Ariana Grande Is Manifesting A Lead Role In A Horror Film After ‘Wicked’

Ariana Grande is already looking ahead to her next acting challenge following the success of her “Wicked” movies.

The Grammy winner is still riding high on the wave of the blockbuster musical franchise, but she already has her eye on a potential main role in a horror film.

While many people associate Grande with her music career, her professional launchpad was actually in acting, long before she became a global pop music icon.

Now, as she continues to gravitate back toward her original craft, Grande has revealed that she is a devoted horror fan and dreams of directing a film in the genre.

Grande has added more weight to her credentials as a serious screen actor with her performances in both “Wicked” films.

In particular, her work in the first installment earned her an Academy Award nomination for “Best Supporting Actress” in 2025. For Grande, it was a reward for the focus and preparation she poured into the role.

In a recent interview with Backstage, Grande said that committing to “Wicked” meant she had to seclude herself to focus on the role.

“Getting the role [meant] having to shut out the noise from the world, a lot of whom didn’t think I could do it, or was right for it,” Grande said. “I had to just stay locked in and present in the work.”

Speaking with Backstage, Grande revealed her love for the horror genre, listing titles like “The Ring,” “Psycho,” and “Signs” among her favorites.

Beyond enjoying the genre as a fan, however, Grande also confirmed that she would love to be the central character in a big-screen horror story.

“I would love that,” she said. “It would be such a blast… Fingers crossed.”

Grande is, of course, not new to thriller acting, having previously portrayed the character Sonya Herfmann in the Fox slasher satire series “Scream Queens.”

In “Wicked,” Grande played the famously bubbly “Glinda the Good Witch.”

The multi-talented artist was so dedicated to the role that she reportedly created her own notes for the character’s backstory beyond what was provided in the script and source material.

Now that the two films are completed and successful, Grande claims it’s time to let go of Glinda, despite her attachment to the character.

“It does feel like the right time to turn the page and to thankfully and proudly, gratefully let go,” she explained.

Grande had spent roughly a decade without featuring in a live-action role before she portrayed Glinda the Good in “Wicked.”

With the role thrusting her into the international limelight, the pipeline has opened for Grande to get more work following the two musical fantasy films.

One of these has been the opportunity to join the cast of “American Horror Story” Season 13, whose creator, Ryan Murphy, Grande worked with in “Scream Queens.”

The season is set to premiere on Halloween 2026, with Grande joining series regulars Sarah Paulson and Angela Bassett.

In August 2025, Grande announced her “Eternal Sunshine” Tour, named after her seventh studio album and scheduled to kick off in June 2026.

It is the first time the singer has been on the road since her “Sweetener” tour in 2019, and it might be a while before she tours again.

In fact, the Broadway musical alum referred to the tour as “her last hoorah” while speaking to Amy Poehler on her “Good Hang Podcast.”

“I think the last ten to 15 years will look very different from the ones that are coming up,” Grande revealed. “I don't want to say any definitive things. I do know that I'm very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time.”

Whether it's music or movies, fans can't wait to see her next project!