Nowhere is safe from the phenomenon known as Wizomania — not even your home. On December 31, Wicked will be released into the cloud like so many flying monkeys, becoming available to rent or buy on whatever digital platforms you do your renting and buying on. This home release follows a record-setting box-office run for the Broadway musical adaptation, and it will feature three additional hours of bonus material for fans who think the film, which is only “Part One” of a two-movie experience, could have been much longer. These bonus features serve a dual-purpose, as they also allow for stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to take a brief reprieve from producing bonus content of their own via grueling, surrealist press tour. These extras include:
- A home version of the singalong cut
- A commentary track with director John M. Chu
- A commentary track with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
- Making Wicked: a “behind-the-scenes journey […] inside the characters, choreography, and creativity that make up the movie’s unforgettable world.”
- Welcome to Shiz: a deep-dive into the production design and costuming that went into building Shiz University.
- A Wicked Legacy: “The cast and filmmakers sharing personal memories of their first encounters with the original Broadway production, and how those lasting connections created emotional experiences while making the movie.” This extra also shines a spotlight on the cameos in the “One Short Day” sequence.
- The Wonderful Wizard: “Inside the palace’s throne room, the Wizard himself, Jeff Goldblum, pulls back the curtain to peer at his character’s magic and mechanics with senior special effects technician Christopher Clarke, who details how the Wizard’s massive robotic head comes to life.”
This home-streaming release is also loaded with deleted and extended scenes, which Universal has already titled and described in full:
- Pfannee & ShenShen Meet Glinda: Reunited at Shiz University, Glinda, Pfannee, and ShenShen recall their past by performing a twirling routine together.
- Shiz Gazette Introduces Fiyero: Excitement spreads across Shiz as word gets out that Prince Fiyero is on his way.
- Toss Toss: Glinda teaches Elphaba the art of Toss Toss, with mixed results.
- Elphaba & Fiyero in the Forest: The relationship between Elphaba and Fiyero takes a turn as they come to care for a lost lion cub.
- Elphaba’s Promise: Elphaba makes a pledge to Glinda that they both hope will strengthen their friendship.
- Train Platform Farewell: Glinda, Madame Morrible, and Governor Thropp gather to send Elphaba off to Emerald City.
- Boq & Elphaba Talk: Elphaba challenges Boq to face the truth about his feelings for Nessa Rose, but she has difficulty doing the same when it comes to Fiyero.
- Train Ride to Emerald City: Glinda and Elphaba expand their world by taking a luxurious train ride to Emerald City.
- In the Emerald City: The bustling streets of Emerald City take Glinda and Elphaba one step closer to finally meeting the Wizard.
- Palace Monkeys Chase: Elphaba and Glinda race through a maddening maze of winged monkeys determined to take them down.
Of course, Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang “performing a twirling routine” is by far the most interesting-sounding of these deleted moments, although an extended version of Elphaba and Fiyero’s little forest moment is promising, because maybe they kiss? Egregiously absent from this list is the teased deleted montage in which Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater take their shirts off. Maybe that’ll be an exclusive for the physical-media heads, when Wicked is released on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 4, 2025.