Wicked debuted at the top of the box office, garnering $47.7 million in domestic revenue yesterday, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film stars Ariana Grande (Galinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) in an adaptation of the Broadway musical ‘Wicked‘.
The film “had a production budget of $150 million,” with projections having the anticipated film leading the box office with “a staggering $117 million-dollar weekend, which could make it the third biggest opening of the year so far” (New York Post). This would see the film trail behind 2024 favorites Inside Out 2, which made $151 million, and Deadpool & Wolverine, which made $211 million for their opening weekends, respectively.
This weekend also sparked some speculation as to whether there would be a similar repeat of the summer classic ‘Barbenheimer.’ Two films, Barbie and Oppenheimer, were released on the same day and racked up a collective $1 billion opening week.
This weekend was far from that, but it was in the same grace, with Gladiator 2 also releasing the same day as Wicked. It would see $22 million in domestic revenue and is projected to make $60 million. This would see the action sequel take number 2 at the box office, with both films set to make over $200 million overall.
The first reactions to Wicked were astounding, with many ecstatic to see the film. Cinema Score gave the film an ‘A’ grade, with select critics handing down a 92% “Fresh” rating via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes… and an audience score of 98%” (CBR).
The adaptation seems to be well received by critics and the audience, as the magical world does not end. This is part one of two in the series, with the second film set to release on November 21, 2025.
