‘Wicked: For Good’ Opening To $150M; Records Broken For Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway Musical Feature Take & More – Sunday Update

SUNDAY AM UPDATE: Universal’s Wicked: For Good is sticking to a 3-day domestic opening of $150M and global debut of $226M. This is easily the best box office openings ever for Wicked 2 stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, director Jon M. Chu and even producer Marc Platt (his previous global opening record being 2019’s Aladdin at $213M).

There are significantly more box office records being broken with Wicked: For Good literally beating the first half of itself, that being last year’s Wicked. The first Wicked debuted to $112.5M stateside, $164M global. As we mentioned, it’s the second biggest U.S./Canada opening of the year behind A Minecraft Movie‘s $162.7M. After weathering a recessionary period at the box office this fall, Wicked: For Good is a reminder that if you want a stampede at movie theaters in the post Covid/post strikes world, the package and the buzz have to be perfect.

“When it comes to the success of Wicked: For Good, Wicked paved the yellow brick road,” explains Universal Domestic Distribution President Jim Orr this morning.

There was a tonal shift in the marketing campaign reflecting that Glinda and Elphaba aren’t girls in school anymore, they’re grown women. The key to blockbuster success stems from feeding the campaign constantly, which is exactly what Universal did with Wicked: For Good.

Next to say Jurassic World, the Wicked fan ship is unique: The franchise is an identifying statement for many and the connection to something deeper. With Jurassic, people aren’t going to theaters dressing up as dinosaurs. Wicked fans also scoop up a ton of merch.

Hence in terms of promotional partners, Wicked: For Good had 400 of them, who delivered more than $330 million in media and promotional value across the Comcast empire, global partnerships, licensing and retail. That promo partner campaign is the second highest for any motion picture studio behind Wicked‘s $350M a year ago.

Yes, Universal, executed a full bodied 360-degree global marketing campaign in over driver, but what’s amazing here is how even rival owned brands wanted in on the cultural milestone, i.e. ESPN Sportscenter discussed NFL trends in being Wicked: For Good or not against a pink and green set. There was also a team-up withDancing with the Starsfor a full-episode integration, which featured Chu as guest judge, anopening numberchoreographed by Christopher Scott, andeverydancesetto songs from the world ofWicked.The episode helpedWicked: For GoodreachDancing with the Stars’biggest audience of adults 18-34 since 2015and generated 57 million TikTok views in 24 hours.ESPN and Dancing With the Stars are Disney owned brands!

You could say that the Oscar campaign for part two began at the Oscars itself when Erivo and Grande sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, ‘Home’ from The Wiz and ‘Defying Gravity’. That was the first time that the duo ever sang any portion of Wicked in public during the first part of the franchise’s campaign.

But if you want to talk about the golden egg in the Wicked: For Good marketing campaign, what was old was new for Universal: That variety show Wicked: One Wonderful Night. That stunt was a page out of the old 1980s movie marketing playbook; however, keep in mind, studios hardly produce movie-related specials anymore, and if they do, they’re a BTS segment hidden on a streaming menu. Wicked: One Wonderful Night racked up 3.6M viewers across platforms after its Nov. 6 air during its first three days, per Nielsen, making it NBC’s second best special of the year, coming in behind onlyFebruary’sSNL50: The Anniversary Special. Uni saw a spike in advance ticket sales after that special (remember, Wicked: For Good on Fandango had the best advance ticket sales of any PG movie ever). Also, the Grande, Erivo, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth performances went viral.

Box Office stat org EntTelligence reports that Wicked: For Good brought in 10 million people in U.S./Canada versus Wicked‘s traffic of 8 million admissions. There was mostly matinee business with 57% of all people yesterday coming before 5pm (which is very similar to Wicked‘s 56% admissions prior to 5PM a year ago).

Saturday stateside rang up $43.3M for Wicked: For Good, -37% from Friday/previews of $68.9M. However, if you back the $30.8M previews out of Friday, then yesterday was really $38.1M. Hence, Saturday really posted a +14% boost over Friday, which is great news. Wicked: For Good‘s Saturday was higher than Wicked‘s (which was $35.4M), but when you back $19.2M previews out of Wicked‘s first day of $46.2M, that predecessor saw a higher jump in its pure Friday-to-Saturday of +31%.

