The upcoming Wicked movies just made another incredible casting decision by bringing Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum into the fold of the musical adaptations. The actor and charismatic Hollywood icon is reportedly in final negotiations to join the likes of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s Glinda and Wicked Witch in a major role.
Jeff Goldblum will play the Wizard. Yeah as in The Wizard of Oz in Wicked, who serves as a key antagonist in the popular Broadway musical. The actor is in “final talks” to join Jon M. Chu’s two-part take on the beloved title, per Variety.
Alongside Goldblum’s notable accomplishments in film, the actor is a gifted theatre actor with numerous credits from Broadway to the West End. Jeff Goldblum also has a jazz band called Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. In addition to that, if you’re familiar with Wicked, Goldblum's charms just fit the character of the Wizard. It’s seriously inspired casting.
In Wicked, the Wizard has three songs. He has a solo called “A Sentimental Man,” which occurs toward the end of Act 1 and a duet with Elphaba (set to be played by Cynthia Erivo) called “Wonderful” in Act II, and he’s also part of the opening number “No One Mourns The Wicked.”
The Wizard is also a key character throughout the musical, meeting Elphaba and Glinda when they visit the Emerald City after the two polar opposite roommates become friends at school. After meeting Elphaba, who thinks of the Wizard as her own personal hero, he invites her to be his personal assistant. This decision later leads to the creation of the Wicked Witch, which we won’t detail, just in case you’ve somehow slept on the musical.
Prior to Jeff Goldblum’s casting news, it was announced just over a month ago that Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey had boarded the Wicked movies as Fiyero, Elphaba’s love interest. So far, that about does it for the Wicked cast, who’ve reportedly been in rehearsals and may be kicking off filming shortly, if Ariana Grande’s recent turn to blonde locks are any indication.
The Wicked film adaptation is being split into two movies, which was decided by the filmmakers after developing the musical for film. Director Jon M. Chu shared that they realized it would be “impossible” to make the story fit into one movie without “doing some real damage to it.” With that in mind, it looks like we’ll get the full musical between the two movies.
Wicked is set to hit theaters on December 25, 2024, with the second part coming out the following year. While we wait for that day, check out what upcoming 2022 movies are coming out this holiday season as it soon approaches.
More to come...
