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German Police Detain Suspected Stalker Ahead of Taylor Swift Concert

17 July 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: US singer Taylor Swift performs on the stage at the Veltins Arena during the first concert in Germany as part of her "The Eras Tour". Photo: Marius Becker/dpa
17 July 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: US singer Taylor Swift performs on the stage at the Veltins Arena during the first concert in Germany as part of her "The Eras Tour". Photo: Marius Becker/dpa
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German Police Detain Suspected Stalker Ahead of Taylor Swift Concert

17 July 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: US singer Taylor Swift performs on the stage at the Veltins Arena during the first concert in Germany as part of her "The Eras Tour". Photo: Marius Becker/dpa
17 July 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: US singer Taylor Swift performs on the stage at the Veltins Arena during the first concert in Germany as part of her "The Eras Tour". Photo: Marius Becker/dpa

German police said Thursday that they detained a man suspected of stalking Taylor Swift ahead of the first of three shows by the pop star in the western city of Gelsenkirchen.
The man was detained following tips from organizers of the event, police said in a statement. They said he had previously made threats against the singer, German news agency dpa reported. They gave no more details of the man or the background to the incident.
Police said that Wednesday evening's concert, attended by about 60,000 people, went peacefully.
The American superstar has shows in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as part of her Eras Tour.
Ahead of the concerts, the city put up signs temporarily renaming itself “Swiftkirchen" and honored the singer on a “Walk of Fame” that commemorates local celebrities.
After Gelsenkirchen, Swift plans concerts in two other German cities, Hamburg and Munich.

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‘Wicked’ Director Wants Fans to See Characters Soar

“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande attend as Universal Pictures presents a special New York City “Wicked” Screening at Metrograph on Dec. 03, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images for Universal Pictures/AFP)
“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande attend as Universal Pictures presents a special New York City “Wicked” Screening at Metrograph on Dec. 03, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images for Universal Pictures/AFP)
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‘Wicked’ Director Wants Fans to See Characters Soar

“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande attend as Universal Pictures presents a special New York City “Wicked” Screening at Metrograph on Dec. 03, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images for Universal Pictures/AFP)
“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande attend as Universal Pictures presents a special New York City “Wicked” Screening at Metrograph on Dec. 03, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images for Universal Pictures/AFP)

Jon M. Chu, the director behind the musical film "Wicked", felt pressure from both himself and the rest of the team at Universal Pictures to make a masterpiece.

"For ourselves to fulfill the promise that we had to these characters when we first walked into this, I'm really excited," he told Reuters. "We love the show. We love these characters."

"Wicked", based on the Broadway musical hit that tells the story of a green-skinned student of magic who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, pulled in $114 million at US and Canadian theaters, and $50.2 million in international markets during the Nov. 22 opening weekend.

Starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the movie is the first installment of a two-part film adaptation of the multi-Tony award-winning Broadway musical of the same name based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which is based on the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

The first installment of "Wicked: Part 1" was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with songs from renowned composer Stephen Schwartz.

The fantasy-musical movie also stars Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage and Michelle Yeoh.

The story follows Elphaba played by Erivo, an outcast young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda played by Grande, a popular young woman, who become friends at Shiz University in the mystical land of Oz. After meeting the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship is met with unforeseen challenges.

Chu views the film as an opportunity to normalize Hollywood's diverse talent, as the film includes actors of color, actors with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented groups.

Making the movie with "real" and "authentic people" in the lead roles was never a question for him.

"To me, it was normalizing this stuff. We don't even have to make it a huge conversation. It just is," he added.

Following the success of "Wicked," Chu teases that the second installment of the film will not disappoint.

"If you think you saw everything of Cynthia and you think you saw everything of Ariana, just wait, because the best is yet to come with them. It is juicy and yummy and all the things. I think people will be satisfied with where we end up."

"Wicked," distributed by Universal Pictures, will be available for at-home streaming that can be purchased digitally on December 31.