Universal’s ‘Wicked: For Good’ has electrified the box office with a monumental $150 million domestic opening weekend, setting a new record for Broadway musical adaptations and outperforming its predecessor. The film’s success signals a robust revival for Hollywood, defying trends and capturing global audience enthusiasm with an estimated $226 million in worldwide earnings.
During its debut, ‘Wicked: For Good’ attracted approximately 10 million domestic ticket sales, surpassing the 8 million sold for the first ‘Wicked’ film and highlighting sustained fan engagement. Industry experts noted the rarity of a sequel outperforming the original, attributing it to the franchise’s cultural impact. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore emphasized that this was not an overnight success but the result of a phenomenon built over time.
The sequel’s domestic haul makes it the second-highest opener of 2025, trailing only Warner Bros.’ ‘A Minecraft Movie’ at $162.75 million and ahead of Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ at $146 million. It also broke records for fantasy-adventure sequels, which typically average $46 million openings, according to David A. Gross of FranchiseRe. This achievement underscores a shift from earlier struggles musicals faced at the box office.
Globally, the film’s strong performance included significant contributions from international markets, reinforcing its appeal. Reuters and other outlets confirmed it set a new benchmark for film adaptations of Broadway musicals, a category where such high openings are uncommon. The success comes amid a broader industry recovery, with overall box office revenues up 3.3% compared to the same period last year.
Other new releases struggled to compete, with Searchlight Pictures’ ‘Rental Family’ earning $3.3 million and Sony’s ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ taking in $2.6 million. Holdovers like ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ and ‘Predator: Badlands’ maintained modest returns, but ‘Wicked: For Good’ dominated the charts, accounting for a substantial portion of the weekend’s total gross.
The domestic box office has reached roughly $7.5 billion in 2025, with projections suggesting it could hit or exceed $9 billion by year-end, a milestone last achieved in 2023. This growth indicates a potential return to pre-pandemic health, buoyed by strong performances from blockbusters. Analysts like Shawn Robbins of Fandango highlighted the film’s role in revitalizing audience interest.
Looking ahead, Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2’ is expected to boost Thanksgiving weekend sales, potentially complementing ‘Wicked: For Good’ in a synergistic push. Further releases, including ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ and holiday films, could sustain momentum, offering hope for a strong finish to the year. Daniel Loria of Box Office Pro described the upcoming slate as a ‘one-two punch’ for earnings potential, with diverse options appealing to broad audiences.
