TheWickedbox office was huge as the movie reintroduced the world of Oz to audiences and became a major hit. TheWickedmovie is based on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the 1995 novelWicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the Westby Gregory Maguire. Thestory ofWickedfollows the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, who later becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, who will become Glinda the Good Witch.
InWicked, Elphaba and Glinda are portrayed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera. In addition to Erivo and Grande-Butera, thecast ofWickedincludes Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum.Reviews forWickedwere very positive upon its release. The film holds a critics score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive audience score of 95% (viaRotten Tomatoes). Along with its positive critical reception,Wickedalso performed very well at the box office.
Wicked’s Total Box Office
Wicked Is A Major Box Office Hit
Wickedfinished its run with a total of $738,847,120 at the worldwide box office (viaBox Office Mojo). The number confirms thatWickedhas been an extremely profitable movie for Universal. A recent report revealed that the combinedbudget of bothWickedmovies set a recordas the most money Universal has ever invested up-front in a movie project. Reportedly,the budget for the firstWickedfilm was between $145-150 million. Therefore,Wickedeasily surpassed its budget, making over $473 million domestically.
Wicked’s box office haul is very impressive for the film, especially because some recent musicals have not seen such success with theatrical releases. Musical movies such asCatsandDear Evan Hansenstruggled to find an audience, butWicked’ssuccess proves that fans have been eager to return to the setting of Oz. TheWickedplay has also been beloved for years worldwide, and now the cinematic version of the story is experiencing the same kind of acclaim.
Wicked’s Opening Weekend Box Office
Wickedbroke several records with its massive opening weekend, earning just under $164.2 million. During its first few days in movie theaters,Wickedmade $114 million at the domestic box office and over $50 million at the international box office. With this release,Wickedbecame the highest-grossing global debut of a Broadway adaption, easily beating 2012’sLes Misérables.Les Misérablesearned $103 million in its opening weekend, soWickedmade $60 million more than the iconic Broadway adaptation.
Box Office: Glicked Weekend Sees Wicked Defying Gladiator 2 With Huge $100M+ Projections [Full Chart Update]
During the pre-Thanksgiving weekend at the domestic box office, the “Glicked” competition sees Wicked taking a massive lead over Gladiator II.
Wicked’sopening weekend domestic box office haul was the fourth biggest of all time for a musical film, only being beaten by 2019’sThe Lion King, 2017’sBeauty and the Beast, and 2019’sFrozen II.Wicked’s international haul was the fifth-largest opening weekend for a musical film, only being bested by these same three films, along with 2019’sAladdin. Compared to other 2024 films,Wickedhad the fourth-biggest opening weekend of the year. The only three movies that surpassedWicked’sbox office haul in their opening weekends for 2024 wereMoana 2,Deadpool & Wolverine, andInside Out 2.
How Wicked’s Box Office Compares To The Wizard Of Oz
The Wizard Of Oz Eventually Became A Box Office Success
The1939 classicThe Wizard of Ozwas a flop when it was first released, making just $3 million on a budget of $2.7 million. However,The Wizard of Ozhas made over $25 million for its lifetime gross. Adjusted for inflation,The Wizard of Ozhas made close to $570 million at the worldwide box office. However,The Wizard of Ozmade most of its money at the domestic box office, not even earning $1 million in international markets. Therefore,Wickedhas an advantage over the 1939 film, asThe Wizard of Ozis now known as a popular franchise worldwide.
Every Wicked Character Not In The Wizard Of Oz (& Why)
While some of the characters in Wicked were from The Wizard of Oz, others are unique to the 2024 prequel film.
GivenWicked’s domestic and international opening weekend earnings,the film easily surpassedThe Wizard of Oz’s earnings. TheWizard of Ozreceived critical acclaim upon its release, as well, and was nominated for Best Picture and several other Academy Awards. FollowingWicked’scommercial and critical success, it seemed like the film could have followed inThe Wizard of Oz’s footsteps into awards season, which would lead to more people seeing the movie in theaters, but it fell short there.
