“Wicked” was a 2024 film adaptation. The movie was directed by Jon M. Chu. Chu is best known for also directing the films “Step Up 2: The Streets” (2008), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013), “Now You See Me 2” (2016), “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), and “In the Heights” (2021). 

This movie is based on the novel, of the same title, written by Gregory Maguire. That was inspired by characters created by Frank L. Baum, the author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” That novel inspired a musical stage play. The went on to become a Broadway musical featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. That musical also served as inspiration for this movie. The musical’s book was written by Winnie Holzman, who worked on this film. The screenplay adaptation was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. 

The story takes place many years before the events depicted in the classic 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz.” You’ll learn about the time when the “Wicked Witch of the West” and “Glinda the Good” were friends. They attended “Shiz University” together. “Elphaba” (Cynthia Erivo) was born with green skin, which has always made her different and left her feeling misunderstood. “Glinda” (Ariana Grande) is a beautiful, cheerful, and popular young lady. She is genuinely polite and bubbly. When Elphaba first arrives at Shiz University, she and Glinda don’t exactly hit it off (so to speak). They almost seem destined to be enemies.

As the story unfolds, Elphaba and Glinda eventually find themselves sharing a room, forming an unlikely friendship. The cast of characters at Shiz includes Glinda’s close friends, “Pfannee” (Bowen Yang) and “Shenshen” (Bronwyn James). A handsome young man named “Fiyero” (Jonathan Bailey) appears to be Glinda’s love interest. Additionally, there’s a male munchkin classmate named “Boq” (Ethan Slater). He is also attending Shiz. Elphaba’s sister, “Nessarose” (Marissa Bode), is attending as well. The cast of characters also includes “Madame Morrible” (Michelle Yeoh), who is the Dean of Sorcery Studies. “Dr. Dillamond” (voiced by Peter Dinklage), a talking goat, is a history professor.

“Wicked: Part I” does a great job of telling the backstory of Oz. It focuses on the two iconic characters that we have come to love (or hate) over the years. You’ll get to see what things were like in Oz long before “Dorothy” came. Eventually, these two young friends will go on a fantastic journey to the “Emerald City.” There they’ll meet “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (Jeff Goldblum), who will help both young ladies find their destiny.

“Wicked” on 4K UHD Blu-ray is presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (or HDR10) form of high dynamic range. This was shot digitally in 6.5K resolution using the Arri Alexa 65 camera in the Ultra Panavision 70 cinematographic process. It’s unclear if this received either a 4K or 2K digital intermediate master. Nonetheless, I’m betting that it was a 4K master, considering the higher-resolution source material.

Next, let me get technical, about the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc itself here. This release uses a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 91.1 gigabytes total, and 83.3 gigabytes itself for the film. Based on my observations via my 4K UHD Blu-ray player, this seems to peak at around 97.7 Mbps. It then runs roughly around 62.9 Mbps and dips down as low as 45 Mbps. According to info on the PC side, this seems to have an overall video bitrate of 63.7 Mb/s average.

The film starts in a very unique visual style. It at first feels dreamlike, in an ethereal sense. The visuals start out feeling missing the intense colors and contrast. Some are confused and think this film was overexposed or lacks contrast and correct saturation. In other words, people act like there’s some problem with the color timing. That is not the case. The color timing is fine here, overall.

You’ll notice this somewhat slow visual transition as the film progresses. Sure, it starts in a slightly subdued manner. Then, it brightens up more into a style that feels much more vibrant. The colors achieve proper saturation as the movie progresses. I think this choice, if I’m not just imagining it, was made visually by the filmmakers. Maybe it was intended to pay homage to the shift. The shift from Black & White to color in the 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz.”

The flesh tones are spot on. The elaborate costumes and set designs exemplify how beautiful the colors can be here in 4K with HDR. There’s an excellent amount of detail to be found in this 4K presentation, most especially during the facial close-up shots. Overall, I will say that “Wicked” on 4K UHD Blu-ray offers one impressive video presentation, worthy of a 4.5 rating for video quality.

