Ariana Grande's emotional farewell to 'Wicked' character

Ariana Grande is reflecting on her 'Wicked' journey 

The second instalment of the film, which also stars Cynthia Erivo, hit cinemas this past weekend, and it has already surpassed its budget. 

According to Deadline, 'Wicked: For Good' earned over $226 million in its opening weekend at the global box office. 

It's on track to match, and possibly surpass, the history-making box office set by the 2024 movie, 'Wicked: Part I'. The John M. Chu film went on to become the highest-grossing stage musical adaptation of all time.

Grande, who plays Galinda 'Glinda' Upland, shared an emotional letter to her fans marking the end of "the most creatively and emotionally fulfilling journey".

"I fell in love with 'Wicked' when I was ten years old," the singer-actress wrote. "It has been an escape and a place where I knew I could find comfort and understanding throughout my childhood and adult life."

The 32-year-old says Oz has been her "safe space" for as long as she can remember. 

"Loving something dearly and becoming it are two very different things. Becoming your Glinda the Good and being asked to join this most wonderful group of human beings on a most creatively and emotionally fulfilling journey was the greatest gift of my life. I have learned more from my time with Glinda than anyone."

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American author Gregory Maguire released his dark fantasy novel, 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West', in 1995.

The iconic Broadway musical, 'Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz', is a loose adaptation of the novel. 

Grande says the 'Wicked' characters "teach us how to love unconditionally with one's whole heart; to laugh; to forgive (even when it's most painful)". 

She says they also show us how "to be curious and not afraid of acknowledging our own wickedness in order to grow away from it and toward goodness". 

"You’ll never know what it truly means to me. I’m so thankful to have been a tiny piece of this bubble puzzle and to be your Glinda."

Grande concluded her letter with one final message for her "fellow Ozians". 

"Please remember: whenever things get scary or you feel alone, home is wherever and with whomever we want it to be, and there’s no place like home. Your chosen Ozian family loves you exactly as you are, and I couldn’t be thankfuller that you exist."

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Erivo is also grateful for the opportunity to play Elphaba Thropp, also known as The Wicked Witch of the West.

"I could write you an essay, a poem, Shakespearean prose, to describe what this journey has meant to me, what lessons this time has taught me, bought me," she wrote on Instagram. 

"I could try to give a metric to the love I have felt and experienced. I could give a number to the stories I have heard. The truth is the numbers are too small and the words are not enough.

"So I’ll simply say this. Take my hand and walk with me to the end of this road paved with gold and hopefully, the things that I’ve found, might find you too. Thank you for letting me be your Elphaba."

'Wicked: For Good' is already breaking records. Its opening weekend in America earned $150 million, surpassing the $112.5 million record set by the first movie.

Analytics predict that it will outgross its predecessor, potentially surpassing the $850 million mark worldwide. 

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