3 Surprise Hits Are Crushing Wicked: For Good at the Box Office

Wicked: For Good did exactly what everyone expected and then some. It blew the doors off the weekend with a monster $226 million haul worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. But while the big green juggernaut grabbed the headlines, a few indies quietly showed up with strong numbers and even stronger word of mouth.

The big one: Wicked takes the win

Record-setting opening day? Check. Ariana Grande on the poster? Check. Wicked: For Good steamrolled the competition and planted its flag as the weekend’s story. It’s the kind of outlier that reminds you how massive the ceiling still is for the right four-quadrant musical.

Meanwhile, the indies made their case

Rental Family, a comedy-drama from director Hikari starring Oscar winner Brendan Fraser (and released by Searchlight Pictures), delivered a $3.3 million opening weekend. That’s small next to Wicked — obviously — but for a lower-budget, lower-profile release, it’s a legit win. The hook here is pretty sticky: a story about finding yourself and the messy space where transactional relationships start to feel real. Not shocking that families found it over Thanksgiving.

Nuremberg, led by Rami Malek, is a more sober play — a historical drama about the Nuremberg Trials that opened November 7. It’s now in its third weekend and has crossed $12.1 million total. The subject matter is heavy and political, which tends to keep some mainstream audiences at arm’s length, but for an indie historical drama, these are healthy numbers.

Sentimental Value also bowed in the U.S. on November 7 and has reached $8.58 million so far. The rollout has been limited, which naturally caps the ceiling, but it’s still holding steady as it expands.

By the numbers (and the scores)

• Wicked: For Good — Rotten Tomatoes: 70% Tomatometer | 90% Audience; Box office: $226 million
• Nuremberg — Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Tomatometer | 96% Audience; Box office: $12.1 million (third weekend)
• Sentimental Value — Rotten Tomatoes: 96% Tomatometer | 97% Audience; Box office: $8.58 million (limited release)
• Rental Family — Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Tomatometer | 96% Audience; Box office: $3.3 million (opening weekend)

Why this matters

Wicked’s blowout is the exception, not the rule. Most studios are still chasing safety plays — remakes, re-adaptations, brand extensions — and that creative math has limits. At some point, the franchise machine hits a wall.

Indies are where the oxygen is. The budgets are saner, the risks are more interesting, and the films don’t have to justify themselves with tentpole-sized opening weekends. That freedom is why the space keeps producing sharp, audience-pleasing work — and why these smaller movies can still break through on quality, not just marketing muscle.

Seen any of these yet? Drop your take in the comments.