'Wicked: For Good' sets new record with $150M debut
What's the story
The latest Hollywood musical film, Wicked: For Good, has taken the US box office by storm. The Universal Pictures production raked in a whopping $150 million from 4,115 North American theaters in its opening weekend. This remarkable figure makes it the highest-grossing debut for any Broadway adaptation to date. It has surpassed the previous record set by 2024's Wicked, which earned $112.5 million during the same pre-Thanksgiving period.
Global success
'Wicked: For Good' also shines internationally
The success of Wicked: For Good was not limited to North America. The film also made a significant impact on the international box office, earning an additional $76 million. This brings its total global earnings to $226 million, per Variety. This figure is the highest ever for an overseas and global opening of a stage musical adaptation, surpassing its predecessor Wicked which earned $50.2 million internationally and $164.2 million globally.
Audience reception
'Wicked: For Good' continues to charm audiences
Despite the darker tone of Wicked's second half compared to the first act, audiences have continued to be enchanted by For Good. David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research called it "broad-appealing Hollywood filmmaking at its best," adding that strong word-of-mouth will likely drive business through Thanksgiving and into December. In India, the film has earned over ₹60 lakh till now, as per Sacnilk.
Industry impact
'Wicked: For Good' boosts US box office performance
The success of Wicked: For Good comes as a much-needed boost to the American box office, which has been struggling in recent weeks. Despite two upcoming releases, Disney's Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, expected to end the year on a high note, overall domestic grosses are predicted to be just 3% higher than in 2024 by New Year's Eve. This is an improvement from last year's nearly 24% drop compared to pre-pandemic times.
Other films
'Now You See Me 3' and 'Predator: Badlands' performed well
The second spot was taken by Now You See Me 3, which added $9.1 million in its second weekend. The film has grossed $36.8 million domestically and $109 million overseas for a global total of $146 million. Meanwhile, Predator: Badlands secured the third position with $6.5 million in its third weekend, while The Running Man closely followed in fourth place with $6.1 million in its second weekend.