What Wicked’s Box Office Means For Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good Is Now Less Than A Year Away
WickedandWicked: For Goodwere shot back-to-back. Therefore,Wicked: For Goodhas a release date of August 24, 2025, just a year after the first film. This is good news for fans since they won’t have to wait long to see the continuation of Elphaba and Glinda’s story following theending ofWicked. Based on the performance of the firstWickedmovie,it is safe to say thatWicked: For Goodwill achieve a similar opening weekend, if not even bigger.
Upon the release ofWicked: For Good,The Wizard of Ozfranchise will likely be the most popular it’s ever been.
Over the next year, anticipation will only build for theWickedsequel, rather than die out, so even more fans may flock to the theater to seeWicked: For Good. Beyond its success in theaters,Wickedwill undoubtedly be popular on streaming services. Therefore, upon therelease ofWicked: For Good,The Wizard of Ozfranchise will likely be the most popular it’s ever been. If reviews for the second movie are as strong as they are forWicked, it is guaranteed that the film will be another smash hit.
Wicked’s Box Office Records Explained
Wicked Has Continued To Break Box Office Records
Wicked’sopening weekend box office haul broke many records and cemented the film as one of the most successful musical movies of all time. However,Wicked’ssuccess didn’t stop after its opening weekend. Right after New Year’s,Wickedpassed the $450 million mark at the domestic box office, becoming the third 2024 movie to pass this milestone, alongsideDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2.
Wickedhas made its way onto the list of top 50 highest-grossing films at the domestic box office.
Additionally,Wickedended up as the highest-grossing stage musical adaptation of all time. In late December 2024,WickedpassedMamma Mia!, which grossed a total of $611 million for the title. Furthermore,Wickedhas made its way onto the list of top 50 highest-grossing films at the domestic box office.
Wicked Won A Golden Globe For Its Box Office Performance
Wicked Was Successful At The Golden Globes
Wickedalso found success at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, which were held on July 22, 2025. At the Golden Globes,Wickedwon the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, beating out films such asDeadpool & Wolverine,Inside Out 2,Twisters, andBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. This award was first introduced at the 2024 ceremony and is meant to honor a high-earning movie that has garnered worldwide acclaim and support.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera were also nominated for their performances inWickedat the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. However, neither of them won.
The Golden Globes are one of the first significant ceremonies of the awards season, soWickedwinning the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement bodes well for the film.Wickedwas nominated for three other Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Even thoughWickeddid not win any other awards, its success at the Golden Globes hinted at a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
That proved to be the case. When the Oscars rolled around,Wickedpicked up a nomination for Best Motion Picture of the Year. While director Jon M. Chu was not nominated, Ariana Grande (Best Supporting Actress) and Cynthia Ertivo (Best Actress) earned nominations. However, even with 10 Oscar nominations, it only won two (Production Design, Costume Design). It didn’t even earn a nomination for Best Song for “Defying Gravity.”
Where The Wicked Box Office Ranks Among Musicals Throughout History
WickedRanks Third Domestically & Sixth Worldwide
When looking at the box office takes of musicals throughout history,Wickedranks third all-time domestically. Its $473.2 million was more thanMoana 2by $13 million but fell behind bothFrozen II($477.3 million) and the 2017 live-action version ofBeauty and the Beast($504 million). The fact that it came within $21 million of breaking the record is memorable.Wickedranks ahead of movies likeFrozenand the live-actionThe Little Mermaidand is far ahead of the next non-animated, non-Disney musical,The Great Showman, which ranks 16th at $174 million.
2019
$1,451 billion
2013
$1.271 billion
Beauty and the Beast
2017
$1.260 billion
2024
$1.058 billion
$796 million
$738 million
$716 million
2016
$684 million
2023
$633 million
$631 million
Looking at the worldwide totals,Wickedis a bit lower, sitting in sixth place. However, there is only one live-action musical ahead of it: the 2017 live-actionBeauty and the Beast, which made $1.2 billion at the box office and is ranked third. The top two movies worldwide areFrozen II($1.45 billion) andFrozen($1.27 billion). AfterBeauty and the Beast,there are two more animated films:Moana 2($1.05 billion) andCoco($796 million).Wickedwas $63 million behindCocoand just ahead ofMufasa: The Lion King.
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.
