Salma Hayek isn’t just wickedly talented—she’s also wickedly nostalgic!
The 58-year-old actress, producer, and apparently, OG Wicked stan, hopped onto Instagram this Thanksgiving to sprinkle some magical green glitter over the movie’s success. With enough enthusiasm to make Glinda proud, she posted:
“Congratulations @arianagrande, @cynthiaerivo, and the entire Wicked team for the magic you’ve brought to our screens! ✨💚🧹 #wickedmovie #wickedmusical.”
But here’s the plot twist: Salma’s love for Wicked runs deeper than a cauldron full of melted witches. Turns out, she tried to conjure her own Wicked project way back in 2011. That’s right, before TikTok, before Ariana Grande was belting “Thank U, Next,” and before anyone could buy green makeup on Amazon in bulk, Salma had big plans.
She joined forces with ABC to turn Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West into an eight-hour miniseries. That’s like four feature films, or one Broadway show if you add popcorn breaks. Erik Jendresen, best known for his work on Band of Brothers, was supposed to pen the script. Clearly, ABC was gearing up for something massive—a TV event so long, you’d need snacks, bathroom breaks, and possibly a week off from work.
But then… crickets. The miniseries vanished faster than Elphaba melting into her puddle. When TVLine asked Gregory Maguire what happened, he responded with the verbal equivalent of a shrug emoji, saying, “While the rights to such a non-musical filmed presentation are still owned by a separate entity, there has been no apparent movement to use those rights by said entity.” Translation: Nope, nada, zip. We’ve got nothing for you.
Fast forward to 2024, and Salma’s cheering from the sidelines like a proud aunt at a school play. And honestly? She’s probably not even bitter. After all, nothing says “I’m over it” like posting a glowing tribute with emojis. The moral of the story? Timing is everything—unless you’re Salma Hayek, in which case, you’re always ahead of it.