The film adaptation ofWickedsoared on its theatrical debut last weekend. Now, after just 8 days on release, the movie has defied gravity and every expectation to become the highest grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time at the domestic box office.The Jon M. Chu-directed film has managed to avoid the traps it could have fallen into and captured the hearts of both fans of the Broadway musical, and those new to the prequel story toThe Wizard of Oz.
Premiering in theaters on Aug 14, 2025,Wickeddebuted to some staggering box office numbers, especially considering the unpredictability of theatrical releases and underperformance of musical movies such asCats, Steven Spielberg’sWest Wide Storyremake, and Chu’s ownIn The Heights.It earned $114 million in its opening weekend, easily seeing off the challenge ofGladiator II.Now in just eight days, Wicked has overtakenGrease’s(unadjusted for inflation) haul of $190 million to become the highest grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical ever.
While it is unlikely thatWickedwill fly above the highest-grossing musical movie of all time – Disney’s live-actionBeauty and the Beastwith $500 million – it has already seen off some big hitters, including 2017’sThe Greatest Showman,Les Miserables, andMamma Mia!The movie will also be surpassing last year’sWonka, which ended its run at $218 million.
‘Wicked’ Continues Its Magical Journey
Outside its financial success,Wickedhas excelled in its critical and audience reviews.The film has received some small criticisms over the story being split into two parts, as well as minor gripes about pacing. Despite these critiques, theperformances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grandeas Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, have been widely praised and helped the film really find its audience.
The story ofWickedfocuses on the untold backstory of Elphaba and Glinda, the opposing forces of good and evil in Frank L. Baum’s Land of Oz. The story reworks everything we knew about the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North,flipping the narrative to turn one of cinema’s greatest villains into a sympathetic and misunderstood character. Taking the musical as a basis and expanding the story with additional material from the novel by Gregory Maguire, the film is an epic 160-minute spectacle that ends with the mighty “Defying Gravity” and is leaving fans with a year-long wait to see the conclusion play out next year.
The Biggest Differences Between 2024’s ‘Wicked’ and the Stage Show
Adaptations aren’t always faithful, even when making a musical into a movie. Fans of Wicked will want to be prepared for its major and minor changes.
Unsurprisingly,Wickedlost its box office crown this weekend as Disney unleashedMoana 2to an incredible haul of more than $300 million, but that was only to be expected. Between them, the two movies have helped give cinemas a much-needed boost as we head towards the end of the year. With several movies still to come, such asSonic the Hedgehog 3andMufasa: The Lion King, 2024 has turned out to be an impressive year on the whole, and proof that the cinematic experience is still an important part of the movie industry when the right films come along.
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.
