Less than a week into its theatrical run, the blockbuster musicalWickedhaspassed a major new global box office milestone. The movie contested a hotly-anticipated battle withGladiator IIin its first weekend, eventually debuting with over twice as much as the swords-and-sandals epic. This weekend, both films will face the mammothMoana 2, which is already playing in theaters nationwide after its mid-week debut.Wickedwill enter its sophomore frame having already recovered its reported budget, and poised to break the all-time record for a Broadway adaptation.
As of Wednesday, the film had made $144 million domestically and $194 million worldwide.Wickedadded $20 million to its domestic tally on Thanksgiving, therebypassing the $150 million mark domestically and the $200 million mark worldwidein one fell swoop. It was the second-biggest moviegoing day of the year, after July 26, whenDeadpool & Wolverinepushed all titles to nearly $120 million. This weekend,Wickedis expected to generate over $60 million, with the figure exceeding nearly $100 million across the extended five-day holiday frame.
This should take the film’s running domestic gross to nearly $250 million by Sunday, which would make itthe highest-grossing Broadway adaptation of all time.Wickedis based on the hit musical of the same name, with music and lyrics byStephen Schwartzand a book byWinnie Holzman. The musical, in turn, was based onGregory Maguire’s novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” Both the book and the musical were inspired byL. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz” series.
‘Wicked’ Is Expected to Break the $1 Billion Barrier Globally
Produced ona reported budget of $150 million, themovie opened to excellent reviews, and currently sits at a “fresh” 90% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.Wicked’s audience score on RT is even better, at a near-perfect 96%.In his review, Collider’sJeff Ewingdescribed it as “an incredible cinematic musical outing and easily one of the year’s best films.”Wickedalso earned an excellent A- CinemaScore from opening day audiences, which signals that it’ll continue performing through the winter.
Directed byJon M. Chu,WickedstarsCynthia ErivoandAriana Grandein the central roles, alongsideMichelle Yeoh,Jeff Goldblum,Jonathan Bailey,Ethan Slater,Marissa Bode,Bowen Yangand others. A sequel, titledWicked Part 2, will be released in November 2025. You can watchWickedin theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
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