The film adaptation of the Broadway sensation Wicked has set new box office records, becoming the top-grossing opening weekend for a musical adaptation in the UK, Ireland, and North America.
Projected to rake in $114 million (£90.6 million) in North America and $17.6 million in the UK and Ireland, the movie has claimed the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2024.
Its success has contributed to the strongest pre-Thanksgiving weekend in North America since 2013, with final figures due on Monday.
Based on the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, Wicked has enchanted theater audiences for over two decades, and its cinematic debut is equally spellbinding.
The movie earned $46.48 million on Friday (including Thursday premieres) and $36 million on Saturday, with 72% of viewers being female and 67% over the age of 25—demographics Universal Pictures celebrated as a “massive victory.”
It now holds the third-largest opening of the year in the U.S., trailing Deadpool & Wolverine ($211 million) and Inside Out 2 ($154 million).
Iconic tracks like Popular and Defying Gravity, voiced by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, have also surged on streaming platforms.
While Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s sequel to his 2000 epic, opened strongly with $55.5 million projected for its North American debut, analysts predict Moana 2, premiering Wednesday, may surpass both films.
However, with more people expected to attend theaters during the holiday week, this Thanksgiving could mark the highest-grossing weekend in North American history.
The UK and Ireland box office echoed this success, with Wicked delivering Universal’s best opening since No Time to Die in 2021.
Meanwhile, Gladiator II earned $11.4 million in its UK debut on November 15 and $6 million this weekend.
Together with Paddington in Peru, which opened to £9.7 million earlier this month, the region is experiencing one of its most vibrant box office periods since the pandemic.
As theaters celebrate this resurgence, industry leaders have heralded this as a pivotal moment for cinemas worldwide, setting the stage for a potentially record-breaking holiday season.
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