Highest grossing location for Wicked: For Good was AMC Lincoln Square in NYC with $407K so far, followed by AMC Empire NYC ($378K), AMC Universal City Walk ($326K), AMC Orlando Disney Springs ($298K), AMC Burbank ($241K), AMC Century City ($227K), AMC LA Grove ($222K), Salt Lake City Larry Miller’s Megaplex Theater ($220K), Regal Union Square NYC ($212K) and Regal Irvine Spectrum ($210K). Wicked: For Good also popped in Nashville, Knoxville, Boston, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Essentially, even play coast to coast, I’m told from several sources. No region is underperforming.

Added Orr, “From the moment tickets went on sale, it was very clear that the audience forWicked: For Goodwas beyond eager to come out and see what has truly become more than just a movie, rather a cultural event that continues to defy expectations, as well as gravity.Our producer Marc Platt, our director Jon Chu, and the incredible cast led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have delivered an experience that folks were desperately looking forward to, an epic adventure that is the very essence of theatrical.”

Said ComScore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, “This is the absolute perfect outcome for Wicked: For Good, but more importantly for the industry at large and after a decade’s low grossing month of October, the industry needed a morale and box office boost, and Wicked has provided the magic spell that theaters were waiting for in the post-summer period. With the domestic box office sitting at $7.5 billion year to date, we are $1.5 billion away from hitting the $9 billion mark and this is a threshold that seems within reach given the huge holiday season that’s on tap with a strong lineup of family films, awards contenders and franchise films that are on the way in the coming weeks.”

Comscore reports that Wicked: For Good will land this weekend at $190M for all titles, about -7% to -8% off from last year’s Comscore reported $204.8M (that pre-Thanksgiving frame including the $55M opening of male skewing, R-rated Gladiator II).

SATURDAY: Finally, theatrical has returned after a languorous autumn as Universal’s Wicked: For Good is now looking at a $151.5M opening after a Friday/previews of $68.6M.

The turn from rags to riches at the domestic box office, which is also a trend we witnessed before Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie put us in overdrive from spring to summer, is just a reminder that platinum IP, and platinum IP alone, is the only guarantee nowadays for a mass-appealing theatrical life. Either that or an original film that creates so much FOMO (i.e. Sinners and Weapons) that it stands above the cookie-cutter choices in a streaming menu. Overall, a much-needed win for the motion picture industry (especially when we’re about to see another studio in Warner Bros get swallowed up) as we head into the holiday season.

NRG tracking showed $130M on the low end for Wicked: For Good heading into the weekend, but the pre-sales indicated that the movie would surpass that projection.

Wicked: For Good has all the magic spells of audience scores and exits working in its favor. The Jon M. Chu-directed sequel gets an A CinemaScore, just like the first one. Definite recommend on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak is higher than the first, 83% to 80%. Who could ask for anything more? Five stars just like the first with a positive score that’s one point below Wicked‘s (92% to 93%, but it’s definite recommend which is the cash statistic, translating to an end-game multiple for the film). As we told you, Wicked‘s was a 4.2x last year with an opening of $112.5M that translated to a $474.9M domestic final. That outcome is in store, once again.

Part two is skewing 70%/30% female-male, very similar to Wicked‘s 72%/28%. The 18-34 demographic this time around is 61% to Wicked‘s 57%. Women over 25 at 44% are leading (to Wicked‘s 48%), women under 25 are at 26% (vs 24% a year ago), men over 25 at 22% (vs. 21%) and men over 25 trailing at 8% (vs. 7%). There’s no question — it’s the same turnout as last November. The only difference is that there were slightly more moviegoers going in packs this time around, 46% taking anywhere from 1 to 5 friends, versus 40% a year ago.

Diversity demos were 52% Caucasian (vs. 54% a year ago), 22% Latino and Hispanic (21% a year ago), Black moviegoers at 13% (same as a year ago), and 9% Asian American (versus 8%).

Imax and PLFs are driving 40% of the weekend with 12% alone coming from Imax. Separately, 3D is generating 12%. Wicked: For Good is playing everywhere from Canada to Kansas, to LA, to New York City. The AMC Empire in NYC is currently theleading multiplex gross at $285K.

