Hot on the heels of casting announcements for the new film incarnation of Wicked, fans of the musical have launched an online petition wishing to ban actor James Corden from participating in the film. At the time of this writing, it has already racked up more than 36,000 signatures with a goal of 50,000.
“James Corden in no way shape or form should be in or near the production of Wicked the movie,” the petition’s description reads. “That’s pretty much it.”
Related: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to star in movie version of Wicked
Short, sweet, and to the point, the petition taps existing anxieties among musical fans already feel about Corden’s participation. Despite becoming an international star in Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Into the Woods, Corden’s subsequent outings have not found the same level of success. He took a leading role in the film version of Cats in 2019, which went on to become a critical and commercial disaster. Last year he appeared in The Prom on Netflix. The Ryan Murphy-directed film also divided critics, with Corden’s performance as a flamboyant gay man earning the ire of some viewers, who viewed his portrayal as offensive. Earlier this year, Corden produced and played a small role in Cinderella for Amazon, which also received a mixed response.
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To be clear, Corden’s name has not come up in any official casting notice or conversation with the makers of Wicked. Universal announced that the long-in-development-hell adaptation of the Broadway smash will go before the cameras next year with In the Heights director John M. Chu helming the film. Last week, Chu & Universal also announced that Ariana Grande and Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo will play the leading roles of Glinda and Elphaba, respectively.
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Fahd
I liked him in History Boys, but with the passage of time Cordan seems more and more like a late late night talk show host and less and less like musical comedy star, so I support the petition –wherever your talent takes you.
Imjustsaying
He didn’t have a leading role in “CATS”, he had one song and gone and filmed for only a week. No one left unscathed from that debacle. I know people including myself who thought he stole the movie and he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. If by chance he is cast in “Wicked” and people are so unhappy about it, they can just not go. Problem solved.
Jack Meoff
Remind me again why we are cancelling him. He is not the first straight man to play an overly flamboyant caricature of a gay man. What is the real issue here?
Joshooeerr
His performance in The Prom was nauseatingly stereotypical and – however much he thought he was being “sympathetic”, laced with the kind of homophobia that is almost inevitably present in a straight man’s parody of a flamboyant, femme gay man. I’m not a Cordan hater, but he deserves all the condemnation that came his way for that one. It’s also staggering that in a musical that’s specifically about being gays and lesbians being recognised and respected the producers and director thought Cordan doing “gayface” was acceptable. But that’s Ryan Murphy for you.
OLSinFLA
Except that was the way the character was written and, more importantly, how the character was portrayed on the stage version when it was performed by a gay actor. So I guess if a gay actor portrayed him it would be ok?
CurtisIsTheOne
I’m with OLSinFla. It’s OK for a gay actor to portray a character as effeminate but not OK for a heterosexual actor to do so? I watch James Corden every night. He treats ALL his guests with sensitivity and affection. I’m NOT a fan of CANCEL CULTURE!
OFF with their heads! /|\
Sqwoah
People who care about this have too much time on their hands
missvamp
right? why do people suddenly hate him? he’s awesome.
CurtisIsTheOne
I’m as QUEER as they come and I am fan of James Corden. He is a decent human being. I OPPOSE CANCEL CULTURE! If you don’t like his portrayal, then simple.Don’t watch the movie! This petition is nothing more than some SOCIAL MEDIA WHORE’s attempt to garner uplikes.
Bosch
Complaining about “flamboyant gays” on TV is ten times worse than portraying a flamboyant gay on TV.
We need to stop acting like there’s something wrong with our flamboyant community members. Yes it’s a stereotype, but if we decide it’s a damaging stereotype, then we’re digging our own grave.
CurtisIsTheOne
YAY. I applaud your statement. It’s akin to complaining about “JACK” in Will & Grace.
eeebee333
I’m 100% with you, Bosch. I’m not at all offended by seeing gay stereotypes portrayed on the screen. What offends me are the gays who want to hide them away like they are an embarrassment. They aren’t.
Gourmet Guy
Bosch, you’re so correct, and I don’t mean politically! I agree with every last word you wrote. Why don’t you run for President?
Gourmet Guy
Bosch, you’re so correct, and I don’t mean politically! I agree with every last word you wrote. Why don’t you run for President? You’ve got my vote, for sure!
man5996853
I’m not sure that Corden’s presence in Cinderella or Cats had anything to do with their failure to garner critical success. The only thing I remember from that wretched Cats film was the mucus pouring out of Jennifer Hudson’s nose as she absolutely butchered one of the most iconic songs in the musical cannon. And Cinderella was just lazily written, insipid garbage with a bland, mediocre singer at the helm. I actually enjoyed Prom and Corden’s portrayal of a flamboyant gay man in the musical theater world(gasp) wasn’t new but I’ve seen far, far more offensive portrayals of gay men in film and tv.
He’s not someone I would rush out to see in a film but there seems to be a general distaste for the man for reasons that have nothing to do with his acting abilities, which are on par with most of the mediocre actors in film and tv today.
CraigBoden
I think he’s a bit on the nose because he walks around like his sh1t don’t stink any more now that he’s a big-time Hollywood late night talk show host!
