‘Wicked’ sets a record with $114 million USD in its opening weekend at the box office

‘Wicked’ breaks records with $114 million USD at the box office, becoming the largest global opening for a musical adaptation.

The release of ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu, has made history in musical cinema by grossing $114 million USD during its opening weekend across 3,888 theatres in North America. This achievement has earned it the title of the best debut for a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, surpassing the record set by ‘Into the Woods’ in 2014, which opened with $31 million USD.

Moreover, ‘Wicked’ ranks as the third biggest opening of 2024, trailing only ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and ‘Inside Out 2’. It also secures fourth place historically for musical openings. Internationally, the film added $50.2 million USD, bringing its global total to $164.2 million USD and taking the record for the highest global opening for a musical adaptation, previously held by ‘Les Misérables’ (2012).

David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research described the film as “an unstoppable phenomenon,” emphasizing how audiences revel in the singing and costume spectacle.

In contrast, the highly anticipated release of ‘Gladiator II’, directed by Ridley Scott, fell short of projections with $55.5 million USD in North America, although its international performance has already surpassed $221 million USD.