“Wicked” arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos sound mix. The Atmos mix comes with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core, for those not capable of decoding the immersive sound format.

The film features original lyrics and music by Stephen Schwartz. John Powell also collaborated on this by composing the original score. Be warned, from the very start. You’ll notice this Dolby Atmos mix has an extraordinary amount of low-frequency energy (LFE). This energy vibrates the subwoofer. The height channel speakers are skillfully employed for sound effects and music. Dialogue and vocals during musical numbers are primarily delivered through the center channel speaker. Meanwhile, the front left and right channels are crucial. They drive the film’s music and are the main force behind the sound effects. The rear channels are also impressively utilized for both sound effects and the music.

Overall, the music itself here sounds simply spectacular. At just under 2 minutes into the film, the original musical score plays during a scene with some action. It will fully immerse you in the story. Just prepare to be completely captivated by the sound presentation here. Get ready to be lost in the world of “Oz.” Allow the musical numbers to sweep you away throughout the film. This audio mix does the film a great justice, considering that it is, after all, a musical.

The ending (last 20 minutes) of the film is the true highlight of this Dolby Atmos mix. It has its share of action and wonderfully intense original musical score. “Wicked” on 4K UHD Blu-ray, with its wicked Atmos mix, delivers one very impressive sound presentation. This is worthy of a perfect 5 rating for audio quality.

A Digital Copy of the film in 4K resolution is included (via paper insert) which is compatible with Movies Anywhere. You can use it across various online video services. These include Fandango at Home (formerly VUDU), AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Chromecast. It is compatible even with smart TVs from television makers like LG & VIZIO. 

Digitally, this is presented in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision or HDR10. It features Dolby Atmos sound on AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and Movies Anywhere. Bonus materials are included with the digital version and are the same as those listed further below.

A Blu-ray Disc is included in this “combo pack” with the film presented in 2.39:1 aspect ratio in 1080p HD video and with Dolby Atmos sound. Bonus materials included on the Blu-ray are the exact same as those listed below for the 4K disc.

Bonus materials included on the 4K UHD Blu-ray are listed below.

• Sing-Along Version is included. This version has the same runtime as the theatrical version. When there are musical numbers happening essentially you’ll see the lyrics on-screen in a karaoke style. This starts around 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the film.
• Feature Commentary includes two different audio commentary track choices:
  • Feature Audio Commentary with Director Jon M. Chu
  • Feature Audio Commentary with Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (15 minutes, 36 seconds – HD) thankfully include a “play all” feature. The amount of scenes included here would be too many to list. Some of these scenes are unfinished and include wires on objects and the occasional blue screen in the background.
• Making Wicked (45 minutes, 45 seconds – HD) is a rather in-depth “making of” featurette. This includes a look back at the Broadway musical. It provides a casting discussion. It features lots of behind-the-scenes and on-set footage. And most importantly it includes interviews with Jon M. Chu (director), Marc Platt (producer), and Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics/executive producer). Cynthia Erivo (“Elphaba”), Ariana Grande (“Glinda”), and Jonathan Bailey (“Fiyero”) are also interviewed. Michelle Yeoh (“Madame Morrible”) and Jeff Goldblum (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”) join them in the interviews. Further interviews are included with Ethan Slater (“Boq”), Marissa Bode (“Nessarose”), Peter Dinklage (“Dr. Dillamond”), Bowen Yang (“Pfannee”), and Bronwyn James (“Shenshen”). Additionally, it includes interviews with Paul Tazewell (costume designer) and Christopher Scott (choreographer). It also features discussions with Simon Hayes (production sound mixer) and Nathan Crowley (production designer).
• Welcome to Shiz (8 minutes, 2 seconds – HD) focuses on the “Shiz” school. This includes interviews with Jon M. Chu (director), Ariana Grande (“Glinda”), and Cynthia Erivo (“Elphaba”). It also features Jonathan Bailey (“Fiyero”) and Paul Tazewell (costume designer). Other participants include Michelle Yeoh (“Madame Morrible”) and Jo McLaren (stunt coordinator). Marissa Bode (“Nessarose”) and Nathan Crowley (production designer) also participate. Bowen Yang (“Pfannee”) and Bronwyn James (“Shenshen”) are involved as well. Christopher Scott (choreographer) and Jonathan Bailey (“Fiyero”) join them.
• A Wicked Legacy (4 minutes, 20 seconds – HD) examines the Broadway musical. It also explores how the film pays tribute to it. This includes interviews with Jon M. Chu (director), Cynthia Erivo (“Elphaba”), Ariana Grande (“Glinda”), Jeff Goldblum (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”), and Michelle Yeoh (“Madame Morrible”). Other interviewees are Jonathan Bailey (“Fiyero”), Ethan Slater (“Boq”), and Marc Platt (producer). The list of interviewees continues with Idina Menzel (“Wiz-O-Mania Super Star”) and Kristen Chenoweth (“Wiz-O-Mania Super Star”). Also featured are Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics/executive producer), Stephen Oremus (executive music producer), and Winnie Holzman (co-writer).
• The Wonderful Wizard (3 minutes, 45 seconds – HD). This focuses on the character played by Jeff Goldblum (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”). It includes interviews with (obviously Jeff Goldblum), Jon M. Chu (director), Christopher Clarke (senior special effects technician), and Michelle Yeoh (“Madame Morrible”).

