‘Wicked: For Good’ storms box office with $68.6m opening day

"Wicked: For Good" has ignited the North American box office, earning $68.6 million on Friday, including preview screenings, putting the musical sequel on track for a projected $151.5 million opening weekend. 

That would mark the biggest opening ever for a Broadway adaptation and the second-largest debut in Universal history, trailing only "Jurassic World". It also surpasses last year's first installment, which opened to $112 million during the same pre-thanksgiving window.

The opening-day total technically leads 2025 releases, topping "A Minecraft Movie" ($57.11 million) and "Superman" ($56.5 million). However, the figure includes extensive early-access events: Universal rolled out previews on Monday and Wednesday, along with Amazon Prime-exclusive screenings and double-feature fan events. The film had already earned $12.6 million before the traditional Thursday debut.

Early releases have become increasingly common. Earlier this year, "Superman" launched with Tuesday Prime screenings ahead of Thursday previews.

Despite a more staggered rollout, it's a major boost for movie theatres, which have lacked a blockbuster in recent months. The last film to open above $100 million was "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in July, followed by "The Conjuring: Last Rites" in September with $84 million.

The PG-rated sequel is also benefiting from premium-format dominance. With nearly all IMAX, 4DX, and other large-format screens secured, the film is drawing higher ticket prices. CJ4DPLex reported $922,000 earned through 4DX screenings and $1 million through ScreenX formats on Friday and previews combined—roughly a 70% jump from the opening-day format revenue of the first film.

Critical reception remains positive, though slightly more muted than last year's awards-season accolades. CinemaScore audiences awarded an "A," matching the first film's grade. Universal spent roughly $300 million across both films (excluding marketing), positioning the two-part adaptation as a major studio tentpole.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate's "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" slid to second place with $2.6 million on Friday and an estimated $9.4 million weekend, marking a 55% drop from its debut. Its domestic total is expected to reach $37.1 million after 10 days, with overseas markets driving most revenue.

Disney's "Predator: Badlands" held third with $1.7 million on Friday, a 51% week-over-week decline. The sci-fi sequel is projected to cross $76.5 million domestically, approaching the $80 million benchmark set by "Alien vs. Predator," which remains the franchise's North American record.

Paramount's "The Running Man" fell to fourth with $1.66 million Friday and an estimated $6 million for the weekend, a steep 63% drop following a weak opening for the $110 million production. The film, starring Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, is expected to reach $27.2 million domestic through Sunday.

Rounding out the top five, Disney's Searchlight Pictures released "Rental Family," starring Brendan Fraser, earning $1.2 million across Friday and previews from 1,925 locations. Strong reviews and an "A" CinemaScore suggest potential staying power during awards season.

Elsewhere, Sony released "Sisu: Road to Revenge" in 2,222 theatres, earning about $1.2 million on Friday, slightly below the first film's $1.3 million opening day in 2023. Despite modest theatrical results, the original developed a cult following on digital platforms, prompting the sequel. Early reviews are positive, and CinemaScore reported a "B".