There's no place quite like home, except perhaps when you're eager to welcome back the enchanting Witches of Oz to the silver screen. Universal's Thanksgiving blockbuster, "Wicked: For Good," is poised to rejuvenate the struggling box office with a record-breaking Thanksgiving bounty of over $120 million domestically and beyond $200 million worldwide. This would be the most impressive start for a Broadway musical adaptation ever recorded. The studio, in a bid to temper expectations, has declared that any figure close to $115 million in North America would be a monumental triumph.
"Wicked: For Good" is the second installment in filmmaker Jon M. Chu's ambitious cinematic adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical and book that unveils the untold story of the witches of Oz. Ariana Grande dazzles as Glinda the Good Witch, while Cynthia Erivo captivates as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie hits North American cinemas on November 21st, the weekend preceding Thanksgiving, and it's a global day-and-date release as well. Disney's "Zootopia 2" is the other major holiday offering, set to debut on the eve of Thanksgiving with a five-day opening anticipated to surpass $125 million.
Thanksgiving week is one of the most lucrative periods of the year (last year's "Wicked" raked in over $263 million in its first 10 days domestically). Advance ticket sales for the latest "Wicked" have skyrocketed following a deluge of promotions that commenced on October 8th, including a full-episode integration with "Dancing with the Stars" featuring Chu as guest judge, an opening number choreographed by Christopher Scott, and more. The episode resulted in "Dancing with the Stars" securing its most-watched show among the coveted 18-24 age group since 2015, generating 57 million TikTok views in 24 hours.
All these efforts have made "Wicked: For Good" Fandango's top PG-rated pre-seller of all time and among its top ten first-day performers ever. It's also the biggest pre-seller of 2025 to date. Early screenings have garnered an impressive 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 96% for the original "Wicked."
On the same weekend a year ago, the first "Wicked" made history with a record-breaking $112.5 million three-day debut, the best showing ever for a musical adaptation. It ultimately peaked at nearly $750 million worldwide, also the best performance ever for a Broadway musical adaptation – a genre that has proven challenging for Hollywood to master.
Chu's "Wicked" movies are based on the generation-defining musical stage play and book by Winnie Holzman, adapted from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The film score is by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Schwartz. The screenplay is penned by Holzman and Dana Fox. In "Wicked: For Good," Elphaba, demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West and living in exile, refuses to abandon her pledge to expose The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) for his true nature. Meanwhile, Glinda has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, residing in the palace in Emerald City. But these estranged best friends rediscover their enduring love for each other when they uncover a nefarious plot to ruin all of Oz.
