“Wicked” is now available for viewing in the comfort of your own home. The highly anticipated musical premiered on Nov. 22, setting a new record with an estimated $114 million opening at the domestic box office, making it the highest-grossing cinematic debut for a Broadway adaptation.
Ariana Grande stars as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in “Wicked,” portraying two witches who form an unlikely friendship at Shiz University. Prior to the musical’s release, fans were engaged in online discussions about whether it was appropriate to sing along in the theater to iconic songs like “Popular” and “Defying Gravity.”
In an interview with NBC News, Grande and Erivo shared their perspectives on the sing-along debate. Erivo suggested that audiences could sing along on their first viewing, but on subsequent visits, they should let the performers take the lead. Grande expressed her support for fans doing what makes them happy, but humorously warned against continuing to sing if faced with flying popcorn or phones from the audience.
The question of whether to sing along during screenings of “Wicked” remains open, but once the movie debuts for streaming, fans will have the freedom to sing their hearts out at home.
Beginning on Dec. 31, 2024, “Wicked” will be available for purchase on demand from various retailers including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Microsoft Movies & TV, and more. Those who purchase the digital version will also receive access to three hours of bonus content, featuring a sing-along version, deleted and extended scenes, and commentary from actors Grande and Erivo, along with director Jon M. Chu.
Universal Pictures has announced that “Wicked” will be released on 4K UHD, Blu-ray™, and DVD on Feb. 4, 2025.
As for streaming on Peacock, the platform is likely to host “Wicked” given its distribution by Universal Pictures. However, an official streaming date on Peacock has not yet been revealed. Reports suggest that the film could potentially become available as early as January, following the precedent set by Universal films premiering on Peacock within 45 days of their theatrical release. Nonetheless, some Universal titles have taken longer than 45 days to debut on the streaming service, as seen with “Oppenheimer,” which was released in theaters in July 2023 but arrived on Peacock in February 2024.
Despite the absence of a confirmed Peacock release date, “Wicked” continues to demonstrate strong performance. The film debuted alongside Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” on Nov. 22, resulting in what some have labeled the “Glicked” phenomenon, reminiscent of the “Barbenheimer” craze. While both movies enjoyed successful openings, “Wicked” surpassed “Gladiator II” with an estimated $55.5 million in box office earnings.
