'Wicked: For Good' sets new records with $226 million global opening weekend

Wicked: For Good has enjoyed a record-breaking opening weekend as audiences headed to cinemas in large numbers to see the highly anticipated sequel. The film delivered one of the year’s strongest debuts, earning $150 million in North America and $226 million worldwide.

The sequel took $68.7 million from 4,115 theatres on Friday alone, which included $30.8 million from previews. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the second instalment continues his adaptation of the Broadway musical that explores the origins and intertwined lives of the witches of Oz.

Ariana Grande stars as Glinda the Good Witch alongside Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

The release now holds the record for the largest opening for a Broadway musical adaptation, surpassing last year’s debut of Wicked, which made $112.5 million. It also ranks as the third-largest opening for a musical film behind The Lion King (2019) and Beauty and the Beast (2017).

The film secured the second-best opening weekend ahead of Thanksgiving and recorded the second-largest three-day launch of 2025, trailing only A Minecraft Movie. Internationally, the film added $76 million, achieving the highest global opening ever for a Broadway adaptation and the fifth-largest debut for any musical, standing behind The Lion King, Moana 2, Frozen 2 and Beauty and the Beast.

Universal Domestic Distribution President Jim Orr said, “From the moment tickets went on sale, it was very clear that the audience for Wicked: For Good was beyond eager to come out and see what has truly become more than just a movie, rather a cultural event that continues to defy expectations, as well as gravity.”