Did Cynthia Erivo's Wicked create a new box-office history? Details explored 

A still from the Wicked trailer (Image via YouTube/@UniversalPictures)
A still from the Wicked trailer (Image via YouTube/@UniversalPictures)

Wicked has made box office history by earning over $700 million internationally. With that success, it is inching closer to commercial hits from huge proven franchises like Dune, Moana, and Deadpool. Despite being a first in its series, this musical has made quite a splash with its earnings. Its domestic gross is reportedly over $112 million, which puts it high on that list.

The Jon M. Chu directorial, which brings a Broadway musical to the big screens has been making waves since the day it was released. It has become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2024 and is on the list of top 10 from this year. However, that is just one of the film's achievements. If you start listing out its records, they would be almost a dozen or so!

That's a massive accomplishment at a time when musicals are not necessarily the biggest crowd-pullers in the movie industry. Unlike box-office failures like Joker: Folie à Deux, Wicked has been acclaimed and loved by the audience, evident from its high Tomatometer and Popcornmeter ratings. At the same time, it has been a box office darling as a musical, a Broadway adaptation, and in some other contexts. Let's dive right into the records it has broken so far.


Wicked Box Office: The collection details explored

As per the latest box office reports, Wicked has globally crossed the $700 million box office mark. By doing so, it has entered the list of 10 films that earned the most in 2024 in theaters. It currently stands behind 2024 a few successful sequels from massively popular franchises like Deadpool and Inside Out. With that, it breaks the surprising pattern of 2024 sequels becoming successful at the box office. It is the only top 10-grossing film that is not a sequel.

As a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, Wicked ranks the highest. It also became the most successful musical film project from Universal Studios. On its opening weekend, Weekend earned about $112 million at the domestic box office and became the 4th highest film from 2024 to do so. The opening weekend collection puts this Cynthia Erivo musical ahead of Les Miserables, starring Anne Hathaway.

As if that's not enough, it also became one of the most successful releases just before Thanksgiving. It is the highest-earning live-action film during this 5-day weekend ever.


Jon M. Chu's Wicked's Box office success: More details explored

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible (Image via YouTube/@UniversalPicturesIndia)
Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible (Image via YouTube/@UniversalPicturesIndia)

Wicked brought pop star Ariana Grande to the screen in her film debut in a starring role. It paired her with two-time Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erio, who is just a step away from achieving the EGOT status. The new musical marks box office histories for both.

As Glinda, Ariana Grande helms the record of the biggest box office opening for a pop star. It was previously held by Lady Gaga's soulful musical with Bradley Cooper. Wicked also did incredibly well on its opening weekend, making it the most successful film in Cynthia Erivo's career in this regard. It beats her Steve McQueen collaboration if we look at their domestic box office numbers.

Besides the stars, the film also marks a huge success for its director, Jon M. Chu. The director is famously known for directing Crazy Rich Asians (2018), and Now You See Me 2 (2016). Now, his latest film stands ahead of his G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) in terms of the opening weekend box office numbers at the domestic and global markets.

Wicked is still successfully running in theaters despite its digital release on December 31, 2024. So, it is fair to assume that the film might just break a few more records along the way.


Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.

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Edited by Priscillah Mueni
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