The 97th Academy Awards, like every yearly edition, has lived up to the tensions of what follows Hollywood’s biggest night. This is why everything that leads to the Oscars is as important as the iteration, “...and the Oscar goes to..” because it is Tinseltown’s very own drum roll to the possibilities that could make the night a cinematic highlight. However, as A-listers sneak into their vanity vans, practicing their best acceptance speech, word on the street paints a fog on Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo’s Academy dreams. 

While the Academy nod should be enough of a reason to believe she deserves the tiny golden statuette, what changed the air before the Oscars day?

Wicked starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is practically one of the biggest frontrunners of the 97th Academy Awards with not one or two but 10 total nominations. But as Cynthia Erivo walks up the award season ladder to clinch the Best Actress trophy and immortalize her name in Oscars history, some hiccups have already put forks on her dream. In IndieWire's eighth annual series of interviews with Academy voters, a voter has given away the reason why they did not cast their vote for Erivo, citing she is “too old for Wicked.”

For those uninitiated at how things unfold at the Dolby Theatre during the annual Academy Awards, there are 17 branches, each with industry insiders who vote for their own kind, actors for actors, directors for directors, and so on. The entire Academy gets a say in the Best Picture category, but the rest depends on the Academy’s preferential system. If this turns out to be the rationale of most voters, then indeed, Erivo’s Academy dreams could be in danger.

Cynthia Erivo Vows Chaos if Ariana Grande Doesn’t Get Her ‘Wicked’ Oscar Nod

Yet, it is too soon to predict what will go down when the night comes. But one thing fans do know is Cynthia Erivo is not going without some fireworks at the Academy Awards.

It is only a matter of time before the red carpet rolls out and follows the swarming sea of Tinseltown stars. And to ensure the Academy Awards has A-listers on their toes, they have a 'Wicked' plan in the works. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are reportedly set to kick-start the Oscars with a Wicked medley on stage, sprinkling some of the Broadway magic to the Oscars. 

This is just the perfect way to get the spirits high for the A-listers. But if the Oscar voter’s explanation holds true for the others as well, this could turn the night a bit upside down. However, given Erivo has been formidable enough to grab that Oscar nomination, outshining plenty in the running, one can only hope it casts the spell Wicked needs for the Academy night to end in the ultimate winning glory.

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Do you think Cynthia Erivo's Oscars dream is under potential threat? Let us know in the comments below!