Wicked: For Good Opens With $226 Million at Global Box Office, Breaks Records

Universal’s Wicked For Good, aka Wicked 2, made a big box office opening over the weekend with a $226 million global debut, outperforming forecasts and setting multiple records for a Broadway musical adaptation. The sequel achieved stronger domestic and international results than the first installment, demonstrating the franchise’s expanding global appeal.

How did Wicked: For Good perform in the opening weekend?

Wicked 2 generated $150 million from 4,115 North American theaters, securing the No. 1 spot and breaking the opening record previously held by 2024’s Wicked, which debuted with $112.5 million. It now stands as the second-biggest opening of the year, behind A Minecraft Movie ($162 million) and ahead of Lilo & Stitch ($146 million) (via Deadline).

Internationally, Wicked: For Good collected $76 million across 78 markets, making a 13% increase over the first film and the biggest-ever overseas and global opening for a stage musical adaptation. The sequel outperformed Wicked in every region, climbing +14% in EMEA, +15% in Asia Pacific, and +7% in Latin America.

The U.K. led all overseas territories with a standout $24.4 million. The film dominated 80% of the country’s total box office across 2,750 screens, giving the biggest opening weekend of 2025 and the second-largest debut ever for a live-action musical. It also became the first PG-rated film to surpass £1 million in IMAX on the opening weekend.

Wicked: For Good, which continues the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as the Wizard and Madame Morrible turn Oz against the newly branded Wicked Witch of the West, drew an audience that was 71% female. Strong interest in the characters, along with the franchise’s popular soundtrack, is expected to drive repeat viewings (Variety).

The film’s success occurred during a slow period for the domestic box office. Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian called the film’s overperformance a “much-needed momentum boost,” adding that it positions the industry for a stronger finish to the year, ahead of upcoming releases like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Other new releases struggled to find a footing. Sony’s Sisu: Road to Revenge opened to $2.6 million, while Searchlight’s Rental Family debuted with $3.3 million. Holdovers, including Now You See Me 3, Predator: Badlands, and The Running Man, are part of the top 5.

Source: Comingsoon.net