Wicked Poised to Dominate Global Box Office With Massive Opening Weekend
Early forecasts say Wicked: For Good will fly past its predecessor, with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo leading the sequel to a massive global opening on November 21, 2025, alongside Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum.
Wicked is not done flying. The second movie, Wicked: For Good, is already tracking like it wants to beat the first one out of the gate, and the numbers are big enough to make that more than just wishful thinking.
The money talk
Early projections (via Deadline) have Wicked: For Good landing a domestic opening weekend between $125 million and $150 million. Add in roughly $70 million from overseas in the same frame, and you are looking at a worldwide opening north of $200 million. If those estimates hold, the sequel will start ahead of the 2024 film by a decent margin.
How that stacks up to Part One
The first Wicked opened to $112.5 million across 3,888 theaters and legged out to $474 million domestic, plus $283 million from international markets. That put the final worldwide total at $758 million. So yeah, if For Good really opens above $200 million globally, Universal is staring at another monster holiday run.
Reviews and scores (so far)
On the Rotten Tomatoes front, the sequel is starting below the first film with critics but higher with audiences. The original sits at 88% on the Tomatometer from 404 critic reviews and a 95% audience score. For Good is currently at 70% with 196 critic reviews, while its audience score is a punchy 97%. These numbers will likely shift as more reviews roll in, but the early read is: critics are a bit cooler, crowds are even warmer.
What this chapter is actually about
Story-wise, For Good keeps the spotlight on Elphaba and Glinda as their friendship gets stress-tested once they fully step into their public roles: the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North. Expect the familiar Oz politics and emotions turned up.
- Title: Wicked: For Good
- Release: Friday, November 21, 2025 (one year after the first film)
- Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh (and more)
- Opening weekend tracking: $125–$150 million domestic; about $70 million international; $200+ million worldwide
- Wicked (2024) comps: $112.5 million opening; 3,888 theaters; $474 million domestic; $283 million international; $758 million worldwide
- Rotten Tomatoes: Wicked (2024) 88% critics (404 reviews), 95% audience; For Good currently 70% critics (196 reviews), 97% audience
- Plot focus: Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship under pressure as they assume their full identities in Oz
Bottom line: the tracking says this thing is poised to out-open the first movie by a clear margin. The critic score might be lower right now, but audiences seem ready to show up in force. And with a release date locked for November 21, 2025, Universal is clearly aiming for another big Thanksgiving win.