Wicked: Box Office Report — How “Wicked” Defied Gravity This Weekend

Palakpreet Kaur 2 weeks ago 0

This weekend the word on every marquee and social feed was the same: Wicked soared. Wicked: For Good didn’t just meet expectations — it blasted past them, delivering a weekend that studios and analysts will be poring over for months. In a movie landscape that’s seen a mix of surprise hits and underwhelming follow-ups this year, Wicked reintroduced the concept of a modern blockbuster built on spectacle, brand recognition, and — crucially — broad audience appeal.

From the opening weekend haul to the ripple effects on competitors, this report breaks down everything you need to know about Wicked‘s triumphant start: the numbers, the context, how it compares to the original, and what its performance means for the rest of the theatrical season. Whether you’re a box-office obsessive, a film writer, or a webmaster looking to optimize content with the keyword Wicked, this long-form piece has it all.

Table of Contents

Weekend Snapshot: The Big Numbers

The headline here is loud and clear: Wicked opened to an eye-popping $150 million over the three-day weekend. That figure places it well ahead of the original Wicked, which opened at roughly $112 million last year — and sets the sequel on a trajectory to potentially exceed the first film’s domestic total of around $474 million.

To put that in perspective:

Opening weekend (3-day): $150 million
Original Wicked opening (2024): $112 million
Original Wicked domestic total (2024): $474 million
Original Wicked worldwide total (2024): ~$758 million

Early indicators show exceptional interest across demographics, especially among adult moviegoers who might normally skip musical-adjacent fare. This cross-over appeal helped Wicked become the first major theatrical juggernaut since earlier fall titles to post a truly blockbuster opening weekend.

Comparing the Field — Winners, Losers, and Middling Performers

The weekend wasn’t only about Wicked. A number of other titles felt the gravitational pull — sometimes positively, sometimes not.

Predator: Badlands — A Rocky Stabilization

Predator: Badlands initially overperformed with an opening near $40 million but fumbled in later frames. By weekend three it had stabilized with a 50% drop to about $6.25 million, bringing its domestic tally to roughly $76 million and a worldwide total near $159 million. That’s respectable, but the film likely won’t reach the $100-million domestic landmark many had hoped for.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — International Strengths

The latest Now You See Me entry held in second place at the domestic box office with around $9.1 million in its second weekend — a 56% fall. After ten days, it slightly lags behind the franchise’s previous sequel domestically, but it’s doing steady business overseas and sits near $146 million worldwide.

The Running Man — High Hopes, Modest Returns

Edgar Wright’s The Running Man saw a tough weekend, falling 64% to about $5.8 million and reaching roughly $27 million domestically ($48 million worldwide). With a sizable production budget (~$110 million), it faces an uphill climb to profitability through theatrical alone.

Newcomers: Rental Family and Sisu: Road to Revenge

Two new releases tried to carve out space in a weekend dominated by Wicked — with mixed results.

Rental Family — Awards Hopes, Slow Start

Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser and positioned as awards-season content, opened in fifth place with approximately $3.3 million. The film’s hopes rest on strong legs and awards-season buzz rather than an explosive launch. For prestige pictures, a slow start isn’t a death knell — sustained interest, critical praise, and strategic expansion can still make a big difference during the holidays.

Sisu: Road to Revenge — A Sequel That Didn’t Stick

Sisu: Road to Revenge opened to about $2.6 million, underperforming versus the original’s $3.3 million opening back in April 2023. The sequel’s shift from fighting WWII-era Nazis to clashing with Soviet soldiers (led by a menacing Stephen Lang) didn’t bring the broader audience boost the studio hoped for. Timing might be a factor; counterprogramming against Wicked was a bold choice but perhaps would have worked better as a January headliner.

Holds and Drops — What the Percentages Tell Us

Analyzing weekend drops is key to forecasting.

Predator: Badlands — down 50% in its third weekend (stabilized but not stellar)
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — down 56% in weekend two (steep, but international revenue helps)
The Running Man — down 64% in weekend two (significant drop, raises red flags)
Nuremberg — down 50% in weekend three but still a strong hold, crossing $10 million despite losing theaters

Wicked’s opening suggests a relatively healthier front-loaded weekend driven by fan anticipation and broad demographic pull. The critical question is whether it will maintain decent week-to-week retention (ideally drops in the 30–45% range) or follow the steep drop curve of less sticky tentpoles.

