This weekend, the languishing box office has been changed for the better with “Wicked: For Good,” which powered to $226 million globally.
Those ticket sales rank as the fourth-biggest worldwide debut of 2025, behind Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake ($341 million), “Jurassic World Rebirth” ($322 million) and “A Minecraft Movie” ($313 million) and ahead of “Superman” ($220 million) and “The Fantastic Four” ($218 million).
Universal’s cinematic take on the second half of “Wicked,” a revisionist look at “The Wizard of Oz,” has earned $76 million overseas and $150 million domestically. The film set a worldwide, international and North American record for the biggest Broadway adaptation, smashing the benchmark held by 2024’s “Wicked” with $164.2 million worldwide, $50.2 million internationally and $112.5 million domestically.
Since “Wicked” is established I.P. this time around, “For Good” was able to grow its fanbase internationally. That’s important because the first film was much bigger in North America, accounting for 62% of revenues. “Wicked” became a global hit with $758 million, including $474 million domestically and $283 million overseas. However, the hope is that ticket sales are more evenly split for the second adventure. “For Good” opened in 78 markets, with the top-earning territories including the United Kingdom and Ireland ($24.4 million), Australia ($8.6 million) and Germany ($4.1 million).
“This is a sensational opening,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The only limitation, relatively speaking, is the series’ overseas performance. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a classic American story, with a natural domestic skew.”
Jon M. Chu directed “Wicked: For Good,” which concludes the journey of Elphaba — who begins the film having been demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West — and Glinda — who has been branded by Ozians as Glinda the Good. Although the second half of “Wicked” is darker than the first and doesn’t have as many memorable songs, “For Good” is expected to remain a draw throughout the holiday season. It’s been a rocky year at the box office — with big-budget bombs aplenty and overall ticket sales just barely ahead of 2024. However, this weekend’s momentum will continue as Disney’s “Zootopia 2” looks to assist “Wicked: For Good” in powering one of the biggest Thanksgivings on record.
“Moviegoing is roaring back this weekend, and it will strengthen again with ‘Zootopia 2,’” says Gross, while noting that attendance remains seriously challenged. “These are tough times, with a few strong titles breaking through and even setting records.”
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From Variety US