Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated musical sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” has made a strong start with Thursday night previews grossing approximately $20 million to $22 million. This figure is expected to rise significantly when incorporating additional earnings from Amazon sneak previews and premium fan screenings held on Wednesday.
The current preview earnings place “Wicked: For Good” as a leading contender for the highest preview earnings of the year, closely following the Disney/Marvel Studios release “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which garnered $24.4 million from Thursday showings that began at 14:00. Industry estimates remain tentative until Universal officially reports the final figures.
Comparative Performance and Expectations
The Thursday previews for “Wicked: For Good” are comparable to the first installment, which earned $19.2 million in previews a year ago. That total was broken down into $11 million from the initial Thursday showtimes, $2.5 million from Monday previews, and $5.7 million from Wednesday fan events. These previews represented 42% of the film’s first-day earnings of $46.2 million, leading to a remarkable opening weekend of $112.5 million, the highest ever for a film adapted from a Broadway musical.
Some projections suggest “Wicked: For Good” could achieve a weekend opening of over $175 million. However, analysts caution that the sequel may experience frontloading similar to its predecessor, which attracted a predominantly female audience—72% female and 57% aged 18-34, according to Screen Engine/Comscore data.
A more conservative estimate places the film’s domestic debut between $125 million and $150 million. Audience reception appears positive, with early reports indicating that “Wicked: For Good” has an impressive 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly surpassing the first film’s score of 95%.
Global Prospects and Historical Context
Historically, the original “Wicked” film generated approximately 63% of its total $758.4 million global box office from the U.S. and Canada. Expectations for the sequel remain high, with forecasts indicating a global opening significantly exceeding $200 million.
As anticipation builds, “Wicked: For Good” is poised not only to deliver substantial box office results but also to potentially break new opening records in the musical film genre. With its strong previews and favorable audience reception, the film is set to enchant audiences worldwide, much like its predecessor.
