Wicked: For Good Set to Break Box Office Records in 2025 with Massive Opening Weekend

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As a huge movie fan, I’m really excited because Hollywood desperately needs a win right now – it’s been a tough year at the box office. And it looks like it might get one with the release of Wicked: Part One. Everyone’s been waiting for this adaptation of the Broadway hit, directed by Jon M. Chu, and it’s hitting over 4,000 theaters this weekend! I’m expecting a massive turnout – people are seriously eager to see this one.

The movie Wicked, a five-hour musical, had a very successful start in November 2024, earning $112.5 million and ultimately grossing $474.5 million in the US and $758.8 million globally. It cost around $150 million to produce. The second Wicked film also had a $150 million budget, but early indications suggest it will perform even better than the first.

Okay, folks, buckle up! The early numbers are in, and Wicked: For Good is poised to have a massive opening weekend. Variety is reporting projections between $150 and $180 million, which could easily make it the biggest debut of the year so far. Currently, The Minecraft Movie holds that title with $162.8 million, but I’m hearing whispers – and now seeing projections – that Wicked could actually break that record with an incredible $172.4 million opening! This could be huge.

A Wickedly Good Debut For Universal’s Highly-Anticipated Sequel

Cinelytic, a company that predicts box office success, believes Wicked: For Good will be a major driver of movie ticket sales in late 2025. They estimate the sequel will earn $402 million domestically, which is less than the original film’s $474.5 million. While it could have a strong opening weekend, it’s still expected to earn significantly less overall.

While the reviews for Wicked: For Good aren’t as high as those for the first Wicked movie, the film is still being well-received. The original Wicked from 2024 currently has an 88% rating based on 403 critic reviews, and a fantastic 95% audience score from over 25,000 fans. Wicked: For Good currently holds a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 131 critic reviews.

Fans are responding very positively, giving the film a 97% rating based on over 2,500 reviews – likely from early preview screenings on Monday. However, the difference between these fan ratings and those from professional critics is significant, and this could impact how well the film performs in theaters over time, even if it has a very successful opening weekend.

There Is Still Some New Release Competition – Kind Of

Although Wicked: For Good is expected to be the biggest movie this weekend, two other films are also debuting nationwide. Sony’s action-packed sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge, will be shown in around 2,100 theaters, and Searchlight’s dramedy Rental Family will be in approximately 1,900. Both films are getting positive reviews, which should help them perform well when they open.

I’m really excited about Sisu: Road to Revenge! I’ve been following the reviews, and it’s getting amazing praise – 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from 34 critics, which is incredible. Rental Family with Brendan Fraser is doing well too, at 90% from 59 reviews, but honestly, it doesn’t seem like either film will be a huge box office competitor. I’m definitely planning to check out Sisu when it comes out on Friday!

Both films are predicted to earn over $700,000, and are likely to finish in the top ten. This suggests most of the top ten movies will be those that were already popular. Last week’s number one film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t from Lionsgate, earned a little over $21 million.

The action remake of The Running Man earned $16.4 million last weekend, which was enough for second place. This weekend, it’s expected to fall to third, bringing in around $12.4 million.

This weekend, the film will fall to third place, earning an estimated $8.8 million. Predator: Badlands will be close behind in fourth with $6.2 million, a more stable number after a significant drop last week. Rounding out the top five is Sisu: Road to Revenge, debuting in fifth place with $3.3 million.

The new film Rental Family is expected to open in sixth place with $2.6 million in ticket sales. Rounding out the top ten are continuing favorites like Regretting You, Black Phone 2, Keeper, Nuremberg, and Sarah’s Oil. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is predicted to bring even bigger numbers at the box office.

A Potentially Huge Thanksgiving At the Box Office

Image via Disney

Disney is releasing Zootopia 2 in theaters over Thanksgiving, almost ten years after the first movie became a hit. The original Zootopia came out in March 2016 and, while it didn’t generate a lot of pre-release buzz, it opened to a strong $75 million and continued to perform well in theaters for weeks.

The movie didn’t experience a typical second-weekend drop in viewers—it never fell more than 50%, which is common for most films—and ultimately grossed $341.2 million in the US and $1.02 billion globally. Now, Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) return in a new installment, aiming to show that the original Zootopia‘s success wasn’t a one-time event.

The new animated movie will compete with A24’s romantic drama, Eternity, which stars Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, and Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, during the Thanksgiving holiday. Also being released is Hamnet, a potential Oscar nominee directed by Chloe Zhao (known for Nomadland), and a documentary called The Beatles Anthology.

Here are our predictions for the top 10 movies at the box office this weekend, November 21st-23rd.

Predicted Weekend Box Office – November 21-23
Movie Title Predicted Opening Weekend Gross
Wicked: For Good $172.4 million
Now You See Me Now You Don’t $12.4 million
The Running Man $8.8 million
Predator: Badlands $6.2 million
Sisu: Road to Revenge $3.3 million
Rental Family $2.6 million
Regretting You $2.2 million
Black Phone 2 $1.8 million
Keeper $1.6 million
Nuremberg $1.2 million

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2025-11-20 00:53