Wickedhas broken a major all-time box office record. The new movie, which was directed by Jon M. Chu, is an adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, which in turn was based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire detailing the origin story ofThe Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West. TheWickedreleasekicked off the weekend before Thanksgiving with a record-shattering $112.5 million gross, which was the third-best debut of 2024 at the time.
PerDeadline, as of Saturday morning,Wickedis projected to earn a three-day gross of $80.6 million and a five-day gross of $118 million over Thanksgiving weekend at the domestic box office. This will bring its cumulative domestic total to roughly $263 million, shattering a 46-year-old box office record. That total will make the moviethe highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time at the domestic box office, besting the $190 million earned by 1978’sGrease, which adapted the blockbuster stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
What This Means For Wicked
The Movie’s Prospects Seem Unlimited
Although theWickedbox officehas flown past this record by more than $70 million,Grease’s $190 million total is not adjusted for inflation. If the 2024 musical wishes to beat the adjusted record, it will need to earn close to $1 billion, asthe 1978 movie’s gross is worth roughly $919.9 million in 2024. However, this new total seems entirely within the realm of possibility, asWickedhad a bigger debut weekend than 2019’sAladdin($91.5 million) and 2013’sFrozen(~$93.9 million), which are two of the five musicals to have so far grossed more than $1 billion.
The other billion-dollar musical movies are 2017’sBeauty and the Beast, 2019’sThe Lion King, and 2019’sFrozen II.
On its way toward the staggering worldwide sum it seems destined to reach, the new movie is likely to hit its break-even point very quickly. Because theWickedbudgetwas a reported $150 million and movies typically need to earn at least two-and-a-half times their budgets, thisprobably means that it will break even once it grosses roughly $375 million worldwide. Given the fact that its global projections see it hitting $358 million by Sunday, the movie will likely be earning pure profit soon, even with its massive marketing spend.
Our Take On The Wicked Box Office Record
It May Not Last Long
AlthoughWickedhas broken this record by a wide margin, which will grow increasingly wide through the end of its run,it may have a short-lived tenure at No. 1. The movie only adapted the first act of the original musical, with theupcomingWicked Part Twoset to adapt the rest. Because the sequel will come after the smash hit has had many months to connect with audiences both in theaters and at home, it could potentially become an even bigger hit when it debuts in November 2025.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
