Wicked Digital Release Update is the New Year’s Gift You Needed to End 2024

Universal Pictures’ Wicked, starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and more, was one of the highly awaited movies of 2024. Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked is the first installment of the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name.

Wicked upon release did not disappoint the critics and the audience and has now joined the list of movies being regarded as the best movies of 2024. The movie has already earned four nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.

Grande and Erivo’s performances have been lauded, and fans cannot wait for Wicked: For Good to be released in 2025. But there is a positive update for the ones who missed out on the first movie.

Ariana Grande-starrer Wicked is available for digital platforms starting December 31st

Set in the Land of Oz, Wicked follows Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with Glinda, the future Glinda the Good. The film stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and their friendship on-screen has managed to impress the critics as well as the audience.

The hit musical, which released on November 22, 2024, is arriving on digital platforms sooner than expected. According to reports by The Wrap, Wicked is arriving for rental or purchase starting December 31st, a perfect end to 2024.

The publication also shared that the fans will be able to have a bonus sing-along version and three hours of bonus content, including deleted and extended scenes from the movie.

Film’s hard copy, i.e., 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD, will be available on February 4, 2025. It has been reported that in the extended scenes available for the fans, there will be a version of Elphaba and Fiyero in the forest after they rescue a lion cub, Glinda and Elphaba making a friendship promise, and more. The digital version will also include a feature commentary by the director Jon M. Chu, Grande, and Erivo.

Wicked, according to Deadline, has surpassed the record for 1978’s Grease as the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time at the domestic box office. It’s just behind Mamma Mia! and is known to be among the top five biggest hits of the year. The movie holds a fresh 88% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu talks about Wicked’s digital release

In a conversation with NBC, director Jon M. Chu, who has been receiving praises for his recent release spoke about the movie’s digital release just a month after it spent a splendid time on-screen. He said,

I love that fans reacted to every little detail in our movie even though they’ve seen it multiple times with their friends and family, so I think on the home video side of it we get to show them deleted scenes, scenes they may have heard about in interviews, but never got to see.

The director also noted that the fans also get the sing-along version of the movie, adding that the fans get two movies plus the commentaries from him along with the actresses in every scene. He described the home media part of Wicked as ‘fun.’

The filmmaker mentioned during the interview that the second part of the movie is scheduled for a 2025 release. Upon asking how fans can prepare for Wicked: For Good, he said,

There are lots of ways; I mean, you can watch this movie many times, go watch it in IMAX in 3-D, ScreenX! You can also catch up on Wizard of Oz; you know, movie two is where Wizard of Oz and Wicked cross, so that’s an opportunity. You can go see the show on Broadway or in L.A. It’s playing in L.A. I think there are a lot of ways to embed you into the lore.

Chu also noted that the fans could go read the original L. Frank Baum text. He also added that there is so much stuff that hopefully people will go back into because, according to him, fans can catch a lot more in movie two. He lastly added that they loved being in the world of Wicked and playing in the world.

Wicked comes out on VOD starting December 31st on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.