He's the goat. At CinemaCon April 10, it was revealed that Emmy winner Peter Dinklage will play the hoofed Shiz University professor Dr. Dillamond in the upcoming Wicked films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The first part of the much-anticipated two-part screen adaptation hits movie theatres November 27, 2024.
This answered the question many Wicked fans were wondering when the recent teaser trailer from the film didn't showcase Dr. Dillamond, Elphaba's kind-hearted mentor who warns her that "something bad is happening in Oz." But Dinklage will not be donning prosthetics like his stage counterpart. Instead, he will provide the voice for the goat professor. Dinklage has singing experience; he previously starred Off-Broadway in the 2019 musical adaptation of Cyrano, which was then subsequently made into a 2021 film.
The Wicked film, adapted from the long-running Broadway hit, will star Tony winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and pop star (and Broadway alum) Ariana Grande as Glinda. West End Company Olivier winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey is set to star as Fiyero, with SpongeBob SquarePants star Ethan Slater as Boq.
Also in the cast are 2023 Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, and newcomer Marissa Bode as Nessarose, the first wheelchair-using actor in the musical's history to take on the role. Stage and screen star Keala Settle, SNL's Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh, and Colin Michael Carmichael will play roles new to the musical's screen version, with Settle as Miss Coddle, Carmichael as Professor Nikidik, and Yang, James, and Teoh as Shiz students Pfannee, ShenShen, and Avaric, respectively.
The screen adaptation, which will include new songs by Stephen Schwartz, will be helmed by In the Heights screen director Jon M. Chu. Wicked book writer Winnie Holzman has penned the screenplay, and Tony winner Paul Tazewell is designing costumes.
The adaptation's second part is scheduled to release November 26, 2025.
Wicked, injecting a new backstory onto the classic tale The Wizard of Oz, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues to be an audience favorite at the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The original cast included Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical has subsequently been performed in more than 100 cities across 16 countries, and, in October 2019, surpassed Les Misérables to become the fifth longest-running production in Broadway history.
The show won 2004 Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Menzel), Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty), and Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee).
