Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey is in talks to star in Jon M. Chu's live-action adaptation of Wicked alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Variety reports.
Wicked, which has earned over $1 billion throughout its nearly 20-year Broadway run, is a musical prequel to the Wizard of Oz that tells the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West. The film will split into two parts, with the first set for a 2024 release and the second for 2025. Erivo will play Elphaba and Grande will play Glinda the Good Witch. Bailey will play Fiyero, Elphaba's love interest.
Stephen Schwartz, who composed the music and lyrics for the Tony Award-winning show, will return to adapt his compositions for the big screen. Winnie Holzman (who also created the Claire Danes teen drama My So-Called Life) will co-write the screenplay. The original musical is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by author Gregory Maguire.
Bailey made waves as Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix's regency-era romance drama, with season two centering on his love affairs with Kate Sharma. It was previously announced that Bailey will star alongside Matt Bomer in Showtime's limited series Fellow Travelers, playing Bomer's romantic interest. He's currently in pre-production for upcoming comedy Maria, co-starring Felicity Jones.
Wicked: Part I is set to hit theaters in 2024.
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