Box office dominance: “Wicked: For Good” earns $224 million in first week

Staff Report: PNN

Over the past weekend, the magic of the movie Wicked returned for theatergoers. Universal-produced Wicked: For Good topped the box office, earning $150 million domestically and $266 million globally, surpassing its predecessor. The first film, released before last year’s Thanksgiving, earned $114 million domestically.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of Comscore’s Marketplace Trends, said, “The second part performing better than the first is not guaranteed, especially in opening week. But both Wicked films have had cultural impact—it’s not a fleeting success.”

Inspired by the 19th-century novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the fantasy-musical became the second highest domestic opener this year, behind Warner Bros.’ live-action A Minecraft Movie ($126.75 million) and ahead of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch ($146 million).

David A. Gross, publisher of the industry newsletter FranchiseR, noted that the sequel set a new record for a fantasy-adventure opening, which typically earns $46 million.

Fandango analyst Sean Rubens said, “Wicked’s success is important. Many musicals have struggled recently, but this proves musicals remain popular with audiences.”

Two other new releases this weekend were Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family ($3.3 million) and Sony Pictures’ Sisu: Road to Revenge ($2.6 million), which did not achieve major success. Last week’s competitors—Lionsgate’s Now You C Me: Now You Don’t ($9.1 million), Disney’s Predator: Badlands ($6.25 million), and Paramount’s The Running Man ($5.8 million)—ranked second, third, and fourth.

This is a positive sign for Hollywood. According to Comscore, the domestic box office from January 1 to November 23, 2025, reached about $7.5 billion, 3.3% higher than last year. Dergarabedian believes year-end earnings could surpass $9 billion. Thanksgiving weekend releases, including Disney’s Zootopia 2, could further boost revenue. Upcoming holiday releases include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Paramount’s The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants, Sony’s Anaconda, Lionsgate’s The Housemaid, and Angel Studios’ David, expected to earn around $30 million each.