Marissa Bode, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang & More Added to Cast of Wicked Movies

More folks are headed to Oz! Marissa Bode has been tapped to play Nessarose in the upcoming Wicked films, director Jon M. Chu confirmed. The movie musical, which will be released as two films will star Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq and Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard. 

Newly announced cast members also include Broadway alum Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Saturday Night Live Emmy nominee Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Aaron Teoh as Avaric and Colin Michael Carmichael as Professor Nikidik. 

Stephen Schwartz revealed the movie will contain at least three new songs. The composer also plans to incorporate at least one number cut from the Broadway show into the film adaptation. Schwartz and librettist Winnie Holzman are collaborating on the screenplay.

Wicked, which premiered on Broadway in 2003, continues to play the Gershwin Theatre. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked spotlights the untold stories of The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West and her unlikely friend, Glinda the Good. The show follows the tale of green-skinned Elphaba through the life-changing events that eventually label her “wicked.” The Grammy-winning score by Schwartz features the songs “The Wizard and I,” “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”