Wicked has reached a new milestone at the box office. Based on the Broadway musical, the movie tells the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, and her unexpected friendship with Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera).
The movie was released just before Thanksgiving in 2024, and its box office numbers quickly made it the highest-grossing Broadway musical movie adaptation, beating Grease (1978) in the U.S. and Mamma Mia! worldwide.
According to Deadline, Wicked has now earned over $700 million globally, with $460.6 million from domestic sales and $240.4 million from international markets. It becomes the sixth movie in 2024 to reach this milestone, following Dune: Part Two, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Inside Out 2. It is also the 147th movie in box office history to cross the $700 million mark.
Wicked’s box office success is impressive, but it mainly owes this to its strong performance in the U.S., which is uncommon for a movie that becomes a global hit. While the movie is the top stage musical adaptation in 45 countries, it is still only the third-highest-grossing internationally, behind Les Misérables and Mamma Mia!.
This might be because Wicked relies on nostalgia for The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked stage show, which aren’t as popular in non-English-speaking countries. Below, you’ll see which international markets have helped boost its global total.
| Territory | Gross |
|---|---|
| The UK | $74.3 million |
| Australia | $28.9 million |
| Germany | $16.9 million |
| South Korea | $15.2 million |
| Mexico | $10.2 million |
| The Netherlands | $7.9 million |
| Spain | $7.1 million |
| France | $6 million |
| The Philippines | $5.6 million |
| Brazil | $4.4 million |
Despite some lack of interest in certain international markets, the movie has still done well. It cost around $150 million to make, and it likely needed to earn around $375 million to break even, a goal it has already surpassed. In fact, it has almost covered the cost of the upcoming Wicked: For Good too. With the sequel also costing $150 million, the two movies together will probably need to earn $750 million worldwide to make that money back.
It’s unlikely that Wicked will earn much more at the box office, especially since it’s in its ninth weekend and is already available for rent or purchase at home. Hitting the $800 million mark seems difficult. However, there is a good chance it could pass Dune: Part Two’s $714.4 million and become the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2024 before its run ends. This could happen if the movie gets multiple Oscar nominations, which is very possible when the nominations are announced on January 19.
Source: Deadline