Wicked, the hit musical adaptation, is set to break records with its opening weekend in the UK Ireland, and North America. Boxoffice data predicts that the film will rake in $114m in North America and $17.6m in the UK and Ireland, making it the top-grossing opening weekend of 2024.
The musical, which is based on a book that reimagines the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, has been a longstanding success on Broadway and the West End for two decades.
In North America, Wicked brought in $46.48m on Friday and $36m on Saturday, with a predominantly female audience and a significant percentage of viewers over the age of 25. Boxoffice’s Daniel Loria described this as a “massive victory” for Universal.
Alongside Wicked, Gladiator II also premiered in North America, earning $22m on Friday and $18.8m on Saturday. The sequel is projected to make $55.5m over its opening weekend. However, Moana 2, set to release on Wednesday in the US, is expected to compete for the top spot in North America.
Despite the competition, the holiday week is anticipated to draw more viewers to Wicked and Gladiator II, potentially leading to the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend on record in North America.
The performance at the box office has been celebrated in the US, marking one of the most successful November weekends in years.
In the UK and Ireland, Wicked’s opening weekend was the biggest for Universal since the release of No Time to Die in 2021. Gladiator II, which opened on 15 November, made $11.4m on its first weekend and $6m in its second weekend, a strong performance according to Mr Loria.
With the success of Wicked, Gladiator II, and Paddington In Peru, it’s an exciting time for the box office in the UK post-pandemic.
