The Witches of Oz are making magic at the box office.
Universal’s Thanksgiving tentpole Wicked: For Good is now on course to open to a record-shattering $151 million-plus in North America and $228 million worldwide after topping Friday’s North American with a massive $68.7 million from 4,115 theaters (that number includes $30.8 million in previews). Audiences are more than embracing the pic, giving it an A CinemaScore and a glowing 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Wicked: For Good is the second title in filmmaker Jon M. Chu‘s ambitious big-screen adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical and book about the untold story of the witches of Oz. Ariana Grande stars as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
If it hits its target, the female-fueled movie would boast the biggest start ever for a Broadway musical adaptation; as of now, last year’s Wicked is the record-holder ($112.5 million), not adjusted for inflation. It would also be the second-biggest opening ever for a Universal title behind Jurassic World ($208.8 million); the second-best opening for the weekend before Thanksgiving behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; the third biggest opening of all time for any musical behind 2019’s The Lion King and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast; and the second-biggest opening of 2025 to date behind A Minecraft Movie ($208.9 million).
The biggest global opening for a Broadway musical adaptation of all-time ahead of Wicked
Wicked: For Good is a needed jolt for the struggling box office, which has suffered the worst fall in decades due to a glut of male-skewing pics and a lack of product for females and families. The movie’s better-than-expected opening more than proves the buying power of girls and women; nearly 70 percent of Friday’s audience were females.
On the same weekend a year ago, the first Wicked made history when it debuted to a record-breaking $112.5 million in its three-day debut, the best showing ever for a musical adaptation. It ultimately topped out at nearly $750 million worldwide, the best-ever showing for a Broadway musical adaptation, a genre that has been a tough nut for Hollywood to crack. NBCU entertainment chief and longtime movie studio head Donna Langley has remained intent on cracking that nut — and has done just that.
More to come.
