'Wicked' director confirms casting of 'Bridgerton' actor Jonathan Bailey

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Director Jon M. Chu has confirmed that Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey will play a pivotal role in his upcoming two-part movie musical, Wicked.

"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," Chu tweeted Wednesday, along with a media report about the casting.

The Wizard of Oz prequel will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

The first part of Wicked is scheduled to debut Dec. 25, 2024, and the second is slated for Christmas Day 2025.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, a stage production of Wicked has played on Broadway since 2003.