Ariana Grande thinks ‘Wicked’ movie prop looks like Epcot’s Figment
Ariana Grande, Glinda in the new “Wicked” movie, thinks a Shiz University prop resembles Figment, the dragon mascot of Disney World’s Epcot.
Look out for Figment when you see the ‘Wicked’ movie
“Imagination is a blast!”
In an idea that would certainly please Figment, a portrait on the set of the “Wicked” movie constantly reminded Ariana Grande of the purple dragon. Grande portrays Glinda in the new Universal film, which hits theaters Nov. 22, 2024.
Grande’s co-star Bowen Yang shared the imaginative comparison on the Oct. 10 episode of his podcast, “Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.” In counting down the top 400 most iconic people — including fictional and real-life superstars alike — Rogers and Yang named Figment as number 125.
“There was a big portrait of the Wizard, as in Jeff Goldblum, at the Shiz University campus,” Yang said, describing the set of the “Wicked” movie. “The entire time, Ari [Ariana Grande] goes, ‘That’s Figment.'”
Yang, seemingly impressed but baffled, said he replied, “Your reference is Figment?!”
Though we’re not 100%, we think the portrait in question may be the one pictured below in the “Wicked” movie trailers.
Figment the purple dragon is, indeed, an icon deserving of a top-400 spot. He’s a fan favorite, though he’s not from any Disney movie. Instead, Figment reigns supreme at the Epcot theme park in Florida’s Walt Disney World, where he stars in his own attraction, Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Figment is the embodiment of imagination itself.
Theme park stans through and through
Leave it to “Las Culturistas” to share an A-list celebrity’s adoration of a niche theme park topic. Ariana Grande’s Figment revelation on the “Wicked” set receiving podcast airtime is among a common thread of deep-cut theme park musings on the show. Earlier this year, “I Love That for You” star Rogers and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Yang excitedly talked with Tina Fey about Dark Universe, the area of the upcoming Universal Epic Universe theme park focused on Universal Classic Monsters.
Photo courtesy of iHeart Radio
Rogers and Yang included a few other Disney and theme park-related icons in their top 400: Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, E.T., Princess Leia, R2-D2, Oscar Isaac (specifically for his performance in the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance theme park attraction), Neytiri from “Avatar” (“the most famous character in cinema history, if you think about it”), and Gloria Estefan (partially because of her presence at Epcot).
“If you want to live the best moment of your life, get down to Epcot,” Rogers said, “get on the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, and cross your fingers so hard that you get ‘Conga’ playing on that. I’ve never felt better in my life.”
“You are an icon if you have a song on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Period. You just are. You did that.”
The Figment lore and Ariana Grande backstory explained
Below is the full transcript of Figment’s moment during the top 400 list on “Las Culturistas,” including the description of Ariana Grande likening the “Wicked” set piece to Figment.
“Number 125: Figment the dragon from Disney.”
Matt Rogers: “Did you know there is a character that’s the most famous Disney character that you don’t even know about and it’s Figment? They made Figment popcorn buckets. They sold out.”
Bowen Yang: “He’s a dragon. I will reveal another behind-the-scenes moment from ‘Wicked.’ There was a big portrait of the Wizard, as in Jeff Goldblum, at the Shiz University campus. The entire time, Ari goes, ‘That’s Figment.'”
Rogers: “Ari is so Disney-coded. Ari is Disney World-coded”
Yang: “She just came back from Halloween Horror Nights.”
Rogers: “You’re kidding me. Without us?”
Yang: “I literally was like, Matt would die to go with you.”
Rogers: “I can’t even talk about it.”
Yang: “This girl f—ing is Disney. She goes, ‘That’s Figment.’ Your reference is Figment?!”
Rogers: “You’re referencing Figment?! No, that’s my cousin. Ariana’s my cousin.”
Yang: “It’s crazy.”
Rogers: “Ariana’s my cousin.”
Yang: “She’s everyone’s cousin.”
The full podcast episode is available on Spotify; the Figment discussion begins at timecode 28:12.
If you want a full education about Figment, here’s our ride-through video of his attraction at Epcot, filmed during the holiday season (when Figment dons a sporty sweater).
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