Wizard of Oz Jeff Goldblum reveals why ‘epic’ Wicked is right up there with Jurassic Park

Being cast alongside music stars such as Arianna Grande has caused Goldblum to feel a new kind of pressure, as he reveals why Wicked will be “as big as anything”.

Jeff Goldblum feels like one lucky guy.

The 72-year-old is instantly recognisable across the globe as one of Hollywood’s biggest names, having starred in some of the highest grossing box office blockbusters ever.

He is, however, not one to take any job for granted so when cast in Wicked, the revered actor took the bull by the horns so to speak.

“I feel so lucky to be in it … that’s what you want,” Goldblum says, sitting down in Sydney as he and other lead cast attended the Australian premiere this week.

“I mean, it’s epic, it is as big as anything. Really, everybody’s investment in it was so emotionally substantial. This is kind of a dream mountain to climb.”

Jeff Goldblum says he feels ‘lucky’ to be cast in Wicked. Picture: Getty Images

Based on the 1996 novel and the groundbreaking 2003 award-winning stage musical, Wicked is set in the world of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 classic book of the same name.

Directed by Jon M Chu, of The Joy Luck Club, In The Heights and Crazy Rich Asians fame, it is one of the most anticipated films of the year, possibly even the past few decades, with Ariana Grande playing Galinda the Good Witch of the North and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Goldblum plays the scheming and resourceful Wizard of Oz.

“Every actor in it is so in love with the material so that’s kind of different and bigger and better than ever. And then on screen, what they accomplished is so eye-popping,” Goldblum explains.

Jeff Goldblum is The Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh is Madam Morrible in Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu

“I mean, dinosaurs are one thing and I’ve been in other things, you know, and you’re lucky to be in good movies, but this is really something to see. I’ve met good actors who have a whole career, but they’re never lucky enough to kind of get in movies. You need a good director and you need to be in a good movie, that is a lucky thing.”

Some of Goldblum’s biggest roles have been in the Jurassic Park franchise – hence the dinosaur reference – Independence Day and the Australia-shot Thor: Ragnarok.

Rounding out the all-star cast in Wicked meanwhile is Jonathan Bailey as hunky prince Fiyero, Michelle Yeo as Shiz University Headmistress Madame Morrible, Marissa Bode as Elphaba’s paraplegic sister Nessarose and Ethan Slater as Munchkin Boq.

Game of Thrones alumnus Peter Dinklage voices Shiz history professor, a goat named Doctor Dillamond.

The film is eagerly anticipated – the second part will be released this time next year – not just because of the calibre of the cast, but predominantly due to the fact that the stage musical has such a devoted global following.
The question is, will the film live up to the success of Broadway, West End and touring productions – the third Australian tour is now wowing audiences in Brisbane – that have won countless awards and made songs such as Defying Gravity, Popular, For Good and Dancing Through Life stage classics.

The good news is, Wicked will undoubtedly become a modern-day classic, in the same way as Judy Garland’s Wizard of Oz did when it was released in 1939.

“They made me look good, I owe them a lot,” Goldblum says.

“And you need a good director – Jon M Chu is the real spearhead of it. We all love this movie and we all hope that the world and many other theatres get a big kick out of it.”

Academy Award nominee Goldblum has starred in dozens of films over his five decade career.

Some of his other big movies include The Fly, The Big Chill, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Guardians of the Galaxy.

His wife, Canadian dancer and retired Olympic rhythmic gymnast Emilie Livingston, travelled with Goldblum to Australia this week.

“It fills you with hope, the whole story, seeing Cynthia and Ariana together, that friendship, there is no competitiveness, that is just beautiful and fills you with hope,” Livingston said on the red carpet. with Goldblum adding: “The power of women and this particular woman who has been othered (Elphaba) as they say these days and who forms a solid union with another woman (Galinda), who is finding her authentic self and her love centre and their power together as they join with excitement and energy in turning the page and finding a new chapter of truth and beauty is a great and important story I believe.”

Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey at the Australian premiere of Wicked in Sydney this week. Picture: Getty Images

Bailey heaped praise on Goldblum too, and spoke of the physicality required for the all-singing and dancing movie spectacular.

The cast worked with choreographer Chris Scott, who is known for his work on video clips and has worked on films including Being The Ricardos, In The Heights and Step Up.

“Chris Scott was extraordinary and we both started rehearsing with him first before getting down with Jon (Chu) on acting and design,” Bailey explains.

“The key thing was to really plant movements and physicality that reflect and pay homage to The Wizard of Oz. He was just amazing. I was flying back and forth at the beginning, so we would have an intensive eight hours with Chris and he would structure the whole thing and then we just worked in details.”

Chu too has worked extensively in music projects like Justin Bieber’s live concert movies, Never Say Never and Believe.

“They (Jon and Chris) come from directing music videos. Chris Scott has choreographed them and Ari (Grande) was there when I was doing Dancing Through Life and I just had that moment of, ‘oh my God, … there is so much pressure to be a pop star in a music video’.

“That is what it felt like. You just train and train and train and I think we both love the diligence and the routine of really preparing for something and then you work so hard before so that you can just sort of go with abandon when you’re on set.”

* Wicked is in cinemas nationally from November 23.