‘Wicked: For Good’ has cast a massive spell at the global box office. Universal’s latest musical blockbuster opened over the Thanksgiving weekend to remarkable numbers, collecting $150 million in North America and $226 million worldwide, now the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical on screen.
The response from audiences has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The film scored an A Cinemascore and a 95 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with exhibitors reporting strong turnout among families and children, often considered the key demographic for musicals during the holiday frame.
Internationally, ‘Wicked: For Good’ earned $76 million across 78 markets, adding significant momentum to its global tally.
Directed by Jon M Chu, the second instalment of the Broadway-to-big-screen adaptation features Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, alongside Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh in supporting roles.
The debut also marks Universal’s second-biggest opening in North America, just behind ‘Jurassic World’, and stands as the second-highest pre-Thanksgiving weekend launch, trailing only ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’.
The strong start follows the success of last year’s first instalment of ‘Wicked’, which grossed close to $750 million worldwide and revived confidence in large-scale musical productions.
Meanwhile, Disney and 20th Century’s ‘Predator: Badlands’ ranked fourth during the same weekend with $6.3 million, taking its domestic total to $76.3 million and worldwide earnings to $159.6 million.
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