The bonus materials here total up to roughly 78 minutes, making the extras over an hour in length. Plus, you get two different audio commentary tracks, a Sing-Along version of the film, and a digital copy in 4K. This is a rather impressive set of supplemental material.

“Wicked” proves to be one very enjoyable film and gives you a great backstory to “Oz.” Most all of us grew up on the 1939 film (“The Wizard of Oz”). Later on, “Wicked” became known to most of us as a novel. And it eventually gained popularity as a musical stage play. Director Jon M. Chu does a great job here of capturing all of that spirit and bringing it to screen. The performances given by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are really incredible in the leading roles. Fans of the original musical stage play will be happy. They will also find some tribute to the stage play included in this film.

This movie proved to be a true success with both critics and audiences. In fact, it’s deemed “Certified Fresh” (by critics) and “Verified Hot” (by audiences) on Rotten Tomatoes. It also happened to end up grossing 722 million dollars at the box office, globally. That’s one very impressive return, considering the film had an estimated budget of 150 million dollars. The film ends by saying “to be continued.” The upcoming sequel “Wicked: For Good” is expected to have a November 2025 theatrical release. It will continue the story started here, in “Wicked: Part I.”

The video quality is impressive. The movie comes from a 6.5K resolution digital source. This translates over very nicely to 4K. There’s a very unique and eventually very colorful visual presentation here with some great cinematography. The addition of high dynamic range really helps to emphasize the color, as it starts to intensify throughout the film. Simply put, this movie looks great in 4K.

In terms of audio quality, the Dolby Atmos mix does the film justice. You’ll be amazed by how much the music and effects leave you feeling immersed. There’s a pretty intense audio presentation here, sure to leave the fans pleased. This Dolby Atmos sound mix is very impressive and I found it be perfect for a musical.

The bonus materials are pretty in-depth and prove to both be informative and entertaining at the same time. Plus, there’s also two different audio commentary tracks to give a listen to after watching the film. And there’s even a “Sing Along” version of the film with lyrics displayed on screen for those wanting that experience.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of “Wicked” from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is very impressive. That being said, it delivers both an excellent video and audio presentation for a great musical film adaptation. This release comes as highly recommended.

In terms of 4K UHD Blu-ray release, this gets:
4.5 (out of 5) for video quality
5 (out of 5) for audio quality
4.5 (out of 5) for bonus materials