Broadway veteran Ethan Slater, who earned a Tony Award nomination for “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical,” has been cast as Boq in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of “Wicked.”
In the film, directed by Jon M. Chu, Slater joins the previously announced cast of Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero. Variety also reported that Jeff Goldblum is in talks to play the Wizard.
A prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Wicked’, tells the story of everything leading up to Dorothy’s arrival in Oz and the secret friendship between Glinda the Maid. witch and Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West. Boq is the romantic interest of Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose (later to become the Wicked Witch of the East). But he only asks her out to impress Glinda, his true love. Christopher Fitzgerald originated the role of Boq in the directing opposite Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba.
The two-part film adaptation — slated for release Christmas 2024 and 2025 — is based on a screenplay by the musical’s book writer Winnie Holzman (“My So-Called Life”) and composer and lyricist Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Pippin”), who adapted Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel “Wicked” for the musical.
Marc Platt (“La La Land”, “Dear Evan Hansen”) will produce the film for his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, with David Stone also producing. (On Broadway, “Wicked” is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and Stone.) Erik Baiers, Universal’s senior vice president of production, and Lexi Barta, vice president of production development, oversee the project on behalf of the studio. .
Slater is best known for his Tony-nominated performance as SpongeBob in “SpongeBob SquarePants,” which marked his Broadway debut. The actor won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theater World and Broadway Beacon Award for his role. Slater was recently seen in “Assassins,” playing the Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald, for which he was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical.
The actor, singer, writer and songwriter made his television debut on “Murphy Brown,” with additional credits including “Instinct” and “Fosse/Verdon.” He created and is currently in development with Oscar-winning actor Jean Doumanian on his Buster Keaton series and has a supporting role in the upcoming feature “Lost on a Mountain in Maine,” produced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions.
Slater is represented by Danielle DeLawder at CESD, Andrew Tetenbaum at ATA Management and Ryan LeVine at Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman.
