‘Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu Says Viewers Should Ask Theaters to Increase Movie’s Volume

As a long-time theater enthusiast and musical lover, I wholeheartedly support Jon M. Chu‘s request to turn up the volume for the Wicked movie screenings. I’ve attended my fair share of productions where the sound could have been a tad louder, and it makes all the difference in fully immersing oneself in the magical world of Oz.


The movie director, Jon M. Chu from “Wicked,” is asking viewers to do something a little out of the ordinary when they watch the film in cinemas.

On the premiere night of Universal Pictures’ film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked”, its director Chu urged viewers on social media (previously Twitter) to request their theater to boost the volume for the musical’s soundtrack. This timeless tale, based on characters from “The Wizard of Oz” before Dorothy’s arrival, features Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

Chu suggested, ‘Bump up the volume at your cinema to level 7… I’ve attended a few viewings and they’re closer to a 6.4. To truly experience it as intended, I recommend setting it to 7.’

One of the people who responded to the post was the co-writer of the movie, Dana Fox. She said, “During our screening, we increased the pace slightly, and it turned out just right!!

In a friendly tone, the audiovisual company Dolby, well-known for its high-quality cinema presentations, replied with an assurance: “Don’t worry, we’ve got this taken care of.” They followed it up with a virtual salute.

Some people seemed confused by Chu’s post, as they were not aware that it was possible for theatergoers to ask for a change in the volume level during a movie screening. Others mentioned that they had attended performances of “Wicked” where the sound could have been turned up.

During a recent chat with The Ankler, John Marquis – the sound designer for the movie Wicked – shared insights into his approach when working on the project.

Marquis explained, “Much of it came together naturally during recording, due to how the tracks were set up. Essentially, Cynthia and Ari delivered incredible live vocal performances, track after track, take after take. The difficulty in turning this into a musical lies in maintaining its authenticity, avoiding sudden shifts, and ensuring that the musical numbers seamlessly blend with the rest of the music.

The film “Wicked” is experiencing a successful opening weekend, aiming for a domestic launch of approximately $117 million. Similarly, the sequel to “Gladiator,” titled “Gladiator II,” has started strongly and currently holds the second spot.

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2024-11-24 04:54