‘Wicked: For Good’ Is More Popular Than The First, Soaring To A $226 Million Global Debut
Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: For Good,” the finale to the studio’s two-part adaptation, delivered a massive box office debut that surpassed already high expectations. Studio estimates released Sunday show the film earning $150 million domestically and $226 million worldwide in its opening days, marking the biggest launch ever for a Broadway musical adaptation.
It overtakes the record set by the first film’s $112 million opening and trails only “A Minecraft Movie,” which debuted with $162 million this year.
Jim Orr, Universal’s domestic distribution chief, said early ticket sales weren’t misleading this time. “Some films can deliver a false positive when tickets go on sale early but these results speak for themselves.”
The studio began the rollout earlier in the week, pulling in $6.1 million from Monday previews and $6.5 million on Wednesday. By Friday, “Wicked: For Good” was showing on 4,115 North American screens and collecting $68.6 million from its first full day. IMAX screenings alone contributed $15.5 million, an 11 percent slice of its domestic earnings and a new November record for the premium format.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond pointed to the film’s reach: “Our momentum carries into demos and genres beyond our traditional core, including families.”
As with the first installment, women made up the majority of opening-weekend moviegoers, totaling about 71 percent according to PostTrak. Critics offered mixed reactions, but audiences didn’t hesitate. Eighty-three percent of viewers said they would “definitely recommend” the film, and EntTelligence estimates roughly two million more people saw the sequel’s opening weekend compared to the original.
Directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the first “Wicked” earned more than $758 million globally and picked up 10 Oscar nominations, winning for costume and production design. Both films carry a combined production cost of around $300 million, excluding marketing.
Orr credited the momentum built by the franchise’s debut. “The first film paved the way. It’s really become a cultural event I think audiences are going to be flocking to theaters for quite some time to come.”
Two other wide releases opened this weekend but trailed far behind the “Wicked” wave. Searchlight Pictures’ “Rental Family,” starring Brendan Fraser, made $3.3 million from 1,925 theaters. Sony’s Finnish action release “Sisu: Road to Revenge” opened in 2,222 theaters and brought in $2.6 million.
Among holdovers, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” secured second place with $9.1 million in its second weekend, while “Predator: Badlands” followed with $6.3 million. “The Running Man” took fourth with $5.8 million, marking a steep 65 percent drop from last week.
Industry analysts say “Wicked: For Good” arrives at a critical moment following a sluggish fall season. Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, said the sequel “sets up a very strong final homestretch of the year.”
“Zootopia 2” arrives next week and is expected to draw major holiday crowds. Last year, films like “Wicked,” “Moana 2,” and “Gladiator II” led to a record-setting Thanksgiving frame.
Current domestic box office totals sit around $7.5 billion. While pre-pandemic years routinely hit $11 billion, the post-pandemic benchmark has settled around $9 billion. Whether upcoming titles like “Wicked: For Good,” “Zootopia 2,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” can push the industry beyond that mark remains the big question.
According to Comscore estimates for Friday through Sunday:
- “Wicked: For Good,” $150 million
- “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” $9.1 million
- “Predator: Badlands,” $6.3 million
- “The Running Man,” $5.8 million
- “Rental Family,” $3.3 million
- “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” $2.6 million
- “Regretting You,” $1.5 million
- “Nuremberg,” $1.2 million
- “Black Phone 2,” $1 million
- “Sarah’s Oil,” $711,542
