Idina Menzel is 'sad' she's too old to star in 'Wicked' movie

Los Angeles, June 9

Actress Idina Menzel is "sad" that she is too old to star in the 'Wicked' movie but is "excited" to see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on screen.

She said: "The answer is, yes, I'm very excited and I know it's in great hands and I've sent so much love to Cynthia and Ariana and I'm there for them if they need me. And yes, I'm a little sad that I'm just older and can't play the role, you know? And that's the honest truth," reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"It's the aging and the proprietorship of the role and what it means to me and how it changed my life. I just love it, and I miss her, I guess, is what I'm trying to say."

The 'Frozen' actress went on to quip that fellow performer Julie Andrews found herself in a similar situation back in the 1950s when she had originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in 'My Fair Lady' but was overlooked for the big-screen adaptation in favour of Audrey Hepburn before going onto cinematic success herself with 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music.'

Menzel told Broadway.com: "Julie Andrews didn't get to play Eliza in (the film version of) 'My Fair Lady', right? But then she had 'The Sound of Music'!"

'Wicked' tells the backstory of 'The Wizard of Oz' and explains how The Wicked Witch of the West was once best friends with Glinda the Good Witch before society forced them to go their separate ways.

Since opening on Broadway in 2003 and in London's West End in 2006, the musical has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and is known for classic songs such as 'Defying Gravity' and 'For Good'.

The film adaptation will be directed by Jon M. Chu and released as a two-parter, the first of which is expected to hit cinemas in 2024.