Distribution sources are giving props to Universal: they made an excellent first movie in Wicked, which was not only a blockbuster, but a 10x nominated, 2x Oscar-winning movie. The studio made sure it was perfect for the fans. If the first movie didn’t work, we wouldn’t be where we are this weekend with Wicked: For Good. As we told you first, after a $758.7M global gross and combined production and global P&A of $320M, Wicked delivered $230M in profit in its first cycle to Universal.

The overall weekend for all movies is being calculated at $188.2M, which is -7% behind the same pre-Thanksgiving frame a year ago. That’s a difference of $14.2M, which is not too shabby when you consider we’re without a Gladiator II this time around, which opened to $55M last year at this time, lassoing in the older male demo.

With Wicked: For Good commanding 80% of the weekend, it’s not a situation of all boats rising. Critically acclaimed adult movies, Sony Screen Gems’ R-rated Sisu: Road to Revenge (95% fresh, B CinemaScore), and Searchlight’s Brendan Fraser drama Rental Family (86% certified fresh, A CinemaScore) are respectively filing $2.6M and $3.2M. Why did their studios opt to bow in the face of Wicked: For Good? Basically, it’s all about getting the hold over the Thanksgiving holiday, however, both are very niche in their turnout.

Rental Family has an audience that’s 34% over 45, leaning female at 53%. Any money for the movie is coming out of the West with the AMC Lincoln Square the pic’s top grossing venue with around $8K. The movie’s opening is in line with expectations, however, not amazing. Ditto for Sisu 2, soft results, but in line with what tracking was seeing. The WWII hard action movie is playing best in South Central and West. AMC Burbank is the pic’s best location at $4K. Lionsgate had the Stage 6 Films title and made a fortune in the home ancillary. Hence, Sony wanted to keep their own movie this time around. Sisu 2‘s audience is 81% male, 26% 25-34 (its biggest quad) with 42% over 45.

Saturday numbers:

FRIDAY MIDDAY: The first estimates for Friday are in for Universal’s Wicked: For Good, which is eyeing $68.5M today and $150M for the weekend at 4,115 theaters. That is at the top of the range we were spotting (not rivals, which had crazy-high estimates exceeding $175M).

If the figures hold at that 3-day level, here’s some of the records that the Jon M. Chu sequel is breaking or nearing as of this moment:

Note that Friday’s $68.5M includes the $30.8M previews from Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

RELATED: Jon M. Chu Talks Expanding Glinda & Elphaba’s Stories With New Songs In ‘Wicked: For Good’ — Contenders London

RelishMix points out that the social media reach for the Universal’s Wicked: For Good is enormous at 1.33 billion followers across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube. “Pre-release social media universe stats onWicked: For Goodare running 2.6X above family live genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined, with YouTube view 2x over norms, Instagram views 4X over norms and TikTok also flying at 3X,” says the stat org.

The Wicked: For Good cast is fully activated on social, fueled by Ariana Grande at 510M driving over 570M views on Instagram, plus Cynthia Erivo at 5.4M, Jonathan Bailey at 5.7M, Jeff Goldblum at 5.2M and Michelle Yeoh at 3.1M, Bowen Yang at 1.1M and director Jon M. Chu at 975K.

RelishMix reports, “Convo runs positive for Wicked: For Good. Fans who are outright spellbound by Ariana Grande’s Glinda are calling it a role she was ‘born to play’ and praising her performance as ‘scene-stealing,’, ‘angelic,’ and ‘Oscar-worthy.’ The ‘oh’ heard ‘round the fandom has morphed into a symbol of her precise comedic timing and Broadway roots, triggering multiple rewatches and impassioned deep-dives. The combination of live vocals, physical choreography, and vintage vocal styling had many comparing her favorably to Broadway icons and even Disney princesses. The chemistry between Ariana and Cynthia is widely hailed as ‘flawless,’ while the attention to detail in costumes and production has fans begging for theatrical re-releases. Convo index for Wicked lands at a strong 8.7 out of 10 on the RelishMix scale, indicating highly activated fan engagement, major replay value, and cast performance buzz that primes Part Two for a fervent return.”

RELATED: ‘Wicked: For Good’ Screenwriter Explains “Emotional” New Scenes, Deleted “Romantic” Fiyero Moment & Chances Of ‘Wicked 3’

Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, booked at 3,403, is seeing a second Friday of $2.4M and a second weekend around $9M, -57% for a running cume by Sunday of $36.6M.

