As Wicked begins production, the cast for the upcoming two-part musical is shaping up with some new additions.
Variety has revealed that Michelle Yeoh will board the project, and we also have confirmation of Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard. Yeoh and Goldblum join the previously announced Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and Ethan Slater.
Other new additions include Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh and Colin Michael Carmichael.
Yeoh will play Madame Morrible, a cohort of The Wizard who serves as headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University. This role comes after Yeoh’s stellar 2022, where she starred in Everything Everywhere All At Once and was just this week named Time’s Icon of the Year.
For those who don’t know, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, which is, in turn, based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Broadway musical was a smash hit and launched a legion of fans worldwide.
Cynthia Erivo will lead the film as the green-skinned Elphaba, who turns into the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside Ariana Grande as the sorceress Glinda, who becomes the Good Witch.
Jon M. Chu is directing both film installments, with Part 1 releasing on December 25th, 2024, and Part 2 on December 25th, 2025.