Jeff Goldblum has confirmed he will be starring in the upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked.
The beloved actor, 70, made the big reveal while on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week as he recalled recently taking the two children he shares with wife Emilie Livingston to the set of the production in London.
‘I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But it’s been out and about,’ he dished to host Kimmel. ‘They were there in London when we were shooting…’
Kimmel then wondered what the star’s daughter Charlie, seven, and River, five, must think about seeing their dad perform alongside scary creatures like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and now the witches in Wicked.
‘You should see our witches – Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – very good,’ he said, referencing to the two A-list ladies playing the leads Elphaba Thropp (aka Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda Upland (aka Good Witch of the South), respectfully.
Confirmed! Jeff Goldblum has confirmed he will be starring in the upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked
‘But I’ll tell you, I shouldn’t be talking about it. I was shooting one day,’ Goldblum began, but then paused when Kimmel and the live audience began to laugh at his hollow disclaimer.
He continued, ‘I found myself tearing up in fear. You know, childhood fear came back to me. And I told Cynthia Erivo. I said, “You know, I’m remembering the first dream I ever had.’
In deep storytelling mode, Goldblum shared, “And my first dream was that I was tied to a tree stump and a witch – because I’d seen Snow White I think, also with a very scary queen witch – had tied me to the tree stump, and I thought was going to chop off my head. I must have been four or something like that.’
The Pennsylvania native went on to reveal how his two older brothers tormented him while growing up with references from the Wizard of Oz.
‘Witches scare me,’ he declared, before revealing how he watched the classic Wizard Of Oz with his sons but they ‘didn’t get through it’, due to the scary scenes with the witch.
The veteran actor of nearly 50 years did not reveal the role he’s playing in Wicked but it’s believed to be the Wizard!
Alongside Goldblum, Erivo, and Grande, Wicked also stars Bronwyn James, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater, Keala Settle, Aaron Teoh, Colin Michael Carmichael and Michelle Yeoh as the Shiz University headmistress Madame Morrible.
Big reveal: The beloved actor made the big reveal while on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week
He did so as he recalled taking the two children he shares with wife Emilie Livingston to the set of the production in London; the couple seen Thursday
‘I was just on the set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that. But it’s been out and about,’ he dished to host Kimmel. ‘They were there in London when we were shooting…’
High praise: The veteran actor of nearly 50 years offered high praise for the film’s leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Erivo and Grande are playing Elphaba Thropp (aka Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda Upland (aka Good Witch of the South), respectfully
‘You should see our witches – Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – very good,’ he said, referencing to the two A-list ladies playing the leads Elphaba Thropp (aka Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda Upland (aka Good Witch of the South), respectfully.
The Wizard himself? Goldblum did not reveal the role he’s playing in Wicked but it’s believed to be the Wizard; pictured Thursday ahead of his appearance
The film adaption, written by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz, is being directed by Jon M. Chu, who’s best known for helming the hit film Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and In The Heights (2021).
Originally announced as one film, Wicked was split into two parts in April 2022.
Wicked: Part One is currently slated to premiere in theaters in the U.S. on November 27, 2024.
The sequel, Wicked: Part Two, will follow up and drop on December 25, 2025
