Jeff Goldblum confirmed that he will play the Wizard in the upcoming Wicked movie during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The Jurassic Park star mentioned that he was “just” on the set of Wicked and while he’s “not supposed to talk about” it that it’s “been out and about.” Goldblum revealed that he showed his children the 1939 The Wizard of Oz, which he says is one of his favorite movies, although it wound up being too scary for his children at the time.
After praising Margaret Hamilton’s performance in the original, he then praised his Wicked co-stars. “You should see our witches, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, very good.” Erivo will play Elphaba, while Grande will portray Glinda in the two-part movie. Wicked’s first part will release on November 27, 2024, with the second releasing on December 25, 2025.
The upcoming movie adaptation is based on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, which itself is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on the classic 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story of two friends, Elphaba and Glinda, who struggle to maintain their friendship as they grow apart. The story serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, but the plot does contain events from after Dorothy’s arrival in Oz as well.
The film adaptation will be produced by Marc Platt through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions. Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers and Vice President of Production Development Lexi Barta will oversee the project on behalf of Universal Pictures.
