Jeff Goldblum 'in final talks' to portray The Wizard in the long-awaited two-part film adaptation of the smash hit musical Wicked
Jeff Goldblum is currently in final talks to portray the Wizard in the upcoming adaptations of the smash hit musical Wicked.
The news about the 70-year-old performer's potential involvement with the long-awaited project was reported by Variety on Friday.
The adaptations of the long-running musical, which is centered on a pair of characters from The Wizard of Oz, has been in the works for over a decade.
Signing on: Jeff Goldblum is currently in final talks to portray The Wizard in the upcoming adaptations of the smash hit musical Wicked; he is seen in 2021 and Frank Morgan is seen in 1939
Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire's book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which was originally published in 1995.
The play is centered on Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and follows her life up until her apparently fatal encounter with Dorothy Gale.
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The characters in the book were originally featured in L. Frank Baum's series of Oz novels.
The Wizard of Oz, which was based on the writer's stories, premiered in 1939, and the titular character was portrayed by Frank Morgan.
Basis: The Wizard of Oz, which was based on the writer's stories, premiered in 1939, and the titular character was portrayed by Frank Morgan
Wicked premiered in 2003 and made its way to Broadway that same year.
The musical, which has starred performers such as Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the past, has since become one of the most successful theatre productions of of all time.
Development on a film adaptation of Wicked was initially revealed to the public in 2010, when it was reported that various directors, including J.J. Abrams, Rob Marshall and Ryan Murphy, had become interested in the project.
Stephen Daldry was later named as the feature's director, and a release date of 2019 was originally set.
Getting it going: Development on a film adaptation of Wicked was initially revealed to the public in 2010, when it was reported that various directors, including J.J. Abrams, Rob Marshall and Ryan Murphy, had become interested in the project
However, the onset of the global pandemic stalled production, and the filmmaker eventually left the project.
Jon M. Chu was later announced to have taken the director's chair in February of last year.
It was subsequently revealed that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande had been cast as Elphaba and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively, last November.
Jonathan Bailey was later added to the cast of the feature, and he is set to play Fiyero.
Taking the reins: Jon M. Chu was later announced to have taken the director's chair in February of last year; he is seen in 2021
Leading ladies: It was subsequently revealed that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande had been cast as Elphaba and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively, last November; the singer is seen in 2019
Chu previously issued a statement where he revealed via Variety that Wicked would consist of two parts.
He stated: 'We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but two!'
The director added: '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 for these beloved characters.'
The two Wicked movies are scheduled to be released during the 2024 and 2025 holiday seasons.
Future features: The two Wicked movies are scheduled to be released during the 2024 and 2025 holiday seasons; star Cynthia Erivo is seen earlier this month
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