Chethma De Mel, Jadetimes Staff
C. J. De Mel is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment News
The long-awaited movie version of Wicked is poised to secure the highest-opening weekend of any Broadway musical adaptation in the UK, Ireland, and North America. According to figures from the Boxoffice Company, the film will generate 114 million dollars (£90.6 million) in North America during its opening weekend, beating the worldwide opening weekend record of Les Misérables, which made 103 million dollars in 2012.
The film is projected to generate $17.6 million (£14 million) in the UK and Ireland, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2024 in that region.
This release also marks the strongest pre-Thanksgiving weekend for North American box offices since 2013, coinciding with the debut of Gladiator II. The adaptation of Wicked is from a novel telling the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, a Broadway premiere from two decades ago, sustained since its time on the West End.
Strong Performance in North America
In North America, Wicked brought in $46.48 million (£37 million) on Friday (including Thursday premieres) and an additional $36 million on Saturday. The audience was predominantly female (72%), with 67% over the age of 25—a demographic breakdown hailed as a major success for Universal Pictures.
This puts Wicked as the third-largest opening weekend in the U.S. this year, after Deadpool & Wolverine ($211 million/£168 million) and Inside Out 2 ($154 million/£122 million).
Hits on the Soundtrack and with the Audience
The film's soundtrack, featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performing hits like Popular and Defying Gravity, has risen through the charts on streaming platforms and adds to the movie's cultural impact.
It is hoping, as the festive season wears on, to match or better the worldwide box office performance of other Broadway adaptations such as Les Misérables ($442 million/£352 million) and Chicago ($306 million/£244 million).
Competition from Gladiator II and Moana 2
Meanwhile, a sequel to the 2000 epic Ridley Scott's Gladiator II released this weekend, starting with $22 million (£17.5 million) on Friday and $18.8 million on Saturday. Its opening weekend is projected to total $55.5 million (£44.2 million).
But industry analysts say Disney's Moana 2, which opens Wednesday in the U.S., might beat both of them by next weekend. That said, Wicked and Gladiator II will clearly draw big crowds in their second weeks over the Thanksgiving holiday frame, and the overall holiday weekend may end up as the biggest Thanksgiving weekend ever in North America.
A Boom for Theatres
The National Association of Theatre Owners hailed the weekend performance as cause for celebration, especially considering how movie theaters have been trying to get back on their feet after the pandemic. They called it "one of the most successful November weekends ever," teeing up holiday box office momentum.
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