We’re one step closer on the yellow-brick road to seeing the Wizard. Per Variety, Jeff Goldblum is in final talks to star in Wicked as the not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz. This marks the latest major casting announcement for director Jon M. Chu’s upcoming films after Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and his sideburns were revealed to be in talks to play Fiyero in both films. The Wizard and I? The Viscount and I? Same diff! Chu was only too jazzed about the news. “He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!!†the director tweeted, seemingly confirming that “talks†were completed and moving on to the “signing things†stage. Just like Bridgerton, Bailey will have so much more to do in season 2 of Wicked the movie. He’s something of a fuckboy in Act 1, and gets a lot more character development in Act 2. Fiyero is the apex of a love triangle between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). Erivo and Grande’s newest co-stars both have experience with theater, and more specifically with musicals. Bailey played Gavroche in the West End production of Les Misérables, while Goldblum made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning production Two Gentlemen of Verona. The first of two Wicked movies comes out in December 2024.
This post has been updated throughout.