Why Wicked Worked — Elements of the Win

Several factors combined to make Wicked a standout weekend performer:

Built-in Audience & Brand Power — The Wicked name is now a bona fide property. Musical lovers, fans of the previous film, and curious general audiences converged.
Holiday Timing — Launching when families and adult moviegoers are more likely to go to theaters played into the film’s favor.
Cross-Demographic Appeal — Unlike more niche musicals, Wicked attracted a wide swath of viewers: young adults, parents, and older fans.
Spectacle & Marketing — Lavish production design and a marketing campaign emphasizing scale (and callbacks to the original) created must-see energy.
Limited Direct Competition — While family films like Zootopia 2 loom, the immediate weekend didn’t offer a direct blockbuster rival for the same adult-audience slice.

Risks & What Could Take the Wind Out of Wicked’s Sails

A strong opening doesn’t guarantee long-term dominance. Possible headwinds include:

Sequel Fatigue: If audiences perceive the follow-up as unnecessary or thin on story, word of mouth will cool box office demand.
Christmas Family Counterprogramming: Family titles opening later in the holiday window (like Zootopia 2) could siphon off repeat family business.
Critical Reception: If critics and early audience scores diverge sharply, Wicked may see steeper-than-desirable drops.

For now, the film’s opening provides a buffer. But the film must prove it has staying power beyond opening weekend to truly eclipse the original’s totals.

International Outlook — The Global Picture

Though domestic numbers grabbed headlines, worldwide performance will ultimately determine the sequel’s profitability. The first Wicked reached about $758 million globally, and international markets can be decisive — especially for musicals where localized marketing and timing matter greatly.

Early signals suggest international interest is solid but not uniform. Some markets lean heavily into big spectacle films; others need localized promotional pushes to drive ticket sales. How the studio staggers releases and leverages international promotional tours will matter.

Predictions — Short-Term and Long-Term

Short-term (next two weekends): Expect Wicked to face a standard post-opening dip. A week-to-week drop in the 30–45% range would be healthy and suggest strong legs; a drop closer to 50% or more would indicate that the opening was primarily front-loaded.

Long-term: If Wicked holds better than 45% drops and enjoys strong holiday repeat business, it’s reasonable to project a domestic finish north of the original’s $474 million. If it falters with sharper declines, it might still finish strong worldwide but fall short domestically.

What This Means for Studios and Theatrical Strategy

Wicked’s success reinforces several strategic takeaways:

Brand + Event = Box Office: Well-known IP executed as a theatrical event can still command large audiences.
Holiday Windows Matter: Strategic release timing around holidays can ignite box office potential.
Sequel Strategy Needs Careful Calibration: A sequel can either capitalize enormously on goodwill or flounder if it fails to deliver new, compelling reasons to return.

For distributors and exhibitors, Wicked also shows that investing in premium formats, strong marketing, and cross-demographic messaging still moves tickets.

FAQs — Everything Readers Want to Know About Wicked’s Weekend

Did Wicked outperform the original?

In opening weekend dollars, yes. The original Wicked opened to about $112 million; the sequel’s $150 million launch surpasses that figure.

How much did Wicked make this weekend?

Wicked: For Good opened with approximately $150 million domestically over its three-day weekend.

Will Wicked beat the original’s total domestic gross?

It’s too early to say with certainty, but the sequel is on track to challenge or potentially exceed the original’s domestic total of roughly $474 million, provided it holds well in subsequent weekends.

Which films underperformed this weekend?

Sisu: Road to Revenge and Rental Family opened to modest numbers (about $2.6 million and $3.3 million, respectively). The Running Man also had a tough second weekend fall.

Are international sales important for Wicked?

Absolutely. The original Wicked reached about $758 million worldwide, so international markets will be key to the sequel’s final profitability.

Conclusion — Wicked’s Weekend Is a Statement

This opening weekend put Wicked back at the center of the theatrical conversation. It wasn’t just a strong start — it was a reminder that the theatrical model still has teeth when the right combination of brand, spectacle, and timing aligns. While the coming weeks will determine how high and far the sequel can go, the first-weekend numbers are cause for optimism.

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