Jeff Goldblum has been officially cast as The Wizard in the two-part adaptation of the musical Wicked, alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Jeff Goldblum has officially been cast as the Wizard in the upcoming Wicked films. Based on the 2003 musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked reimagines the story of The Wizard of Oz from the perspectives of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda. A film adaptation has been in the works for several years, with Universal announcing in 2016 that the film has scheduled for a 2019 release. However, due to scheduling issues and the pandemic, production was continually pushed back. In April, director Jon M. Chu announced that the film would be made into two parts, with part one set to release on December 25, 2024. Over the past several months, a star-studded cast for Wicked has been announced, including Ariana Grande set to play Glinda, Cynthia Erivo playing Elphaba, and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
In a post to Twitter from director Jon M. Chu, it has been revealed that Jeff Goldblum has been cast in Wicked as the Wizard. The Wizard of Oz is the main antagonist in Wicked, a corrupt leader who uses Elphaba for her magical abilities. Goldblum has been in talks to secure the role since late October.
Since the announcement of Wicked's development, casting has been a major point of contention among fans. Prior to Grande and Erivo's casting, many fans demanded to see Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel return to their respective roles, as the two actresses originated them on Broadway. While this didn't happen, Chu has said that he's very open to the idea of giving Chenoweth and Menzel Wicked cameos, praising the actresses for being "supportive and kind" during the messy production process. Though there are still more casting announcements to come, with Chu hinting that the casting for Doctor Dillamond will be revealed soon, it was announced in August the principal photography was set to begin in November, and October saw Grande showing off her newly blonde hair in preparation for her role as Glinda.