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Over the years, several movie musicals have won the Best Picture award. Now there is another possible candidate to join this list Evilwhich broke records upon its release in theaters. The Evil The cast list is headlined by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, although rumors have swirled online that there is a whopping $14 million discrepancy between their salaries. Fans called this out, but Universal’s response couldn’t be contained.

Not a fancy musical, Evil is a global blockbuster that fans have been obsessed with for decades. Grande and Erivo cried non-stop while promoting the film, showing what a strong bond they formed on set. And after a post on Threads claimed that the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer was paid $15 million, compared to Ervivo’s $1 million, Universal issued a statement to Page Six. It is said:

Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet material. The women received equal pay for their work on “Wicked.”

There you have it. The studio certainly didn’t mince words and revealed that the two leading actresses from Evil were actually paid immediately. While the actual number remains a mystery for now, this should help nip this rumor in the bud… especially since Grande and Erivo will be promoting the second commercial Evil movie before we know it.

The conversation about Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s alleged salary caused a stir online, especially since Elphaba is the clear lead in the film. While Universal clarified that they were actually paid the same salary, some fans thought that Grande may have received more since she had to take time off from her career as a pop star. After all, her latest album Eternal sunshine I probably didn’t get a tour thanks to her Evil Commitments.

Debate about the hierarchy of EvilThe two leading actors have been in conversation since the stage show premiered on Broadway. Both Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth were nominated in the Best Actress category at the Tony Awards, with Menzel taking home the statue that year. For the first film, it was reported that Erivo will be nominated as a lead actress, while Grande will take on a supporting role. We’ll see if that changes for the second film.

This ongoing discourse about Evil shows just how much Jon M. Chu’s film has taken the pop culture landscape by storm. The musical film was a critical and box office success (see CinemaBlends). Evil Review here), and the audience is already counting the days until Part Two comes next year. And now that the salary rumors are behind us, fans can feel guilty about how much they enjoyed the first film.

Evil is now in the cinema and Part Two will follow suit on November 21, 2025. For now, check out the films’ 2025 release dates.