Director Wants Loud ‘Wicked’ Movie Experience

The director of the ‘Wicked’ movie, Jon M. Chu, has a simple request for theatergoers: crank up the volume! On the film’s opening night, he shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the ideal audio level should be set to a 7. Chu, who has seen a few screenings, noticed that many theaters play it at around a 6. 4, which is slightly lower than intended. He believes that the full musical experience can only be savored at a higher volume. ‘Wicked’ is a prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The movie is set to have a big opening weekend, expecting a domestic debut of $117 million.

The film’s sound designer, John Marquis, shared some insights on managing the audio. He explained that many songs were recorded live, and the challenge was to keep the transitions smooth, avoiding abrupt shifts from dialogue to song. Dolby, a leading audiovisual company, reassured audiences, “We’ve got you covered, ” indicating that their theaters would provide the ideal sound experience. Some movie fans were surprised to learn that they could request a volume change during screenings. Others had already noticed that the volume could be higher during their ‘Wicked’ screenings.

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