Wickedhas smashed a box office record during its worldwide debut. The new movie, which was directed byCrazy Rich Asians' Jon M. Chu, is an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which itself is an adaptation of the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name that is a prequel toThe Wizard of Oz. It follows the early years of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) - the future Wicked Witch of the West - and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera). TheWickedreleasecomes 21 years after the original show’s Broadway debut, which kicked off a global musical phenomenon.
PerVariety, as of Sunday morning,the global opening weekend ofWickedis projected to hit a 3-day total of $164.2 million. This comes from a domestic debut of $114 million and international grosses of $50.2 million. Not only has this total already surpassed the movie’s reported budget of roughly $150 million, it is by far the highest-grossing global debut of a Broadway adaptation, handily besting 2012’sLes Misérables, which previously held the No. 1 spot with a worldwide opening weekend of $103 million.
What This Means For Wicked
Its Theatrical Run Is Unprecedented
This unprecedented global opening weekend shows that there may be no limit to the musical’s potential success. For one thing, it is already well on its way to turning a profit in theaters. Although movies, especially those with marketing campaigns as robust as this particular release, typically need to earn back at least two and a half times their price tag in theaters, theWickedbudgetmost likely places its break-even point somewhere around $375 million, a milestone that it isen routetoward crossing without much difficulty.
Wickedcould far surpass $650 million by the end of its run.
There is almost no way to compareWickedto previous releases. The only movie musicals that have debuted at its level are 2019’sThe Lion Kingand 2018’sBeauty and the Beast,both of which eventually grossed over $1 billion worldwide, but also had powerful Disney nostalgia bolstering them. The highest-grossing non-Disney original musical of all time so far has been 2023’sWonka, which grossed $625.4 million. While it opened internationally a week early, its domestic opening combined with that original total only reaches $82.2 million, indicating thatWickedcould far surpass $650 million by the end of its run.
Our Take On The Wicked Global Debut
The Movie Musical Has A Bright Future
For the new movie to outgrossWonka, it needs to maintain the same kind of momentum that it has had coming into its global debut. While one potential stumbling block is audience frustration at learning that it is only adapting the first half of the stage musical, withPart Twoset to debut in 2025, so farWickedreviewshave been outstanding, earning the moviea Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% with a Verified Hot 97% audience score. Thus, word of mouth will likely be stellar, helping the movie’s overall gross fly to untold heights.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
