‘Wicked’ soars at the box office with an estimated $164 million worldwide

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda in Universal’s “Wicked.”

“Wicked” is soaring at the box office.

Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated — and heavily promoted — film topped the domestic box office with an estimated $114 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend. It also earned an estimated $50.2 million in the international market.

Director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” and invites audiences to learn how the Wicked Witch of the West came to be. The star-studded cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and several other actors who bring the magical realm to the silver screen.

The cast of “Wicked” attended the Los Angeles premiere on November 9, 2024.

“Wicked” is based on the eponymous Broadway musical inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. This film only covers part of the musical. A second film is expected to hit theaters in November 2025.

“Wicked” isn’t the only big-budget film gaining attention this Thanksgiving week.

Paul Mescal as Lucius in “Gladiator II.”

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” also debuted in American theaters on Friday, prompting movie fans to dub the phenomenon “Glicked.” It’s reminiscent of July 2023 when Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” — dubbed “Barbenheimer” — both took Hollywood by storm.

“Gladiator II” also has a stacked cast with Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal.

The action film earned an estimated $55.5 million domestically. It debuted overseas a week earlier, however, and has so far grossed an estimated $165 million from the international market, Variety reported.