Bridgerton season 2 star Jonathan Bailey is currently in talks to join the Wicked film adaptation. Although Bailey appeared as the eldest Bridgerton sibling Anthony in season 1 of the Regency-set Netflix romance series, he didn't step fully into the spotlight until season 2. Just like the series of Julia Quinn novels that the show is based on, each season focuses on the love life of a new member of the family, beginning with Anthony's sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) before moving onto his torrid love triangle with sisters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). If he lands this role in Wicked, it will be his first major project following exploding to greater fame in Bridgerton season 2.
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The Broadway musical Wicked, which was adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman from the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel of the same name, follows the origin story of Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. The film adaptation, which is set to be split into two parts that premiere in 2024 and 2025 respectively, is being helmed by In the Heights director Jon M. Chu, with Ariana Grande set to play Glinda the Good Witch opposite Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. One of the other major characters in the show is Fiyero, a careless prince who arrives at the boarding school Shiz and becomes embroiled in a jealous battle between Glinda and Elphaba. It is eventually revealed that the character becomes the well-known Wizard of Oz Scarecrow.
Per Variety, Bailey is currently in talks to join Wicked as Fiyero. The character appears in both acts of the original musical, so he will likely be a major part of both films. If the deal is officially inked, he will likely begin shooting the project once he concludes production on Fellow Travelers, a romance series in which he stars opposite White Collar star Matt Bomer.
Although Bailey has recently become best known for his Bridgerton role, the Broadchurch and Crashing star has plenty of musical theater experience. Onscreen he has appeared in the Disney Channel musical series Groove High, which combined animated elements with live-action. However, onstage he has amassed quite a few musical credits, including playing Gavroche in Les Misérables in the late 1990s before going on to play Tim Price in the American Psycho musical, Jamie in The Last Five Years, and an entirely different Jamie in Stephen Sondheim’s Company.
Considering how important Fiyero is to the narrative of Wicked, it is vastly important that they cast somebody who can hold their own alongside two powerhouse performers. Luckily Bailey has proven his ability to play an elegant and regal character with his viscount role in Bridgerton. Fans of Bridgerton will likely be excited to see him using his skills in this entirely new context.