Jeff Goldblum’s Next Movie Shut Down Days Away From Completion
Many film and TV productions have ground to a halt for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but most of them were somewhere in the beginning or middle of the filming process. However, Jeff Goldblum’s upcoming film Wicked: Part One was just a few days away from completing filming, according to director Jon M. Chu. Chu took to Instagram to share that the movie would be paused until after the strike.
Jeff Goldblum and other actors making Wicked were nearly done filming, but the production was abruptly halted due to ongoing strikes.
Chu wrote, “We were only a few days from being done so we were SO close,” adding “Much love” to the film’s cast and “our other beloved SAG members who are fighting for a fair deal!” (via The Hollywood Reporter)
According to the SAG-AFTRA union rules, members can’t act in productions connected to the studios represented by the Alliance of Film and Television Producers, so it’s not surprising that the Wicked film adaptation has been put on hold.
Most actors, like Jeff Goldblum, are members of SAG-AFTRA, so most Hollywood productions are completely shut down for the time being. There have been exceptions for independent films that get a waiver to continue filming amidst the strike.
Jeff Goldblum and Wicked
Jeff Goldblum is starring as the Wizard in Wicked: Part One, which is the film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical. Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz that follows Elphaba (the eventual Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the eventual Glinda the Good Witch) in the days that they were friends. Cynthia Eviro and Ariana Grande are playing the lead roles, with other Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible.
While Jeff Goldblum and the rest of the cast of Wicked: Part One may have to wait a little longer to get back on set, Chu said that the Nov. 27, 2024, shouldn’t be affected. Which makes sense since post-production processes like editing and visual effects can still take place during the strike, and that’s presumably the bulk of the work left to do on the film.
As for Wicked: Part Two, it seems like the November 26, 2025, release date is staying firm as well.
They Shot The Piano Player
While Jeff Goldblum may be taking a break from his work on Wicked: Part One, his animated documentary They Shot the Piano Player is still expected to come out later this year.
The animated documentary comes from directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, the team behind the Oscar-nominated animated Chico & Rita. They Shot the Piano Player chronicles the journey of a New York music journalist who goes on a journey to find the truth about the disappearance of the young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr.
Jeff Goldblum is narrating They Shot the Piano Player, and the documentary is expected to release on October 6. In the meantime, you can see Goldblum’s latest performance in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, which is still currently in theaters.
Asteroid City follows a group of people gathering for a junior stargazing event in the desert and also stars Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Steve Carell, Liev Schrieber, and Sophia Lillis.
