After more than a decade of attempts, the “Wicked” movie is really happening. Back in November 2021, director Jon M. Chu (who directed “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights”) announced that the film will star Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. And now, we finally know who will play the story’s main love interest, Fiyero: “Bridgerton” heartthrob and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey.
On Sept. 21, Chu confirmed Bailey’s casting on Twitter. “He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever,” wrote Chu. “I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked.” A rep for Bailey did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s request for comment.
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!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked https://t.co/meT51cGqDe
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) September 21, 2022
With the cast in place, everything seems to be moving forward. On Oct. 11, Ariana Grande shared some Instagram photos from “Wicked” rehearsals. In the first photo in the carousel, the star posed alongside Erivo in a dance studio, and in another, she smiled alongside choreographer Will Loftis, showing that the “Wicked” cast in the midst of getting ready for the movie’s epic musical numbers.
The cast and crew have been keeping fans updated with exciting announcements since the film was first confirmed. In an April Twitter post, Chu revealed that they’re actually going to split the musical into two films. He wrote in part, “Here’s what happened: As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of ‘Wicked’ into a single film without doing some real damage to it. As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years.”
He continued, “So we decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one ‘Wicked’ movie but TWO!!!! With more space, we can tell the story of ‘Wicked’ as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys of these beloved characters.”
Chu wrote, “Cynthia, Ariana and I — and all the cast and crew — pledge to create nothing less than an experience that honors its foundation for all the fans who’ve waited for this movie, and to offer a thrilling, fantastical world full of dynamic characters that invites those who are unfamiliar.” Chu also wrote that the first movie would come out Christmas 2024 and the second would hit theaters Christmas 2025.
Here’s everything we know so far about the “Wicked” film, including cast, release date, trailers, music, and more.