Now in its third weekend of release, Universal’s Wicked continued its phenomenal box office run, especially in domestic theaters. The movie braved competition not once, but twice, and this weekend, pushed its running total past massive new milestones both stateside and overseas. That being said, Wicked has been struggling in international markets, with several theories being floated as to why. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the film is an adaptation of the landmark Broadway musical of the same name, which was based on the book by Gregory Maguire, which itself was inspired by the works of L. Frank Baum.
There is built-in IP recognition at play here, but audiences in overseas markets haven’t flocked to theaters with the intensity that domestic crowds have. Nevertheless, the movie finally passed the $100 million milestone internationally this weekend, while passing the $300 million mark domestically. Its cumulative global haul now stands at an impressive $455 million. Produced on a reported budget of $150 million, Wicked stars Cynthia Erivoand Ariana Grande.
Wicked opened opposite Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II in a hotly-anticipated face-off, which it ended up comfortably winning. In its second weekend, it fended off a spirited challenge in the form of Disney’s Moana 2, which set new Thanksgiving records. Already among the year’s top-grossing films, Wicked has also broken records for Broadway musical adaptations, and is projected to earn over $500 million domestically in the long run. Movies released at this time of the year typically deliver incredible multiples, and Wicked is showing every sign of following suit.
'Wicked: Part 2' Will Be Released Next Year
The movie opened to excellent reviews, and even better audience response. It holds a “fresh” 89% rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an incredible 96% audience score. In his review, Collider’s Jeff Ewing described Wicked as “an incredible cinematic musical outing and easily one of the year's best films.” Filmed back-to-back with a second installment set for release in November next year, Wicked can be seen in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
CastCynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd
Image by Jefferson Chacon
English (US) ·