Jon M Chu’s sequel, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is the second biggest US opening of the year and the biggest international opening for a stage musical adaptation
The extraordinary promotional juggernaut for Wicked: For Good, Jon M Chu’s sequel to the 2024 first instalment of his Broadway adaptation, appears to have paid off, with the film this weekend smashing box office records held by its predecessor.
Its global total at the end of the weekend stands at $226m, considerably up on the $164.2m earned by its predecessor. The major change was in the domestic takings: while last year’s film took more than double its initial take in the US – $114m to $50.2m overseas – this concluding instalment has corrected that overindexing, with $76m banked from international territories.
Nonetheless, the US total of $150m from 4,115 North American cinemas sets a new record for Broadway adaptations, previously held by the first film, and means it ranks as the second biggest US opening of the year, below A Minecraft Movie ($162m) and above Lilo & Stitch ($146m).
The global numbers make it the biggest international opening for a stage musical adaptation, again beating last year’s Wicked.
