After facing backlash from fans and receiving support from his co-stars, Evil star Cynthia Erivo talks about her response to the viral poster edit. Earlier this month, the Elphaba star gave heated response to viral AI-generated poster this made the film’s promotional material look like the original poster for the Broadway musical. Specifically, the fan editing obscured his eyes, which looked into the camera, a creative choice by Erivo to communicate with the audience. She called the fan-made poster offensive and deeply harmful. Evil costar Ariana Grande (Glinda) offered her support to Erivo, but also acknowledged the complexity of the situation.
Talking to Entertainment tonightErivo opened up about her response to the fan-made poster, explaining why she reacted the way she did. THE Evil star said this the heated response was motivated by his passionacknowledging that the fans are also passionate and that she was protecting her character. She then called it “human moment” and said he probably should have called a friend. Read his comments below:
It wasn’t necessarily applause.
Because I think I’m very protective of the role, and in the same way, I’m passionate, I’m passionate about it, and I know the fans are passionate about it, and I think for me it was like a human moment. of, like, wanting to protect little Elphaba. And that was like a human moment. I probably should have called my friends.
What does this mean for the wicked
The answer from Evil star comes after unwavering fan backlash. Some audiences, who know the Broadway play well, considered his response extreme and they even went so far as to say they wouldn’t see the film. The fan who made the poster released his own statement, saying that Erivo’s emotions regarding the poster are valid, before saying that the decision to keep the poster up is also valid. As Grande said, the situation is complicated, not just by the use of AI, but by the poorly understood intentions of each party involved.
It’s difficult to say how this controversy will affect the film’s box office, which is already achieving huge records in pre-sale tickets just a month before the film’s release. Initial projections also indicate that the film could gross up to US$100-120 million in its national opening weekend. While the comment may have hurt some audiences who wanted to honor the film’s release, it is unlikely to harm the opening weekend with such drastic measures.
Erivo’s response reinforced that the relationship between artists and AI is complex. I agree with Grande’s opinion that AI can be conflicting and problematic. In this case, I can see where Erivo is coming from, as the the process of obscuring her can be seen as a way of removing her from the poster. However, I don’t think this was the intention of the fan who made the edit, who was probably thinking of making a simple change to make the new poster even more similar to the original.
She should be allowed to express her emotions and respond however she wants.
While it’s admirable that Erivo admitted she gave her impassioned response in the heat of the moment, it’s also disheartening because it seems like the backlash she received got to her. She should be allowed to express her emotions and respond however she wants. What complicates things, however, is that fans should also have the right to make whatever fan art they want, as long as there are good intentions. Controversy aside, the situation serves as a demonstration of his passion for Evil and can ultimately help with ticket sales when the film hits theaters in November.
Source: Entertainment tonight