Amid serious disappointment from recent box office releases,Wickedcontinues to thrive. In a week that sawKraven the HunterandThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the Spider-Man villain and the Tolkien adaptation could not surpass the latestWizard of Ozmusical. After a record-breaking opening weekend, which brought in over $160 million worldwide,Wickedhas already surpassed its $145 million budget.
This weekend, it has seen even more success. According to a report byVariety, the musical adaptation crossed $524 million worldwide after earning $359 million domestically. It is now poised to pass bothKung Fu Panda 4andGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which each earned $547.6 million and $571.1 million respectively. It is also officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in domestic box office history, having far surpassedGrease’s $188.62 million total.
What Wicked’s Box Office Success Means
This Has Been A Trend-Breaking Year
After a decade of action movie dominance at the box office,musicals and animated hits are once again reclaiming their crown.Moana 2andWickedare at the top of the world this weekend, whileInside Out 2andDespicable Me 4have claimed first and third place for the entire year.Deadpool & Wolverineremains in second place with a $1.3 billion gross, but it will likely be the only action movie to remain within the top five worldwide. AfterMufasa: The Lion Kingis released next week,Dune: Part Twocould very well lose its place:
$653 million
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This trend likely exists because neither DC nor Marvel have released any successful movies this year, outside ofDeadpool & Wolverine. DC attempted to replicate its $1 billion success withJoker: Folie à Deuxbut earned only $200 million worldwide. In a unique market, every single movie in 2024’s top 10 worldwide has been a sequel, save forWicked. Thoughit is not a wholly original movie, having been based off of a Broadway musical andThe Wizard of Oz,Wicked’s box office successdoes prove that non-sequels can succeed in theaters in this IP-driven environment.
Our Take On Wicked’s Success
Reviews, Casting, And The Soundtrack Drew Crowds
Wicked’s star-studded castwas inevitably going to draw attention to the movie, as did its strong IP. Yet positive reviews, a brilliant soundtrack, and excellent trailers helped to ensure that audiences would come flocking to the latest hit musical. The only true surprise is that it has not already taken a place within the top 5 movies in a slow year.Gladiator IIlikely distracted from it to some degree, butBarbieandOppenheimerproved that contrasting blockbusters can drive mass attention.Wickedis an unsurprising success, andit appears to beproof that movie musicals are once again thriving.
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.
