearly connected to the action in the film, and which can sometimes resemble the actual costumes. The naysayers have long since begun to yawn. EXCITING: Lupita Nyong’o and the other actors in “Black Panther” often posed in clothes inspired by Afrofuturism at the film’s premieres. Photo: INVISION They applauded when the actors in “Black Panther” took to the red carpet in brightly colored, Afrofuturistic outfits, as a nod to the aesthetics of the film. They delightedly flipped through the history books as Margot Robbie recreated one classic Barbie outfit after another at the premiere of the Barbie movie. They roared when Zendaya promoted “Dune 2” in a kind of space armor from Thierry Mugler, as a tribute to the science fiction genre. But when the same lady posed with tennis balls impaled on her stiletto heels in connection with “Challengers”, a certain boredom began to seep into the audience. It didn’t just have to do with movie stars dressing more and more like the role they played in different movies. GIMMICK? When Zendaya starred in the tennis movie “Challengers,” she and stylist Law Roach attached tennis balls to her stiletto heels. Photo: Mega It was also because the outfits became more and more literal. They no longer felt like interpretations of a theme or style, but more of a parade of costumes and props that didn’t feel terribly fashionable. When it has become this way, it is primarily because it is effective marketing. If Erivo and Grande had each posed in a classic ball gown, you’d have to read the caption to know which movie they were promoting. As has been the case for the past year, you only needed to cast a weary glance at their dresses to know why they’re out swinging tonight again. ALWAYS DRESSED THE SAME: Over the past year, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have been seen in a parade of green and pink outfits. And not only that. The green and the pink dress also become an illustration of a fundamental change in the film industry. Not long ago, movie stars were heavy hitters in Hollywood. The biggest of them could ensure that a film got the green light and financing just by saying yes to a role. They could command huge fees and were closely associated with the film genre they preferred. EXCITING: Zendaya sent the fashion press into a frenzy when she appeared as some sort of knightly robot in vintage Mugler at the London premiere of ‘Dune 2’. Photo: Invision The public flocked to the cinema hall to see a Julia Roberts film or a George Clooney film. If you saw Meg Ryan on a poster, it was usually about kissing. If it was Bruce Willis squinting at you, it was fighting. That is, it was like that until the star grew up and, well, took an unexpected, unglamorous role and started fishing for an Oscar nomination. Today, movie stars don’t have that power. Not to draw money, and not to draw people. Stand-alone comedies and dramas are now made as often for streaming as for theatrical release. The cinema has become a temple to the franchise, to the pre-existing universe of characters and story lines that you can always get the audience to join in once more. RECREATIONS: Margot Robbie recreated several of the Barbie doll’s famous outfits when she promoted the “Barbie” movie last year. Photo: AFP There is disagreement about exactly when it happened. But many point to the epic success of “Iron-Man” in 2008, which prompted Disney to buy the Marvel universe and start pumping out superhero adventures. The world’s most famous actors have been on the cast list in the Marvel films, and similar works. But they are subordinate to the big narrative, “the intellectual property” or IP. The big studios are more willing to spend money on outdoing the competition in creating special effects than on honoring overpaid celebrities who are anyway not the draws they used to be. On the one hand, it’s fun in a slightly childish way when the red carpet becomes a themed party. It is as if the actors begin the job of drawing you into the story before the premiere, often long before the premiere. The outfits are also, at their best, an interpretation of the film, the same story told in another language, namely that of fashion. INSPIRATION: The characters in “Wicked” are taken from the classic “The Wizard of Oz”, from 1939, with Judy Garland in the lead role. Photo: AP On the other hand, it can be understood as just childish. The actors can look like kids pretending to be witches and tennis stars, rather than practitioners of a particular profession who are at a very high level in their industry. And it all quickly becomes a bit gimmicky. But it can also appear as a natural consequence of the industry as it has become when you can hardly see Cynthia Erivo or Ariana Grande without it bursting in green and pink. Because it is the “Wicked” film, and the universe and story that goes with it, that really walks the red carpet. Rather than the two actors. Published 23.11.2024, at 11.52
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This happens because the movie stars have been given less power – Speech
