Universal Pictures' 'Wicked: For Good' soared to an impressive $150 million domestic and $226 million global opening, setting a new record for Broadway musical adaptations and marking the second-biggest debut of the year.
Universal Pictures' two-part 'Wicked' gamble continues to defy gravity at the box office, with 'Wicked: For Good' earning an estimated $150 million from North American theaters and $226 million globally in its opening weekend. This monumental success makes it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, surpassing the first film’s $112 million launch, and the second-biggest debut of the year overall. Universal's head of domestic distribution, Jim Orr, praised the 'fantastic' results, noting the strong audience turnout. The film, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande, saw preview earnings of $6.1 million on Monday and $6.5 million on Wednesday, culminating in $68.6 million by Friday across 4,115 North American locations. IMAX showings contributed $15.5 million, an 11% share of its domestic haul and a November record for the company. Women made up approximately 71% of ticket buyers, and 83% of audiences 'definitely recommend' the film, despite mixed critical reviews. The success of 'Wicked: For Good' is seen as vitally important for the exhibition industry, setting up a strong final homestretch for the year, especially with upcoming holiday blockbusters like 'Zootopia 2'. The running domestic box office currently stands at $7.5 billion, with the industry hoping titles like 'Wicked: For Good' can help reach the post-pandemic goal of $9 billion. Other films opening this weekend, 'Rental Family' and 'Sisu: Road to Revenge,' landed further down the charts.
