“Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey is joining the cast of “Wicked” after landing the role of Fiyero.
After Variety teased the news that the 34-year-old English actor was in talks to join the two-part adaption of the beloved musical, director Jon M. Chu took to Twitter to confirm the news of his casting.
Director Jon M. Chu Confirms Jonathan Bailey Will Join ‘Wicked’ As Fiyero
He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked https://t.co/meT51cGqDe
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) September 21, 2022
In the tweet, director Jon M. Chu mimicked the lyrics of the song “Dancing Through Life,” tweeting, “He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever.” He then added, “I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening. We have a Fiyero!!!!”
Plenty of “Bridgerton” fans expressed their excitement in the comments. Bailey will be joining Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
Jonathan Bailey Had Teased The News Of His Casting On Instagram
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Bailey teased the news of his casting by sharing four snapshots of him on a lake, tagging the location as Canada. “Dancing through. 🇨🇦 💚,” he wrote in the caption, using a green heart emoji.
His Bridgerton costars were quick to add green emojis into the comments. Luke Newtown wrote, “This is MEGA 💚🙌.” Nicola Coughlan added, “No!!!!!!💚💚💚💚💚💚.” Hannah Dodd commented, “Eeeep!!💚🥂🦄.” Simone Ashley added, “Oh YES 🙌🔥 XXX.” The “Bridgerton” showrunner for seasons 1 and 2, Chris Van Dusen, commented, “BEYOND excited for you 🙌🙌🙌.”
Many fans were quick to express their excitement and shower the post with green heart emojis as well.
Ariana Grande Took To Instagram To Celebrate His Casting
Singer Ariana Grande also took to Instagram to express excitement for his casting. “OH WHAT A CELEBRATION WE’LL HAVE TODAY,” she wrote along with a screenshot of Chu’s tweet. “We are so excited for you to join us over here in Oz @jbayleaf!!!!!!”
Erivo also posted a photo on Instagram that shows her standing beside her two “Wicked” costars. She left several emojis – “💕🫧🫧🤴🏻🪣💦💚” – in the caption to tease the plot of the story.
“Wicked” follows the friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, when they are still students at Shiz University. This takes place before the events of “The Wizard of Oz.”
The musical also follows a love triangle that takes place between both friends and Fiyero, who is both a prince and a popular student at Shiz University.
Earlier this year, Erivo told E! News that the films are currently in production while she spoke to the outlet on the red carpet of the 2022 SAG Awards.
“Ariana and I have been meeting and chatting and talking and building our own relationship,” she said at the time. “Because we know that it’s a sisterhood. We both want to be ready and prepared to be there for one another.”
The big screen adaptation will be split into two films. The first is scheduled to be released on December 2024, with the second following a year later in 2025.
Jonathan Bailey Has Also Joined The Cast Of Another Period Drama
Earlier this summer, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the “Chewing Gum” star will join Matt Bomer and Allison Williams in a limited series set in Washington D.C. in the 1950s. The highly-anticipated eight-episode series is called “Fellow Travelers” and is based on the novel written by Thomas Mallon.
The story is both a love story and a political thriller. Bomer plays a character named Hawkins Fuller, who is a charismatic political operative who tries to avoid emotional attachments. Meanwhile, Tim Laughlin, played by Bailey, is described as “an earnest Fordham University graduate brimming with idealism and religious faith.” Tim is also Hawkins’ secret lover.
“Girls” star Allison Williams will play Lucy Smith, the daughter of a senator who has known Hawkins since they were teenagers.
Fans are also equally excited to see Jonathan Bailey reprise his role as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton in season 2 of the hit Netflix series. No release date for season 3 has yet to be announced.