The director of the captivating film "Wicked," Jon M. Chu, is urging moviegoers to make an unconventional request during their theater experience. On the premiere night, Chu, who masterminded Universal Pictures' adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical that took the stage by storm, utilized X (formerly Twitter) to share a message. He encouraged viewers to request their cinema to boost the volume for the musical's enchanting soundtrack. "Wicked" delves into the tale of "The Wizard of Oz"'s beloved characters, preceding Dorothy's arrival, with Ariana Grande as the radiant Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as the enigmatic Elphaba.
Chu tweeted, "Tell your movie theater to crank it up to a 7... I've attended a few screenings, and they were hovering at a 6.4. If you want it as intended, 7 is the magic number." Responding to Chu's tweet, the film's co-writer Dana Fox chimed in, "We bumped it up just a notch at our screening, and it was perfect!"
Dolby, a renowned audiovisual company known for its premium cinema experiences, reassuringly replied, "We've got you covered," accompanied by an emoji of a salute. Some users expressed confusion over Chu's tweet, unaware that individual moviegoers had the power to request a volume adjustment during a film screening. Others recounted their own "Wicked" screenings where the sound could have benefited from being louder.
Earlier this month, in a conversation with The Ankler, "Wicked" movie sound designer John Marquis was quizzed about his creative process for the film. He revealed, "Much of it was self-sustaining, thanks to the way the tracks were recorded. You've got Cynthia and Ari, delivering track after track, take after take, of live, mesmerizing vocal performances. The challenge with the musical was to keep it grounded, preventing it from abruptly shifting from scene to musical number."
The "Wicked" film is enjoying a monumental opening weekend, aiming for a domestic debut of $117 million. Meanwhile, "Gladiator II," which also premiered this weekend, is swiftly climbing the charts, securing a strong second-place start.
