“Wicked” continues to be a powerhouse. The new sequel, “For Good,” opened with an impressive $68.6 million from Friday and preview screenings across 4,115 theaters in North America. It’s on track for a remarkable $151.5 million by the end of the weekend.
If these numbers hold up, it will be the largest opening ever for a Broadway adaptation and the second biggest for a Universal Pictures release, just behind “Jurassic World.” It’s ahead of the first “Wicked,” which debuted at $112 million during the same pre-Thanksgiving period last year. Currently, the top domestic openings this year are led by “A Minecraft Movie” at $162 million and the “Lilo & Stitch” remake at $146 million.
The $68.6 million figure for “For Good” marks the highest single-day take of the year, surpassing “A Minecraft Movie” and “Superman.” However, it comes with an asterisk, as Universal started screenings earlier, including special previews for Amazon Prime members. By the time regular showings began, “Wicked: For Good” had already pulled in $12.6 million.
The trend of early releases is becoming more common. “Superman” had similar Tuesday screenings this summer before its Thursday premiere.
Despite this, the launch is fantastic news for North American theaters, which have been lacking a blockbuster for several months. The last film to break the $100 million mark was “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” back in July. The follow-up, “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” earned $84 million but didn’t reach nine digits.
“For Good” is benefiting from exclusive access to premium formats like Imax, with luxury ticket prices driving sales. It made $922,000 in 4DX theaters and $1 million in ScreenX formats on Friday alone, reflecting a 70% increase compared to the first “Wicked.”
The film is likely to stay popular through the Thanksgiving holiday and into December. Most reviews have been positive, and moviegoers have responded well, giving it an “A” grade from Cinema Score, matching the previous year’s film. Universal has invested about $300 million in the two “Wicked” features, aiming for blockbuster status.
In contrast, Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” fell from first to second place, earning $2.6 million on Friday and projected to make $9.4 million over the weekend, a 55% drop from its debut. Meanwhile, “Predator: Badlands” shows strong performance with a projected domestic total of over $76 million, nearing the highest for its franchise.
Disney’s “The Running Man” fell to fourth position, earning $1.66 million on Friday with a projected total of around $27.2 million. Fifth place may go to “Rental Family,” a family drama starring Brendan Fraser, which opened with $1.2 million and received positive reviews.
Finally, Sony is releasing “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” pulling in about $1.2 million from Friday and previews. This sequel has generated positive reviews and has managed to carve out a following since its original’s modest performance last year.
Expert Insight: Tom Rothman, a film industry analyst, mentions that a strong sequel like “For Good” underscores market demand for reliable hits. “Audiences crave narratives they recognize and connect with emotionally. These sequels can draw in families and older viewers alike.”
With the box office heating up as we move toward the holiday season, industry watchers will be keen to see if “For Good” can maintain its momentum.
For more details on box office trends and film releases, visit Box Office Mojo, which extensively tracks such statistics.
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Jon M. Chu,Rental Family,Universal Pictures,Wicked: For Good
