The Magic of “Wicked” Returns to the Box Office
“Wicked: For Good” is back and it’s making waves at the box office. The film pulled in an impressive $30.8 million in its early previews, the best for this year so far. However, there’s a twist. While most previews only cover Thursday showings, Universal let fans see it a few days early. This included $6.1 million from fan screenings on Monday and another $6.5 million from additional Wednesday showings. Thursday alone brought in $18.2 million.
Before “Wicked,” the record was held by Warner Bros.’ “Superman,” which made $22.5 million just on Thursday previews before reaching a massive $125 million opening weekend.
“Wicked: For Good,” the sequel that wraps up last year’s hit, may earn between $150 million and $180 million this weekend, potentially breaking more records. Right now, the top debut belongs to “A Minecraft Movie,” which made $10.6 million in previews and hit $162 million overall. Despite high expectations, Universal is predicting a conservative $125 million for its opening.
The hype is real, especially since fans loved Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, who quickly became cultural icons. Last year, the original “Wicked” earned $19.2 million during previews and grew to $112.5 million in its opening weekend, all thanks to a stellar cast including Jonathan Bailey and Michelle Yeoh.
This holiday season is packed with competition. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” is set to release next week, and both it and “Wicked: For Good” aim for major box office success.
In other news, opening alongside “Wicked” is Sony’s “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” estimated to earn around $3 million, having made $575,000 in Thursday previews. Also debuting is “Rental Family,” starring Brendan Fraser, expected to launch in the low single digits.
As for audience reactions? Fans are thrilled. Social media buzz around the film’s cast and music indicates excitement, with trending posts celebrating the performances and the story ahead.
With these strong early numbers, it’s clear that “Wicked” is ready to cast its spell once more. For more details, you can check out industry analyses from Box Office Mojo and see the wider impact on the holiday season’s box office performance.
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Wicked: For Good
