Cynthia Erivo Reveals How She and Ariana Grande Are Bonding for 'Wicked' Movie: 'It's a Sisterhood'

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are busy bonding!

In November, Erivo and Grande were announced as the stars of the upcoming movie adaptation of Wicked as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. While at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet Sunday night, nominee Erivo, 35, told E!'s Laverne Cox that she is "very excited" about the project.

"Before I even went to do the audition I knew that music like the back of my hand. I was doing it at drama school and sneaking up to the piano room and just learning it all," she recalled. "So I think it's about learning the music, learning the story, finding our sort of way through it."

The Genius: Aretha star added that she's spent time getting to know her pop star costar Grande, 28.

"Ariana and I have been meeting and chatting and talking and building our own relationship because we know that it's a sisterhood and we want to be ready and prepared to be there for one another," she said. "So it's that, and [director] Jon [M. Chu] is amazing so we're just sort of waiting to start. We're ready to rehearse and get into it."

When Cox then said, "I'm just imagining you and Ariana bonding," Erivo shared, "It's the most delightful thing ever. We sat for like three hours on the floor of my house and just chatted and talked about everything."

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In November, Erivo shared a photo of a pink and green floral arrangement that Grande had sent her about their casting with a note that read: "Dear Cynthia, honored doesn't even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz."

Grande also received flowers from her costar in Glinda and Elphaba's signature colors and a note that began with "pink goes good with green." Erivo wrote, "Congratulations Miss A, the part was made for you. I look forward to sharing this musical journey with you."

Wicked debuted on Broadway in October 2003 with Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth and Joel Grey as the original cast members playing Elphaba, Glinda and the Wizard, respectively.

The musical is based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, and tells the story of Elphaba's life prior to becoming known as the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (which was later adapted into the classic 1939 film starring Judy Garland).

Watch PEOPLE & Entertainment Weekly Red Carpet Live: 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on PEOPLE.com, EW.com, PEOPLE and EW's YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as PeopleTV, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, Feb. 27.