Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in “Wicked: For Good.”
Universal Pictures
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s Wicked: For Good is poised to set a new box office record this weekend.
Wicked: For Good, of course, is the second part of the sprawling big-screen adaptation of the 2003 smash Broadway musical Wicked. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the first part of the movie musical version of Wicked opened on Nov. 22, 2024, and went on to make $474.6 million domestically and $281.4 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $756 million.
The Universal Pictures release was also showered with several nominations during awards season, including 10 Oscar nods, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Erivo for her portrayal as Elphaba and Best Supporting Actress for Grande for her turn as Glinda.
Now, as Wicked: For Good heads into theaters Friday — just a day shy of a year after the opening of Wicked — box office projections for the film are indicating that it will have an even bigger opening than its predecessor. The film is projected to earn more than $200 million at the worldwide box office in its opening weekend, according to Deadline. If so, the sequel will set a new record for the biggest opening for an adaptation of a Broadway musical.
The previous record holder is the first Wicked movie, which earned $112.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,888 North American theaters. Along with the film’s international ticket sales, the film earned $164 million worldwide in its opening frame.
According to Deadline, $125 million to $150 million of the projected $200 million-plus worldwide take will come from 4,000 North American theaters, with $70 million of the tally coming from 78 international markets.
Other Outlets Are Projecting An Even Bigger Domestic Opening For ‘Wicked: For Good’
Deadline isn’t the only Hollywood outlet weighing in with projections for the opening of Wicked: For Good, as Variety is projecting a domestic opening of $150 million to $160 million. The trade publication also noted that Universal Pictures is being conservative with its estimate for the film’s opening and is projecting a $125 million weekend take.
An even bigger opening weekend for Wicked: For Good is being projected by Box Office Pro, which is estimating that the film will take in anywhere from $145 million to $175 million in its first weekend in North American theaters.
Should Wicked: For Good’s North American take end up on the higher end of Box Office Pro’s projection, it will top 2025’s biggest domestic opener to date — Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie — which earned $162 million in its first box office frame in April.
Wicked and Wicked: For Good are based on the Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the novel by Gregory Maguire. Holzman wrote the screenplay for Wicked: For Good with Dana Fox, and Schwartz composed two new original songs for the movie: “No Place Like Home,” sung by Erivo and “The Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Grande.
Rated PG, Wicked: For Good plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/11/19/wicked-for-good-projected-to-have-record-opening-at-box-office/