As a comedy actor, he’s no more than mediocre.
As a huge fan of and with quite a history in musical theatre, he can barely hold a note and is too fat to dance.
As a talk show host, he’s quite good and I do love Carpool Karaoke, but he is not a patch on his predecessor, Craig Ferguson.
As for portraying a “flamboyant gay” character, that wasn’t much of a stretch for him, and I would barely call it acting – he is the gayest looking, acting and sounding straight man I have ever seen!
He is as camp as a row of tents!
He is a whole GLEE club all on his own!
I switched CATS off after less than fifteen minutes, as it was basically unwatchable, so I can’t comment on his performance in that.
I quite enjoyed Cinderella, especially the songs, soundtrack, choreography and costumes, but I thought ALL of the footmen were a bit pointless, irrelevant and miscast.
CurtisIsTheOne
“TOO FAT to dance”? YOU should be canceled for your body shaming statement!
Joshua333
No, get rid of this guy. He is so goddamn annoying. Why can’t he pull an Ellen and get cancelled already?
humble charlie
I thought James Corden WAS gay! Married? Whatwhatwhatwhat whatwhatwhat butbutbutbut butbutbut
50 50
I’m all for this.
He only has one character – ‘unfunny loud British talk show host who sings’ – can’t really see where that fits in Wicked.
Raphael
Honestly, I’ll sign… LOL I don’t care at all about his acting skills, I’m just tired of seeing him in EVERY SINGLE musical.
CMath90606
I can’t stomach Corden anymore, but the one I object to is Grande. I am sick of Broadway musicals becoming Movies and the Leads being replaced by inferior people. There is no reason for Chenowith or Menzel being stabbed in their backs when there is nothing wrong with their performances today.
BaltoSteve
It amuses the hell out of me that there are folks on here saying this is a call to Cancel him. According to IMDB, he isn’t even associated with the movie, yet. Can’t cancel what doesn’t exist. And, I can see why some fans of the musical would preemptively try to express their displeasure. The first time I saw James Corden was on a lovely little BBC program called Doctor Who playing a character called Craig Owens. Then I saw him in Into The Woods, and the baker was essentially the same characterization as the Craig Owens character. And then in Cinderella, you guessed it, pretty much the same characterization as the two previous characters I have seen him play. So if the rest of his acting work is like that, yes, I can see saying “Thank you but No.”
CraigBoden
@CurtisIsTheOne – I’m clinically obese, in other words, FAT. It’s not glandular, it’s not genetic, it’s not directly caused by my Diabetes, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Excessive Bile Production, Gout, Insomnia and Depression, all of which are treated with medication.
I simply consume more calories than I use. I eat too much and exercise too little. James Corden is the same. A simple, accurate, concise statement of fact, possibly somewhat blunt or straight to the point, but not what the majority of British and Australian’s (of which I am both) would consider body shaming.
We like to “call a spade a spade” or sometimes a shovel, but never “a tool” which would be too generalised but could possibly be used in the hopes of not offending a trowel or hoe; or “a two-handed digging implement of medium capacity with a long shaft and handle”, which is hardly expedient or to the point, so the most accurate, expedient and to the point approach would be to use “spade”, or in this case, “fat”, not “overweight”, “plump”, “portly”, “big-boned”, “heavy-set”, “rotund”, “well-padded”, “built for comfort, not speed”, or my favourite rebuttal of choice if someone is actually nasty / offensive – “I’m not over-weight, I’m under-height – I should be 8ft 2in!”.
Of course, the perceived intention or usage of any word can be misconstrued, misinterpreted, misapplied, misrepresented, misunderstood, manipulated and more, in order for a recipient to dismiss, cancel, ignore, repudiate, be offended, denigrated, insulted, ashamed, vilified or otherwise mistreated by somebody’s post (whether on their own behalf or somebody else’s), specifically to meet their own agenda, beliefs, intentions or perceptions of how everybody has to behave and interact in this new woke/cancel culture/politically correct alternative reality that can be used however you like when it suits YOU, but nobody else, and often without considering context, situation, facts or personal history of the subject.
But if you want to cancel me, go ahead!
TomG
Do I care ? Not really because whenever they make a movie out of a stage play or musical they totally RUIN IT !
nitejonboy
okay, 1. I’d rather sign a petition against Ariana Grande being Glinda ( excuse me..Gaalinda ! Lol ), because we all know she’s going to ruin this role…and 2. James Corden played the role in THE PROM the way it was written in the Broadway show and had been previously played, so to take that out on him is wrong…you should be attacking the writers of the show if you have that much of a problem with effeminate gay men still being portrayed as such onstage and in film. 3. He was in ONE song in CATS and he was quite good in it…if anyone should be blamed for CATS it would be the director, and Jennifer Hudson who ruined what was a classic song, and any producers who thought that musical could be translated into a movie. And even though I love her, I am not crazy about Cynthia Errivo playing Elphaba either…both women cast look two old to be students at Shiz, which is meant to be a sort of boarding school for magic teenagers….so if Chenowith and Menzel are too old, then so are they!