Jonathan Bailey, he of Bridgerton and now also Wicked: Part One fame, nestled a tiny nod to his Regency-era alma mater in the first instalment of the musical adaptation.
After first winning us over in Bridgerton, Bailey went on to play the devilishly handsome Fiyero in Wicked: Part One, and while filming the musical requested that Jack, his horse in Bridgerton, join him on-set.
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In an interview to promote the newly-released movie musical, Bailey was asked if he had to learn to ride a horse for the film, to which he explained 'the horse that is in the movie, I’ve also worked with before.'
'When I was asked to play Fiyero, the first thing I said to the director was "I know exactly which horse we need to hire,"' he said. 'Jack and I go way back. People say "don’t work with kids and animals." But if it’s Jack, I’d say, "take the job. He’s a legend."'
Wicked: Part One, which was released on November 22, not only enjoyed the highest-grossing opening weekend of any Broadway musical adaptation ever in the UK, but it now also holds the record for the biggest worldwide opening for a Broadway-based film. That even surpasses Les Misérables, which earned $103 million (£83 million) in its 2012 debut. Something worth singing 'Wonderful' to at the top of your lungs, that's for sure.
Even better, for all of those who held space this weekend for Wicked: Part One (and the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' specifically, of course), we have good news for you: the second film is on its way and will be released on November 21, 2025.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
