“Wicked: For Good” has set the North American box office on fire, raking in $68.6 million on Friday, including preview showings, positioning the musical sequel for an estimated $151.5 million opening weekend. This would represent the largest debut ever for a Broadway adaptation and the second-highest opening in Universal’s history, falling just behind “Jurassic World.” Surpassing last year’s first installment, which made $112 million during the same pre-Thanksgiving timeframe.
The total from the opening day technically leads the 2025 releases, surpassing “A Minecraft Movie” ($57.11 million) and “Superman” ($56.5 million). However, this number includes extensive early-access events: previews were shown on Monday and Wednesday by Universal, in addition to Amazon Prime-exclusive screenings and double-feature fan events. The movie had already collected $12.6 million before the traditional Thursday premiere.
Early releases are becoming more common, as seen earlier this year when “Superman” had Tuesday Prime showings before Thursday previews. This has provided a significant boost for movie theaters, which have been lacking a blockbuster in recent months. The last film to open above $100 million was “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” in July, followed by “The Conjuring: Last Rites” in September with $84 million.
The PG-rated sequel is benefiting from the dominance of premium formats, securing nearly all IMAX, 4DX, and other large-format screens, resulting in higher ticket prices. CJ4DPLex reported $922,000 from 4DX screenings and $1 million from ScreenX formats on Friday and previews combined—a roughly 70% increase from the format revenue of the first film on its opening day.
Although critical reception remains positive, it is slightly less enthusiastic than last year’s awards-season praise. CinemaScore audiences gave it an “A” grade, matching the first film’s rating. Universal has invested around $300 million in both films (excluding marketing), establishing the two-part adaptation as a significant studio tentpole.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” slipped to second place with $2.6 million on Friday and an anticipated $9.4 million weekend, marking a 55% decline from its debut. Its domestic total is expected to reach $37.1 million after 10 days, with most revenue coming from overseas markets.
Disney’s “Predator: Badlands” maintained the third spot with $1.7 million on Friday, experiencing a 51% week-over-week decrease. The sci-fi sequel is projected to surpass $76.5 million domestically, nearing the $80 million milestone set by “Alien vs. Predator,” which remains the franchise’s North American record.
Paramount’s “The Running Man” dropped to fourth place with $1.66 million on Friday and an estimated $6 million for the weekend, a sharp 63% decline following a lackluster opening for the $110 million production. Starring Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, the film is expected to achieve $27.2 million domestically by Sunday.
In the fifth spot, Disney’s Searchlight Pictures released “Rental Family,” featuring Brendan Fraser, earning $1.2 million from 1,925 locations on Friday and previews. Positive reviews and an “A” CinemaScore suggest potential longevity during the awards season.
Additionally, Sony launched “Sisu: Road to Revenge” in 2,222 theaters, collecting around $1.2 million on Friday, slightly lower than the first film’s $1.3 million opening day in 2023. Despite modest theatrical results, the original developed a cult following on digital platforms, leading to the sequel. Early reviews are favorable, with CinemaScore reporting a “B” grade.