Jonathan Bailey will be “dancing through life” for his next movie role.
The “Bridgerton” actor is joining the two-part movie adaptation of the musical “Wicked,” directed by Jon M. Chu. He’ll play Fiyero, a roguish prince who gets wrapped up in a love triangle between Oz’s rival witches, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande).
Chu, whose credits include “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In The Heights,” confirmed the casting news on Twitter Wednesday by sharing a Variety article reporting that Bailey was “in talks” for the movie.
“He’s perfect, they’re perfect,” Chu tweeted. “They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!!”
Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, “Wicked” is a reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” that empathizes with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical debuted in 2003 and is currently Broadway’s fifth longest-running show.
The two “Wicked” films will be produced by Universal Pictures, and are slated to be released on Christmas in 2024 and in 2025.
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Bailey is best known for playing Lord Anthony Bridgerton on the Netflix smash “Bridgerton.” Years before his television breakout, the actor began his career in theater on London’s West End, appearing in “Les Misérables” as Gavroche when he was just 8.
In 2019, he won an Olivier Award (the British equivalent of a Tony) for his performance as Jamie in a gender-swapped production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Company.” Earlier this year, he starred in Mike Bartlett’s play “Cock” alongside Taron Egerton.
“Wicked” is one of many Hollywood projects that Bailey has lined up. Recently, he’s been spotted making a splash with Matt Bomer on the set of Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers.” The series is billed as “an epic love story and political thriller” that follows a gay couple across four decades.