We’re still getting more data on newcomers Rental Family from Searchlight and Sisu: Road to Revenge from Sony Screen Gems, but they’re in the very low-single-digit range.

UPDATED, Friday AM: Universal’s Wicked: For Good has officially rung up $30.8 million, according to Universal this morning, and that’s total previews from Monday to Thursday night. It marks the best overall previews for any movie in 2025 to date, topping Disney/Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ $24.4M.

Broken out that’s:

Overall previews for Wicked: For Good are bigger than Barbie ($22.3M before a $162M opening weekend, 68% female-skewing movie) and under that of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($36M, $187.4M three-day total).

With the result, the three-day U.S.-Canada total for Wicked: For Good is now being eyed in the $125M-$150M range.

RELATED: Stage Invader Who Grabbed Ariana Grande On ‘Wicked: For Good’ Red Carpet Jailed In Singapore

Now the hope is that that the sequel isn’t frontloaded and expands to a greater crowd throughout the weekend. By Friday midday a year ago, it was perceived that Wicked was headed for a $120M opening, which wasn’t the case as it simmered to $112.5M. That’s because of the frontloaded nature of the female-skewing IP. Note, the movie went on to play quite well over the Thanksgiving stretch as families made time to see it over the break.

In Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits, I’m hearing Wicked: For Good is an awesome 82% definite recommend and 92% positive. Muy bien.

RELATED: Ariana Grande Contracts Covid During ‘Wicked: For Good’ Promo Tour

As we told you previously, Fandango reported that the Cynthia Erivo-Ariana Grande sequel was the best advance ticket seller ever for a PG-rated movie, and also the best pre-seller year-to-date.

Wicked: For Good arrives as a much-needed boost for the post-Labor Day frame box office, which through Monday was behind 2.2% from the same period a year ago per Comscore with $1.29 billion (and down 31% compared to the post-Labor Day to November 18 period of 2019). While the pre-Thanksgiving weekend last year with Wicked minted north of $202 million for all movies, that frame also had the R-rated, male-skewing Gladiator II, which debuted to $55M. Even without a Gladiator II-like movie in the mix this weekend, some believe Wicked: For Good can make up the difference in its potential overperformance. Most holdovers in the top 10 a year ago dropped 50% or steeper. We’ll see what can survive, but again, the upcoming holiday week will make up for any deficiencies this weekend.

Stage 6 Films and Screen Gems have the R-rated action/thrillerSisu: Road to Revenge, which grossed $575,000 for its Thursday night previews starting at 4 p.m. from 1,925 locations. The film holds a great 96% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and received a 4½-star PostTrak score. The movie is expected to file in the single digits. The first movie, Sisu, opened to $3.3M at 1,006 theaters in 2022 and finaled at $7.2M. The pic is a microbudget play for Sony with an eye on the downstream.

Here is this week’s top 5:

PREVIOUSLY, Friday at midnight: Sources tell us that Universal’s Wicked: For Good is coming in around $20M-$22M on Thursday night, and when you fold in Amazon sneaks and Wednesday premium fan shows, that figure is substantially higher.

Again, these are industry estimates so as we always say, take them with a grain of salt until Universal officially reports in the AM. Previews on Thursday began at 2 p.m.

The best previews for the year so far goes to Disney/Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps, which did $24.4M. That was completely made from Thursday shows that began at 2 p.m.

Wicked‘s total previews a year ago were $19.2M. Broken out, that was $11M from 2 p.m. Thursday showtimes, $2.5M from Monday previews, and $5.7M from Wednesday fan showtimes. Those previews repped 42% of Wicked‘s first day Friday of $46.2M, which wove a spell for a $112.5M opening, the best ever for a movie based on a Broadway musical.

Despite the notion that some are projecting a $175M+ weekend for Wicked: For Good, word to the wise is that the sequel could be frontloaded just like the last film, which skewed 72% female, with 57% between ages 18-34, in Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits. The more sober projection for the stateside start of the Jon M. Chu-directed sequel is between $125M-$150M. The word is out already among the fans that Wicked: For Good is slightly better (or about the same) as Wicked with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience score that’s 97%, compared with last year’s 95%.

Wicked: For Good is bound to make most of its bank stateside just like the last one, which saw 63% of its $758.4M global gross coming from North America. The forecasted worldwide start is well north of $200M+.

What’s obviously expected for Wicked: For Good is that it’s going to break a whole other round of opening records.