‘Wicked: For Good’ Opens to Record $150 Million, Revives North American Box Office
Ashwini Gambo
LOS ANGELES — “Wicked: For Good” delivered a stunning debut this weekend, grossing $150 million domestically, according to Universal Pictures and Comscore. The figure marks the largest opening ever for a film adaptation of a Broadway musical and ranks among the highest-performing movie musicals in history. Internationally, the film added $76 million from 78 countries, bringing its global opening total to an estimated $226 million.
The film reunites Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, continuing the story from the first installment. It now holds the third-best domestic opening for a musical, behind Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” and the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” remake. Industry analysts credit the success to the enduring popularity of the musical, inspired casting by director Jon Chu, and a highly effective marketing campaign.
Universal’s president of domestic theatrical distribution, Jim Orr, praised the filmmakers and cast, saying, “It’s absolutely tremendous to see all the hard work … pay off so handsomely.” Analysts note that stage-to-screen adaptations are often risky, citing less successful films like Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Yet Universal’s decision to split Wicked into two films proved profitable. “The fact that you can squeeze out two blockbusters from the same IP, that’s a fantastic feat,” said Daniel Loria, senior VP of content strategy at the Boxoffice Company
Audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. The film earned an A grade from CinemaScore and a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while fans helped make it 30% bigger than the first installment at chains like Cinemark, according to President Sean Gamble. Orr highlighted strong family attendance in markets such as Salt Lake City, Utah.
Critics were more divided. New Yorker critic Justin Chang wrote that “too much of Wicked: For Good plays like ‘Oz the World Turns.’” Still, the combination of a dedicated fanbase, strong performances, and energetic marketing has made the film a major success at the box office, reinvigorating a market that had struggled to surpass $100 million in ticket sales over the previous nine weeks.
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