Let's dance!
Let's dance! The Wicked movie adaptation has finally found its Boq, in Tony nominee Ethan Slater!
Director Jon Chu shared the news on Wednesday, writing on his Instagram Story, "Welcoming our Boq to Shiz University! @ethanslater it is an honor to have you attending. I've been a big fan of yours for a long time, and I can't wait for the world to see you bringing Boq to life!"
The two-part film adaptation -- which has already announced Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero -- also began production on Wednesday, with Chu and the cast sharing sweet messages of support on social media.
Slater is best known for originating the titular role in the SpongeBob SquarePants Broadway musical, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Tony in 2018. He'll be taking over the role originated on Broadway by Christopher Fitzgerald -- Boq is a childhood classmate of Glinda and Elphaba's, and the love interest of Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, who ends up as the Tin Man in the musical's Wizard of Oz-based lore.
ET spoke with Chu at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party back in March, where he opened up about the possibility of original Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel making an appearance in the Wicked film.
"The door is always open. Are you kidding?" Chu said. "I'm not gonna say anything. I'm not gonna do anything yet, but of course that original cast is amazing. They've been so gracious... They’ve only been supportive and kind."
Wicked is due out in two parts, set for release on Christmas 2024 and 2025.
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