Wicked: For Good, the eagerly anticipated conclusion to Jon M. Chu’s two-part musical adaptation, opened to a record-smashing $150 million in North America (4,115 theaters) on its opening weekend, shattering all-time benchmarks for Broadway adaptations while generating an additional $76 million internationally across 78 markets for a stunning $226 million global debut. The musical sequel, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, captured 10 million U.S. and Canadian admissions while achieving the second-highest opening of 2025 domestically (behind only A Minecraft Movie‘s $162.7 million) and Universal Pictures’ second-largest opening ever (behind only Jurassic World‘s $208.8 million in 2015). The phenomenal performance demolishes the previous franchise record set by 2024’s Wicked, which debuted to $112.5 million domestically and $164.2 million globally, with For Good representing a 33% increase domestically and a 38% surge globally. Director Jon M. Chu, screenwriter Winnie Holzman, and producer Marc Platt crafted a genuine theatrical event that proved audiences still crave original theatrical experiences during the post-pandemic era, with industry analysts already projecting the film could eclipse $1 billion globally by year’s end, positioning it as one of 2025’s most profitable blockbusters.
Record-Breaking Opening Weekend Numbers
Wicked: For Good Opening Weekend (November 21-23, 2025):
North America (Domestic):
– 3-Day Total: $150 million
– Total Theaters: 4,115
– Per-Theater Average: $36,461
– Friday (including previews): $68.9 million ($30.8M previews)
– Saturday: $43.3 million
– Sunday: $37.8 million
– Admissions: 10 million viewers (vs. original Wicked’s 8 million)
– Matinee attendance: 57% before 5 PM (similar to original’s 56%)
International (78 Markets):
– International Total: $76 million (+13% vs. original Wicked’s $50.2M)
– Top Markets: United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, South Korea, Mexico
– Premium Format Share: 40% from IMAX/premium large formats, 12% from IMAX alone, 12% from 3D
Global Total: $226 million
Record-Breaking Achievements:
✓ Largest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation (domestic, international, global)
✓ 33% increase over original Wicked’s $112.5M domestic opening
✓ 38% increase over original Wicked’s $164.2M global opening
✓ Second-highest domestic opening of 2025 (behind A Minecraft Movie’s $162.7M)
✓ Second-largest opening for Universal Pictures (behind Jurassic World’s $208.8M in 2015)
✓ Largest weekend before Thanksgiving (surpassing The Hunger: Catching Fire)
✓ Best preview earnings of any 2025 film ($30.8M, surpassing Fantastic Four: First Steps’ $24.4M)
✓ Biggest opening for a female-skewing intellectual property in recent memory
Cast, Director, and Creative Team
Director: Jon M. Chu (Emmy and Tony Award winner, In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians, Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Screenplay: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox
Based on: Gregory Maguire’s novel, Stephen Schwartz’s stage musical
Composer (New Songs): Stephen Schwartz
Producers: Marc Platt, David A. Rosenfeld
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Main Cast:
– Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp / The Wicked Witch of the West
– Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland / Glinda the Good
– Jonathan Bailey as Prince Fiyero Tigelaar / Scarecrow
– Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard
– Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
– Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond
– Bowen Yang as Boq
– Ethan Slater as Nessarose Thropp
– Marissa Bode as Nessarose (other scenes)
– Colman Domingo (newcomer for sequel)
– Joshua Basset
Production Budget: $160 million (increased from original’s $145 million)
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Original Wicked (2024) Box Office Comparison & Worldwide Earnings
Wicked (2024) Opening Weekend:
– North America: $112.5 million (3-day)
– International: $50.2 million (74 markets)
– Global Opening: $164.2 million
Wicked (2024) Worldwide Total Box Office: $701 million
– Domestic (US/Canada): $474.8 million (67.7%)
– International: $281.4 million (32.3%)
– Production Budget: $145 million
– Return on Investment: 383% | Profit: $556 million
Final Box Office Rankings (Original Wicked):
– Highest-grossing musical adaptation of all time
– 26th highest-grossing film domestically
– 131st highest-grossing film worldwide (all-time)
– 3rd highest-grossing film of 2024 (behind Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine)
Wicked (2024) by the Numbers:
– Fastest to $150 million: 6 days
– Fastest to $200 million: 8 days
– Fastest to $100 million: 3 days
– Opening weekend was 23.7% of total domestic gross (showing excellent legs)
– Domestic multiplier: 4.22x opening weekend
– Per-theater average opening: $28,937 (top 20 among all films)
Legs Analysis: The original Wicked demonstrated remarkable staying power, earning $100M+ after its opening weekend despite being “frontloaded” by typical female-skewing IP standards. It held strongly throughout the Thanksgiving period and performed exceptionally well during Christmas/holiday season.
Box Office Industry Impact and Future Projections
Industry Significance: Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst at ComScore, stated: “This is an outstanding outcome for Wicked: For Good, and more significantly, for the overall industry. After a particularly low-grossing October, the industry required a morale boost, and Wicked has cast the spell theaters were hoping for. With domestic box office currently at $7.5 billion year-to-date, we are just $1.5 billion short of reaching the $9 billion milestone, a target that seems achievable given the upcoming holiday season filled with family films, award contenders, and franchise releases.”
Forbes Projection: Industry analysts project Wicked: For Good could reach $1+ billion globally by year’s end, potentially becoming:
– One of the highest-grossing films of 2025
– The highest-grossing musical adaptation ever (surpassing original Wicked’s $701M)
– A cultural phenomenon rivaling Barbie (2023, $1.44B) in theatrical event status
Competitive Performance (2025 Landscape):
– #1 film of opening weekend
– 2nd highest opening of 2025 domestically (A Minecraft Movie #1 at $162.7M)
– Significantly outperforms typical November releases
– Demonstrates strong female-skewing IP and theatrical event potential
Percentage Growth: Wicked: For Good represents a remarkable 33% increase over the first film’s domestic opening, demonstrating strong sequel momentum in an era where sequels typically experience modest improvements or decline. International growth of 13% particularly significant, suggesting the franchise’s appeal is truly global.
Why Wicked: For Good Succeeded
Content Quality: The original film’s critical and audience success ($701M worldwide, 73% critics, 97% audience) generated genuine goodwill and word-of-mouth, paving the way for immediate sequel success.
Franchise Chemistry: Erivo and Grande’s on-screen partnership earned genuine fan devotion, with audiences eager to see the emotional climax of their friendship dynamics.
Theatrical Experience: 40% of opening weekend revenue came from IMAX and premium formats, demonstrating audiences’ willingness to pay premium prices for spectacle and artistic achievement.
Strategic Timing: Pre-Thanksgiving release positioned the film as a family event during the holiday moviegoing season—historically strong for theatrical releases.
Marketing Excellence: Universal’s coordinated promotional campaign, star appearances, and social media engagement created anticipation without requiring pre-existing franchise nostalgia.
Gender-Skewing Appeal: Successfully attracted female audiences (dominant demographic) while maintaining sufficient male-skewing action/adventure elements through large-scale production design and spectacle.
