‘Wicked: For Good’ is even more popular than the first, soaring to a
$226 million global debut
[November 24, 2025]
By LINDSEY BAHR
Universal Pictures’ two-part “Wicked” gamble continues to defy gravity
at the box office. Just a year after part one brought droves of
audiences to movie theaters around the country, even more people bought
opening weekend tickets to see the epic conclusion, “Wicked: For Good.”
According to studio estimates on Sunday, “Wicked: For Good” earned $150
million from North American theaters in its first days in theaters and
$226 million globally.
Not only is it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical
adaptation, unseating the record set by the first film’s $112 million
launch, it’s also the second biggest debut of the year behind “A
Minecraft Movie’s” $162 million.
“The results are just fantastic,” said Jim Orr, who heads domestic
distribution for Universal. “Some films can deliver a false positive
when tickets go on sale early but these results speak for themselves."
Universal began rolling out “Wicked: For Good” in theaters earlier this
week, with previews on Monday ($6.1 million from 1,050 theaters) and
Wednesday ($6.5 million from 2,300 theaters). By Friday it was playing
in 4,115 North American locations and had raked in $68.6 million. IMAX
showings accounted for $15.5 million, or 11%, of its domestic haul — a
November record for the company.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement that the strong market share
shows, “our momentum carries into demos and genres beyond our
traditional core, including families.”
As with the first film, women powered opening weekend, making up around
71% of ticket buyers according to PostTrak exit polls. Critics were
somewhat mixed on the final chapter, but audiences weren’t: An
overwhelming 83% of audiences said it was one they would “definitely
recommend” to friends. As far as foot traffic is concerned, the box
office tracker EntTelligence estimates that about 2 million more people
came out for “Wicked: For Good's” first weekend than for “Wicked's."
Jon M. Chu directed both “Wicked” films, starring Cynthia Ervio and
Ariana Grande. The first film made over $758.7 million worldwide and
received 10 Oscar nominations (winning two, for costume and production
design ). The question is how high “Wicked: For Good” can soar.
Combined, the two films cost around $300 million to produce, not
including marketing and promotion costs.
“The first film paved the way,” Orr said. “It's really become a cultural
event I think audiences are going to be flocking to theaters for quite
some time to come.”
Two other films also opened in wide release this weekend, but further
down on the charts behind a buffet of holdovers. Searchlight Pictures
opened its Brendan Fraser film “Rental Family” in 1,925 theaters where
it earned $3.3 million. The Finnish action film “Sisu: Road to Revenge,"
a Sony release, also played in 2,222 theaters. It earned an estimated
$2.6 million.
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Cynthia Erivo, from left, director Jon M. Chu and Ariana Grande pose
for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Wicked
For Good" in London, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Photo by Scott A
Garfitt/Invision/AP)
 Second place went to “Now You See
Me: Now You Don’t” with $9.1 million in its second weekend, followed
by “Predator: Badlands” with $6.3 million in weekend three. “The
Running Man” followed in fourth place with $5.8 million, down 65%
from its debut last weekend.
Although this weekend the box office was more of a winner takes all
scenario, “Wicked: For Good’s” success is vitally important for the
exhibition industry as a whole as it enters the final weeks of the
year.
“It sets up a very strong final homestretch of the year,” said Paul
Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.
After the slow fall season, the Thanksgiving blockbusters could not
arrive soon enough. Early next week, “Zootopia 2” enters the mix and
is also expected to drive big crowds to the cineplex over the
holiday break.
Thanksgiving is often one of the biggest moviegoing frames of the
year, Dergarabedian said, and both “Wicked 2” and “Zootopia 2” will
benefit. Last year “Wicked," “Moana 2” and “Gladiator II” helped
power a record five-day frame.
The running domestic box office is currently hovering around $7.5
billion, according to Comscore. Before the pandemic, the annual box
office would regularly hit $11 billion, but the post-pandemic goal
has lessened to $9 billion. The big question now is whether titles
like “Wicked: For Good,” “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar:Fire and Ash” can
push the industry over that threshold.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Wicked: For Good,” $150 million.
2. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” $9.1 million.
3. “Predator: Badlands,” $6.3 million.
4. “The Running Man,” $5.8 million.
5. “Rental Family,” $3.3 million.
6. “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” $2.6 million.
7. “Regretting You,” $1.5 million.
8. “Nuremberg,” $1.2 million.
9. “Black Phone 2,” $1 million.
10. “Sarah’s Oil,” $711,542.
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