This weekend, the box office started to improve thanks to "Wicked: For Good," which made $226 million worldwide. These sales are the fourth highest for a movie opening in 2025, behind the remake of "Lilo & Stitch" ($341 million), "Jurassic World Rebirth" ($322 million), and "A Minecraft Movie" ($313 million). It's ahead of "Superman" ($220 million) and "The Fantastic Four" ($218 million).
Universal's version of the second part of "Wicked," which is a new take on "The Wizard of Oz," earned $76 million outside the U.S. and $150 million domestically.
The film broke records for the biggest Broadway adaptation, surpassing the previous record set by the 2024 version of "Wicked," which made $164.2 million worldwide, $50.2 million internationally, and $112.5 million domestically.
Since "Wicked" is already a well-known story, "For Good" was able to attract more fans around the world.
This is important because the first movie was much more popular in North America, which accounted for 62% of its earnings. "Wicked" made a total of $758 million, including $474 million in the U.S. and $283 million elsewhere. The hope is that the second movie will have a more balanced performance globally. "For Good" opened in 78 countries, with the top markets being the United Kingdom and Ireland ($24.4 million), Australia ($8.6 million), and Germany ($4.1 million).
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, says, "This is a sensational opening.
The only limitation, relatively speaking, is the series' overseas performance. 'The Wizard of Oz' is a classic American story, with a natural domestic skew."
Jon M. Chu directed "Wicked: For Good," which continues the story of Elphaba, who is seen as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, who is seen as Glinda the Good.
The second part of "Wicked" is darker and has fewer memorable songs than the first, but "For Good" is still expected to be popular during the holiday season. It has been a tough year for the box office, with many big-budget movies failing and overall ticket sales only slightly better than 2024. However, the strong performance this weekend will continue as Disney's "Zootopia 2" is expected to help "Wicked: For Good" set a record for one of the biggest Thanksgivings on record.
Gross says, "Moviegoing is roaring back this weekend, and it will strengthen again with 'Zootopia 2.'"
He also notes that attendance remains difficult. "These are tough times, with a few strong titles breaking through and even setting records."
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